Costume Designer and Professor of Theatre and Costume Design Cheryl Yancey, M.F.A., has announced her retirement from Shenandoah Conservatory at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. Yancey began working at Shenandoah in 1995, and will retire after 30 years of dedicated service to its artistic and educational community.

“Cheryl Yancey’s retirement marks a significant milestone not only for Cheryl but for theatre at Shenandoah Conservatory,” said Interim Dean and Professor of Music (Music Education) Jeffrey Marlatt, Ph.D. “Her talent, dedication and passion have left an indelible mark on countless students, colleagues and audiences. We celebrate her remarkable 30-year journey at Shenandoah and wish her all the best in her next chapter. Congratulations, Cheryl!”

Yancey previously served on the faculty and was the resident costume designer for Allentown College of St. Francis DeSales (now DeSales University) in Pennsylvania, as well as the resident designer for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, in Centerville, Pennsylvania. She has also designed for the Washington Stage Guild and The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Robin Miller Productions in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Yancey has also received American College Theatre awards for her costume designs for “A Flea in Her Ear,” “A Man for All Seasons” and “The Cherry Orchard.”

She has designed costumes for 31 of the seasons for Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre (SSMT) in Winchester, Virginia. Her designs include “Young Frankenstein,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Show Boat,” “Crazy for You,” “Damn Yankees,” “Gigi,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “1776,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Seussical,” “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” “Cats,” “Shrek!: The Musical,” “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “The Wiz,” “Pirates of Penzance” and “My Fair Lady.” Her costumes for “Pirates of Penzance” were named as some of the best in the Washington, D.C., area; her costumes for “Grease!” were named the best costume designs for a musical by Broadway World (regional) in 2021; and her designs for “Cinderella” were nominated for best costume design for Broadway World (regional) in 2022.