Stitching Together a Career to Broadway

From sketching characters in his high school theater rehearsals to designing costumes for a major Broadway production, Murrysville native Ryan Park is making his mark in the world of professional theater.

For Murrysville’s Ryan Park, what started as a love of drawing, creating and participating in high school theater has blossomed into a remarkable career designing costumes for professional productions across the country. A 2005 graduate of Franklin Regional High School, Park has taken his talents from the classrooms and stages of Murrysville to New York City—where he is now an accomplished costume designer whose work has earned some of the theater industry’s highest honors.

Park, 39, grew up in Murrysville before earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009. Today, he calls New York City home, where he continues to bring characters and stories to life through his creative designs.

Interestingly, his career path began somewhat unexpectedly during his high school years. Although he initially became involved in musicals because many of his friends participated, Park had always enjoyed drawing, sculpting and creating things. While sitting through rehearsals, he would sketch his interpretations of the characters, imagining how they might look onstage.

“Looking back, I realize those were—in a way—my first costume sketches,” he says.

His creativity did not go unnoticed. Franklin Regional theater director Mr. Wolfgang recognized Park’s artistic potential and encouraged him to incorporate his drawings and ideas into the school’s productions. That early encouragement proved instrumental in helping him discover a future career.

Park also credits the dedicated parents who worked behind the scenes to bring the productions’ costumes to life. Whether sourcing pieces from thrift stores, sewing garments from scratch or combining existing pieces to create a particular look, their collaborative efforts helped transform his ideas into reality.

Park mentions that in many ways the experience closely mirrors his work today. As a professional designer, he manages teams of artists and craftspeople who work together to source, build and create costumes that support a production’s story and bring its characters to life.

Following graduation from Carnegie Mellon, Park made the move to New York City to pursue his professional ambitions. While the transition presented some challenges, he remembers those early years fondly.

“Of course, there were challenges, but for the most part being young in New York City was exciting and a lot of fun,” says Park. “You never had much money, but at that stage of life, it didn’t matter all that much. You’d get together with your friends, go out, and have fun. The possibilities seemed almost endless.”

Since then, Park has built an impressive career, with his costume designs appearing in productions across the country and in Playbills nationwide. His work on “The Lost Boys” brought particularly exciting recognition this year, when he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Costume Design. He also received the Critics’ Choice Fan Award for Best Costume Design for the production, along with an Outstanding Costume Design nomination from the Outer Critics Circle.

For Park, the Tony recognition was especially meaningful, not only as an acknowledgment of his work but also as a tribute to the many talented people who helped make the production possible.

“I was truly honored to receive that nomination, not only in recognition of my own work, but even more so for the incredible team of people who worked alongside me,” he says.

That appreciation for collaboration is something he traces all the way back to his Franklin Regional days. Just as the parents who helped construct costumes for his high school productions played an important role in his early experiences, today’s team of artists and craftspeople remains essential to his professional work.

Designing “The Lost Boys” also presented an exciting creative challenge. With a relatively quick timeline, Park began his research and sketches in October, participated in a key art photo shoot with the principal characters in costume in December and moved into rehearsals by January.

He was particularly interested in exploring visual contrasts throughout the production, including light and darkness, danger and comfort. He also wanted the designs to reflect the themes of perseverance and resilience, even during difficult or uncertain times.

Now, audiences beyond New York will have the opportunity to experience his work firsthand. “The Lost Boys” is scheduled to embark on a North American tour in 2027, beginning in Cleveland, with an additional presentation planned for London.

“I’m happy the show is moving beyond New York and that so many more people will have the opportunity to experience it,” Park says. “There’s nothing quite like sitting in the dark with a room full of strangers, all looking in the same direction and sharing the experience of live theater. It’s something truly special.”

From the high school rehearsals where he first began sketching characters to the professional stages where his designs are now earning national recognition, Park’s journey is a wonderful example of how an early opportunity, a little encouragement and a willingness to follow one’s creativity can lead to something extraordinary.

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