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Yao Chen, assistant professor in the Department of Theater, is the lead costume designer for two productions that can be streamed online in May: Until the Flood, presented by the Merrimack Reperatory Theater, and The House that Jack Built, presented by the Indiana Reperatory Theater.

Until the Flood, presented by the Merrimack Reperatory Theater, takes place in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 during the aftermath of the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown by a police officer. The event sparked weeks of protests and riots. This play features the perspectives of eight composite characters based on interviews of a wide cross section of resident conducted by playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith. 

In The House that Jack Built, a family gathers for Thanksgiving in Vermont, coming from near and far to be together. The play, written by James Still, explores "old traditions and new love; empty chairs and the people who threaten to fill them; and a family who prizes open arms, the sweet pursuit of happiness and the mysterious heartbreak that comes with getting what you think you want."

Chen is a costume and scenic designer with international design credits. Her designs can be seen in the United States, China, and Costa Rica. Recent productions include Radio Golf (2020) Trinity Repertory Company; Diary of Ann Frank (2019) at Indiana Repertory Theatre; Little Prince (2018) at Seattle Children’s Theatre; The Music Man (2017) at Berkshire Theatre Group; Antony and Cleopatra (2017); Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2016) at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre (AEA); Titus and Andronicus (2018); The Merry Wives of Windsor (2015) for the Shakespeare Company of New Jersey; I am Tai Ping Goat (2015); a children’s production at Dong Gong theatre; Long Fu theatre in Beijing, China; Amadeus (2014) at the Theatre Espressivo, San Jose, Costa Rica; and Pete the Cat (2020) Nancy Drew and Her Biggest Box (2017), Skippy Jon Jones (2016) and Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly (2015) at Orlando Repertory Theatre.

Her costume design for Ti Jean and His Brothers has been selected in various international Venus for presentation, such as Costume Design in the Turning of the Century, 1995-2015, (China, Poland, Mexico), and World Stage Design 2017 Tai Pei, Taiwan. Additionally, her designs for both Ti Jean andThe Merry Wives of Windsor were selected by the Design Expo at the United States Institute of Theatre Design and Technology national conference and were published in the TD&T 2014 spring issue and the 2016 summer issue. Her renderings and designs were also selected for publication in the new design book The Art of Costume Design by Focal Press. Other awards include: outstanding costume design award from the Austin Critics Table Awards for her costume design of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2012), and a nomination for outstanding costume design of Austin Broadway Awards for her work on The Scarlet Letter (2013).