Jackson Underwood

Costume Designer

2026 BFA Drama, Costume Design

Jackson is a Costume Designer and Artisan with a passion for visual storytelling and collaborative ideation. They have a background in costume and fashion design, millinery, garment construction, costume crafts, and wardrobe.

Originally from Kansas City, Jackson began their BFA pursuit at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2022. They have costume designed three mainstage shows at CMU; The Inseparables, Ajax, and Eurydice. During their time at CMU, they have received specialized training in design and coordination, millinery, mask making, fabric dyeing, and much more. Jackson has worked professionally with the Pittsburgh CLO in Pittsburgh, PA as Costume Design and Coordination Intern; The Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY as Costume Design Fellow; and Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park in Kansas City, KS as craftsperson and wardrobe crew. They have designed and constructed two fashion collections for CMU’s annual fashion show, Lunar Gala, and created costumes for numerous independent student projects. This summer, they will be working as Dressing Millinery Apprentice at Santa Fe Opera.

Outside of work, Jackson is a dancer and choreographer, conceptualizing pieces for Dancers’ Symposium and teaching classes with CMU Street Styles. They are a member of the House of Revlon and the House of BabyPhat in the Pittsburgh ballroom scene and work with the CMU Drama archival documentation team to record and archive every show. They love seeing movies with friends and spending time in nature.

Jackson uses color, texture, and shape to create costumes that are striking, innovative, and speak to the future while calling on the past. They are committed to bringing queer, trans, and marginalized stories to the forefront pushing toward a more diverse and expansive future in theatre.

Work Samples

Ajax

Written by Sophocles, Translated by Herbert Golder and Richard Pevear
Directed by Matthew Kereama
Costume Design by Jackson Underwood
CMU School of Drama – November 2025

Avarice

Presented at Lunar Gala: Elysium
Produced by Jeffrey Zhang and Katherine Wang
Fashion Design and Construction by Jackson Underwood and Räyya Gracy
Carnegie Mellon University – March 2025

The Inseparables

Written by TJ Young
Directed by Robert Ramirez
Costume Design by Jackson Underwood
CMU School of Drama – March 2025