This fall, the Illinois State University School of Theatre, Dance, and Film welcomed two new faculty members, Rajeev Sigamoney and Jake Ewonus. Sigamoney is a professor in film and digital media with a focus in screenwriting, and Ewonus is a professor in production design and technology with a focus in scenic design.
Before coming to Illinois State University, Sigamoney was a film professor at Pacific Union College in Napa Valley, California, where he served as the chair of the Visual Arts Department. He is a writer, producer, and director for film and television. Information about his projects are available on his IMDB page. Sigamoney said that he decided to come to the School of Theatre, Dance, and Film because he felt an immediate connection with his fellow faculty and loved the creative energy of the program. “I seek good community wherever I choose to work,” said Sigamoney, “And I knew ISU had that from my very first time on campus.” Sigamoney shared that the transition to the Bloomington-Normal community has gone as well as possible for him and his family. He really enjoys the family-friendly activities and lower cost of living in the area.
Sigamoney is teaching Topics in Film Studies: Sitcom (THE 273) and Screenwriting (THE 368) this fall and will continue to teach those classes next spring. When asked how he has interacted with the students so far, he said that he has had a blast getting to know his students, especially in his classes. He likes learning about his students’ unique voices in his screenwriting class and being able to expand the television palette of the students in his sitcom class.
Sigamoney had this piece of advice to offer his students: “Don’t treat your classes like school. Within art school, there are more important things than checking off courses and getting grades. Really push yourself to create work you are proud of, to find and work with great collaborators and to truly find your voice. That is the true goal of film school and will take you much farther in your life and career.”
Ewonus previously lived in Savannah, Georgia, where he taught production and worked as the graduate coordinator at Savannah College of Art and Design. Before that, he lived in Atlanta where he predominantly worked in film and television as a set designer. Information about his work is available on his IMDB page. Ewonus said that it was the faculty and facilities that influenced his decision to come to Illinois State University. He said, “I loved the people I met when interviewing and was really impressed with the shops and stages we have.” He also said that he had wanted to move to Illinois for a while, considering it was safer for him and his family.
The transition to living in the Bloomington-Normal area has been hard, according to Ewonus, mostly because he was so unfamiliar with the area and did not know information about the neighborhoods, schools, or what the fun things were to do in the community.
This fall, Ewonus is teaching Technical Procedures: Props (THE 260), Advanced Scenic Design (THE 363), Seminar In Theatre: Model Making (THE 430), and M.F.A. Portfolio: Scene Design (THE 501A03). In the spring semester, he will teach Scenic Design (THE 362, section one), Scenographic Techniques (THE 367, section one), Seminar In Theatre: Costume Studies (THE 430, section two), and M.F.A. Portfolio: Scene Design (THE 501A03, section one). He said that so far he has interacted with the students in the capacity of a teacher and advisor and that he would like to teach more lecture classes in the future.
Ewonus had this piece of advice to offer his students: “Don’t stagnate. Always keep changing. If it’s a design, at least change one thing. Never show up to two classes with the same thing. If it’s in life, keep working. Never sit still and think about doing it later.”
The School of Theatre, Dance, and Film is excited to welcome Sigamoney and Ewonus as new faculty members to the University and hope that they will enjoy being a part of our community.
For more information about majors, minors, and graduate programs in Film and Digital Media and Production Design and Technology at the School of Theatre, Dance, and Film, visit our website.
