Ronald Naversen

Ronald Naversen is a scenic designer, educator, and author whose work spans both academia and professional theatre. Earning his Ph.D. in Speech Communications & Theater (1989) and M.F.A. in Scenic Design from Carnegie Mellon (1978), he served as Professor of Scenic Design at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and is now Professor Emeritus .

He has designed sets and masks for regional theatres—including Westport Country Playhouse (CT), Vitalist Theater (Chicago), and New Harmony Theater (IN)—and won a Jeff Award for Outstanding Technical Performance for “A Passage to India.” A mask maker and scholar, he studied traditional wood carving in Bali , leather mask making in Italy and integrates cultural craftsmanship into his teaching and design practice

Naversen has contributed scholarly articles to TD&T, Stage Directions, and Theatre Crafts. His academic focus includes scenographic theory, mask-making, and puppetry

About The Scenographic Model

Co-authored with Darwin Reid Payne and Brad M. Carlson, this third edition is an authoritative guide to theatrical model making. It covers historical context, tools, materials, design processes, 3D printing, and presentation techniques. Praised as “an essential reference” for theatre designers, it bridges tradition and innovation in scenographic practice