Robert Sunderman

People
Associate Professor of Theatre, Emeritus
Robert Sunderman

Rob Sunderman has been the Resident Scenic Designer/Scenographer/Scenic Artist and Associate Professor of Theatre Design at Iowa State University for the past 19 years. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a BFA and MFA in Fine Art. He has designed/painted over 280 shows during his theatre/TV career and has been in over 200 fine art exhibits. Rob has received Iowa Film awards, National Broadcasting Designers awards, and Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival awards for his scenic designs and also many fine art awards. This year he is designing/painting the sets for ISU Theatre’s productions of Climate Change Theatre ActionAnon(ymous) and 9 to 5. This summer he designed/painted the set for Nebraska Wesleyan University’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.  Rob's scenic design from a past Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre production was included in the United States Design Exhibition of USA designers at the Prague Quadrennial world event in Prague and his fine art work will be published in the retrospective book on "Chunghi Choo and Students" this fall. He recently has been working on a number of fine art series of work dealing with renewal, fleeting moments, and human intervention of natural cycles in a variety of mediums. 

Show Credits 

  • Scenic Designer, Songs for a New World, 2021
  • Scenic Designer, Our Community Carol: A Blueprint for a Play, 2020
  • Scenic Designer, 9 to 5, 2020 [CANCELLED]
  • Scenic Designer, Anon(ymous), 2019
  • Scenic Designer, Climate Change Theatre Action: Lighting the Way, 2019
  • Scenic Designer, Sense and Sensibility, 2019
  • Scenic Designer, Orpheus in the Underworld, 2018
  • Scenic Designer, This Is Not a Pipe Dream, 2018
  • Scenic Designer, Oklahoma!, 2017
  • Scenic Designer, A Christmas Carol, 2017
  • Scenic Designer, Out of the Fire: The Banned Books Monologues, 2017
  • Scenic Designer, The Tempest, 2017
  • Scenic Designer, Cabaret, 2016
  • Scenic Designer, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, 2016
  • Scenic Designer, The Magic Flute, 2015
  • Scenic Designer, Les Misérables, 2015
  • Scenic Designer, A Christmas Carol, 2014
  • Scenic Designer, Crimes of the Heart, 2014
  • Scenic Painter, Crimes of the Heart, 2014
  • Scenic Painter, Spring Awakening, 2014
  • Scenic Designer, Spring Awakening, 2014
  • Scenic Designer, Amadeus, 2014
  • Scenic Artist, Amadeus, 2014
  • Scenic Designer, Into the Woods, 2014
  • Scenic Designer, The Seagull, 2013
  • Scenic Designer, A Streetcar Named Desire, 2013
  • Scenic Artist, A Streetcar Named Desire, 2013
  • Murals and Signs, A Streetcar Named Desire, 2013
  • Scenic Artist, The Three Musketeers, 2013
  • Scenic Designer, The Three Musketeers, 2013
  • Scenic Designer, Noises Off, 2012
  • Scenic Designer, Candide, 2012
  • Scenic Designer, To Kill a Mockingbird, 2012
  • Scenic Designer, Chekhov Short Stories, 2012
  • Scenic Designer, Rent, 2012
  • Scenic Artist, Rent, 2012
  • Scenic Designer, Love's Labor's Lost, 2011
  • Scenic Designer, A Christmas Carol, 2011
  • Scenic Artist, A Christmas Carol, 2011
  • Scenic Designer, The Miracle Worker, 2011
  • Scenic Designer, Guys and Dolls, 2010
  • Scenic Designer, The Arabian Nights, 2010
  • Scenic Designer, The Importance of Being Earnest, 2010
  • Scenic Designer, Vinegar Tom, 2009
  • Scenic Designer, The Odd Couple, 2009
  • Scenic Designer, Sweeney Todd, 2009
  • Scenic Designer, Gypsy, 2009
  • Scenic Artist, Gypsy, 2009
  • Scenic Designer, A Christmas Carol, 2008
  • Scenic Designer, Gypsy, 2008
  • Scenic Designer, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 2008
  • Scenic Artist, The Boys Next Door, 2008
  • Scenic Mentor, Quilters, 2007
  • Scenic Designer, We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!, 2007
  • Scenic Designer, Three Sisters, 2007
  • Scenic Designer, The Music Man, 2007
  • Scenic Designer, Arcadia, 2007
  • Poster Design, The Marriage of Figaro, 2006
  • Scenic Designer, The Marriage of Figaro, 2006
  • Scenic Designer, My Fair Lady, 2006
  • Scenic Designer, A Christmas Carol, 2005
  • Scenic Designer, The Pavilion, 2005
  • Scenic Designer, James and the Giant Peach, 2005
  • Poster and Program Graphic, James and the Giant Peach, 2005
  • Scenic Designer, The Secret Garden, 2005
  • Scenic Designer, Dearly Departed, 2004
  • Scenic Designer, True West, 2004
  • Scenic Designer, Fiddler on the Roof, 2004
  • Lighting Designer, Barjche, 2004
  • Scenic Designer, Ruddigore or the Witch's Curse, 2003
  • Scenic Designer, Incorruptible, 2003
  • Poster Design, Incorruptible, 2003
  • Scenic Designer, Proof, 2003
  • Poster Design, Proof, 2003
  • Scenic Designer, Brigadoon, 2003
  • Poster Design, A Christmas Carol, 2002
  • Scenic Designer, Stained Glass, 2002
  • Poster Design, Stained Glass, 2002
  • Scenic Designer, Grease, 2002
  • Scenic Designer, Heroes Among Us, 2001
  • Scenic Designer, Crimes of the Heart, 2001
  • Scenic Designer, Oklahoma!, 2001
  • Scenic Designer, Noises Off, 2001
  • Scenic Designer, Twelfth Night, 2000
Education: 
M.F.A. in Fine Art, University of Iowa
B.F.A. in Fine Art, University of Iowa
Contact
0314 Carver Hall Iowa State University
Ames
Iowa
50011