Brenden Rowan is a theatrical designer pursuing a BFA in lighting design at Ball State University. He originally comes from Wabash, Indiana where theater was few and far between, but working at a large-scale, performing arts center he found his niche in theater.
At Ball State, Brenden learns from professional theatrical designers who aim to teach students that it is okay to fail. Because of this, he has learned to be more creative and open to new and exciting ideas. While continuing his education, Brenden has been trained to think conceptually, work in a group setting, and problem solve quickly.
Brenden works to inspire young artists to be creative and to pursue theater. In his own words, “There is nothing else that makes me genuinely feel so excited other than lighting design. When a theatrical “moment” works so well, it reignites my passion for theater.” He wishes to fill other people with the same passion for theater that he has.
Brenden recently finished designing “Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.” at Ball State University and the Student Choreography projects for Ball State’s Department of Theater and Dance. He looks forward to working in Pennsylvania as the resident lighting designer for Millbrook Playhouse. At Millbrook, Brenden will be designing “Grease”, “Honky Tonk Angles”, and “Disney’s Newsies”.
Brenden also recently joined USITT and was thrilled to make so many connections with wonderful theater professionals at the Columbus conference in 2025.