Gisela Estrada, a Helen Hayes Award–winning Latina scenic designer for theatre, opera, dance, and live entertainment, is the winner of the 2026 USITT Rising Star Award, sponsored by LDI and Live Design. This award is presented annually to a young professional designer at the beginning of their career, and recognizes excellence and artistic achievement in scenic, lighting, sound, projection design, or a convergence of these design disciplines.
Check out her resumé.
Live Design chats with Estrada, who will be honored on Thursday, March 19 at 2:00pm, at an awards ceremony in Long Beach as part of USITT's 66th Annual Conference & Stage Expo. LDI/Live Design VP Marian Sandberg will present the award.
Live Design: How did you decide to be a scenic designer?
Gisela Estrada: Since I was a kid, art has been my way of communicating, because words have never been my strongest tool. Growing up, my parents instilled in me a love for the arts through ballet, music, and painting.
After high school, I started studying architecture because I loved designing, and in El Salvador it felt like the closest path to what I was looking for. At the same time, I was working on the production team at my mother’s ballet company. That’s when I realized that something in between those two worlds was exactly what I needed.
When I moved to the United States, I was able to explore that path more clearly. It wasn’t until I started my journey at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts that I truly fell in love with scenic design, the possibilities it offers and the refuge it gives me. I love creating worlds where I can place a little bit of myself and supporting a story in a unique or abstract way while still keeping the precision and artistry the work requires.
LD: Is there a special professor or mentor who influenced you? What about other scenic designers or visual artists?
GE: Eduardo Sicangco. I was lucky enough for our paths to cross at UNC School of the Arts before his body departed this earth. Eduardo was art, in the fullest sense of the word. He was my mentor and my friend.
He instilled in me a deep curiosity and a meticulous love for creating. We bonded over our backgrounds in ballet and over the experience of making the U.S. our new home. He would always insist that I bring what I learn back to my country, and he would be proud knowing that I’m doing that.
I’m also a big fan of Leslie Travers. His mind is brilliant in the best way possible. He is bold and not afraid of abstraction or of creating new and unexpected things. A big inspiration!
LD: What is the most challenging production you have worked on and why?
GE: Covenant at Theater Alliance was probably one of the most challenging projects I’ve worked on, but also one of the most rewarding. The challenge came from the timing of the production, as Theater Alliance was moving into a new space while we were preparing the show. This meant the team was essentially building the theatre itself while also installing the set within a very tight schedule.
Even with those challenges, the Theater Alliance team handled it with incredible dedication and skill. It was inspiring to see everyone come together to make the production happen. The production received several Helen Hayes Award nominations!
LD: What software or design tools do you use in your work?
GE: Because of my architecture background, my main software is AutoCAD. I’ve used it for many years now, so I’m very efficient with it and it helps me make the best use of my time.
I’m also a very three-dimensional person, so I always like to build a 3D version of my designs in SketchUp, which I usually turn into a render in Photoshop.
LD: What is your process for designing a new show?
GE: It definitely varies. Every production, every team, and every theatre requires a different process, and I really enjoy that variation.
The first thing I do is read the script as an audience member. I let it sink into my brain for a couple of days, and then I come back to it and read it again as a designer. Conversations with the director and collaborators are very important to me, and I love having them from the beginning since we are all shaping this world together. Sometimes it’s actually great to come to those meetings without very clear ideas or references, because new ideas can appear in the room.
Once we have a general direction for the concept, I start looking for inspiration in different places: the internet, books, site visits, or visual research. From there, my process becomes a back and forth between research, sketching, conversations with the team, and returning to the script.
At some point, it becomes important to start preliminary drafts and explore the design in three dimensions. That helps me understand how the design behaves in the space and how it will support the story on stage.
LD: What advice would you give to the 19-year old version of Gisela?
GE: Don’t be afraid to pursue what you love, and don’t be afraid of what people might say. You will make it through. Live fully, be happy, and enjoy every second of the journey. And embrace the opportunities you might think you don’t deserve… because you do.