Katelan Crowder has been very active in theater.
Whether it’s on the stage acting or working on set designs for plays.
The Odessa High graduate will soon get to continue to work with set designs when she goes to college at the University of Texas at Austin this fall.
Before she begins the next chapter of her life, Crowder will be a part of one more show as she has been busy helping with the set (as well as acting in) with the SpongeBob SquarePants Musical at Permian Playhouse.
She says this show has been bittersweet but also fun to work on.
“I’m so excited about it because I grew up with SpongeBob so this is my dream,” Crowder said. “When I saw the main characters in their costumes, I was like ‘oh my gosh, that’s them. That’s the same people I saw on television.’ I’m so glad that it’s this show that I get to end before I begin a new chapter in my life.”
This is Crowder’s second show that she’s worked on at Permian Playhouse. But in high school, she was a part of a number of shows. She lost count of how many plays she’s been a part of, whether it’s acting or working backstage or both but she says the number is “more than 15.”
The SpongeBob SquarePants Musical will open at Permian Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. today. There will be six shows total running through Aug. 7.
The musical is based on the beloved children’s show that has aired on Nickelodeon since 1999.
Crowder is one of the 45 cast members in the musical, playing the role of SpongeBob’s boating instructor Mrs. Puff.
However, Crowder has been busy working on the sets for the show including painting SpongeBob’s signature pineapple house that most people are well-familiar with.
“I’ve been doing a lot of background work,” Crowder said. “A lot of my time has been spent working on sets and painting them because SpongeBob has a very distinct art style. The strokes are very visible. The colors are super saturated and it’s a lot of detailed work that goes into it which you wouldn’t expect from a cartoon but there’s a lot of that in there.”
Her mission has been to help the show’s Set Designer Billy Baker transform the stage into not just an underwater world but one that will be instantly recognizable from the show.
It’s a task that’s been easier said than done.
“Honestly, they were quite difficult because of how much detail actually goes in there. I would say the work for SpongeBob has been about 20 hours alone,” Crowder said. “Obviously, it’s because of Bill Baker who trusts me enough to work on that. I’m very grateful.”
When painting the sets, Crowder says it’s been a challenge to get the right colors needed for each scene.
“I guess when given a project, I don’t want anything less coming from me,” Crowder said. “I would constantly mix colors over and over again until everything was right. Once I saw the finished product, I was like ‘oh my gosh’, it looks like it’s been printed on there. I would say I’m pretty proud of myself. I’m never really proud of my artwork but here’s a beloved cartoon that I’ve seen come to life on stage.”
Crowder will major in design at Texas.
It’s no secret that Austin has a thriving arts and culture scene and that helped sway Crowder to the University of Texas.
“Austin is a growing city,” Crowder said. “It’s a place where art thrives. When you go there, there are murals everywhere. They have an awesome design program. I was a little bit nervous because it’s a big school. But, I’m excited to meet new people from different cultures and that’s what I want to surround myself with. If I can surround myself with different people of different cultures and different identities from around the world in my own art, then it will push me to become better that way.”
Crowder said she doesn’t want to stick to just design.
“I’m someone who doesn’t want to stick to one thing,” Crowder said. “While I’m there, I want to maybe pick up dance. I don’t know or maybe learn new languages. I’ve met lots of people who went there and they ended up growing more passions because of the opportunities.”
She also hopes to get her master’s in design as well.
But before she heads off to Austin, she’s excited to do one last play in Odessa.
“I’m so excited for the show,” Crowder said. “It’s a great cast. It’s a great team that I work for. I’m excited that they let me into their circle here. I’ve made a lot of friends here. I hope people come see the show.”
If you go
- What: The SpongeBob SquarePants Musical.
- When: 7:30 p.m. today, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6, 2:30 p.m. Aug. 7.
- Where: Permian Playhouse.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/yz768hde
