Josefa Poppen

‌Instructor of Theatre Arts
Office Location: 263 Fine Arts Center
515-271-3833
josie.poppen@drake.edu

An Iowa native, Josie (as she prefers to be called) began her work as a musical theatre actress. What once began as a "diva" designing and building her own costumes, transitioned into Josie designing and constructing for others.

Josie has designed costumes for Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, St. Ambrose University, Des Moines Community Playhouse/Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre, and Repertory Theatre of Iowa. She began designing and teaching at Drake in 1988.

Some of her favorite projects have been the scenic design for Female Transport, post apocalyptic costume design for Macbeth, and designing and building a costume for Porterhouse, the original live bulldog representative of Drake University. Use of technology in the arts has always been one of Josie’s interests and she was an early adopter of digital rendering and computer aided pattern drafting. Her current research is in the area of digital printing/fabric modifications and the use of electronics in costumes.