Rafael Colon Castanera
Production Manager, Arkansas Repertory Theatre

The yards of fabric streaming from the lead character’s “coat of many colors” in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was a visual stunner that even Broadway audiences didn’t get to experience. The mark of in-house costume designer Rafael Castanera, it was just one of the tailor-made elements in the show, which like other productions featured an original cast and crew, many of them theater professionals from New York City. Castanera himself came from the Big Apple to serve as The Rep’s production manager, the other hat he wears.

Your take on the arts and culture in central Arkansas: The people who live here are very interested in the arts, and you can feel that from just dealing with our board members and even when meeting the audience.

Favorite part of your job: The Rep is my family. It’s not only the staff, it’s the actors we hire, the designers, the board members, but more than anything, it’s the audience. And the bigger the family gets, the better it gets.