Leslie Cook

Leslie Cook brings a successful record of teaching and designing costumes for theatre and dance within a liberal arts program and is passionate about her craft. She holds an M.F.A. in Costume Design from Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia, and a B.A. from St. Mary's College of Maryland. She was previously an Associate Professor of Costume Design and Technology at Longwood University in Virginia where she has taught since 2012. Leslie has designed professionally at the Firehouse Theatre, the End-Station Theatre, Wolf Trap Opera, American Opera Theatre, and National Geographic Television. Her scholarly research focuses on “costumes of the condemned”, an exploration of evidence left by persons in extremis via their appearance and the kinds of deliberate messages chosen to represent them in their final clothing selections.

Leslie Cook is a dedicated educator committed to student achievement. As her teaching philosophy expresses, “I feel very strongly that my own success can only be achieved by theirs; by supporting them as people, enriching their present, helping them to understand their past, and preparing them for their future. I know that this is a time of great transition for them, and I can, even as I teach them life skills and artistry, teach them how to respond resiliently, maturely, and bravely to their lives.”