Faculty Spotlight
Melanie Harris
By Lydia Weigand, student intern
Melanie Morrow Harris, originally from Russellville, Alabama, received her bachelor's degree in special education and master's degree in secondary education-theatre at Mississippi State.
Harris’s first job after college was working as the assistant to a brewmaster. She worked her way through college as a pharmacy technician, so she knew sterile technique and how to follow a formula.
“I had just moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, and met the brewmaster socially. When he learned about my pharmacy technician background, he offered me a job. And I was also allergic to beer, so he knew I wouldn’t be tempted to sample all day,” said Harris. “I basically just brewed beer: weighed out hops and followed the recipe.”
After a year in Lafayette, Harris and her husband moved to Orlando for his job, and as luck would have it, she found her way to working behind the scenes at Disney.
“I quickly made a friend who introduced me to a friend that somehow turned into a costuming job at Disney. Many of my jobs have been found this way–a friend who knows a friend,” Harris said. “I worked at Hollywood studios backstage at shows as an entertainment ‘floating’ costumer, meaning I helped on any show they needed me on at the time.”
After working at Disney for about a year, Harris and her husband moved to the Mississippi gulf coast area where worked as a freelance costumer for local community theaters. Harris met MSU assistant professor, Tonya Hays, through community theater and the pair took on the endeavor of starting WINGS Performing Arts program at the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center. With Tonya as lead, Harris worked at the children’s theater program for six years before moving to Starkville.
“After moving to Starkville, Wayne Durst, longtime MSU theatre professor, asked me to work for Theatre MSU. I started my career at MSU as a part-time staff member in 2004 and moved to full-time faculty in 2007,” noted Harris. “I have worked behind the scenes with Theatre MSU for 22 years, mainly as costumer, but also as a catch all for anything that needs to be done. Maybe my most important role, though, has been playing second “Mom” to the many amazing students who have made their way in and out of the theater shop and the costuming room of Theatre MSU over the years!”
What classes do you teach at MSU?
Introduction to Theatre, The Art of Not Being Naked, Theatre Practicum, Costume Design Studio, Makeup Design Studio
What is your favorite part of being a professor?
Being surrounded by young, creative minds all the time.
What is your favorite memory in the department?
SOOOO many. Most involving the incredibly talented and sweet students I have been honored to know.
Any funny stories from McComas?
So many of the funny ones involved times when everything was going horribly wrong. Dr. Forde mopping in his socks when the building flooded, when my jellyfish costume exploded, accidentally doing the splits on stilts during The Neverending Story, testing out the fog machine and filling the entire main floor of the building with fog so thick you couldn't see 5 feet in front of you–being in the theatre is so much fun! There is always something insane going on.
What is the best advice you have for communication students?
PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE!!! Try things that scare you silly. Courage is not the lack of fear. It's the willingness to be scared and try it anyway.
What is your favorite part of working in the theater field?
The fact that I get to be creative every single day!
If you didn't work in theater, what could you see yourself doing?
I would still be sewing, just probably for fun instead of work. Maybe completing my transition to Appalachian witchy woman, buying some horses, making quilts, having heartfelt conversations with wild animals to try and domesticate them, and brewing odd things in my kitchen.
Describe any research or projects you're currently working on.
Right now, we are winding up Fahrenheit 451 and gearing up for Sweeney Todd. Also really obsessing over my attempts to create the world's most effective laundry detergent.
If you could only watch one film for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
How to Train Your Dragon. Mainly for the soundtrack. It's dopamine in auditory form.
What's your favorite spot in Starkville?
I really, really love the Noxubee Refuge. It's wild in all the best ways.
How do you spend your free time?
What is free time?!