Charles Eddie Moncrief III Named ShepardFest Resident Scenographer
Charles Eddie Moncrief III, pictured on set of his 2026 ShepardFest scenic design. Photo by Jax Headshots.
For Charles Eddie Moncrief III, a stage is another kind of architecture. His work as a scenic designer draws together a lifelong interest in architecture, sculpture, visual art, and live performance—disciplines that have shaped a career spent building worlds for theatre and opera, and teaching the next generation of artists how to build their own.
This summer, that work brought Eddie to St. Augustine. When ShepardFest returned in 2026 after a five-year hiatus, Eddie joined the festival as scenic designer for Buried Child. What began with one production has become something larger, as ShepardFest welcomes Charles Eddie Moncrief III as its Resident Scenographer. In this role, Eddie will help shape the visual worlds of future ShepardFest productions, working alongside directors, designers, and artists as the festival continues to grow beyond its 2026 return.
The Buried Child set from ShepardFest 2026, designed by Charles Eddie Moncrief III. Photo by Jax Headshots.
Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Eddie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Scenic Design from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master of Fine Arts in Scenic Design from the University of Alabama. His early interests in architecture, sculpture, visual arts, and live performance ultimately converged in theatrical scenic design. His work earned first-place awards in the David Weiss Scenic Design Competition at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in both 2010 and 2012, along with numerous additional accolades. His multidisciplinary practice also extends into scenic painting, carving and sculpting, hand and digital rendering, and digital art, with a secondary interest in costume design.
While scenic design is Eddie’s passion, he describes education as his calling. Now in his fifth year as a Scenic Design professor at Alabama State University, he teaches across the theatrical design process, from stagecraft, scenic design, painting, carving, and sculpting to drawing, digital rendering, and career and portfolio development. His goal is not simply to develop talented designers, but to prepare passionate, employable, curious, and empathetic artists for lives in the theatre.
His advice to graduating students captures that philosophy: “Live life like a sponge, soak up every bit of knowledge and always be listening. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, and when you do inevitably fail (we all do) make sure you learn from the experience.” It is an approach rooted in curiosity, risk, collaboration, and the understanding that an artist’s education is never really finished.
Those values make Eddie a natural fit for what ShepardFest is building. The festival’s 2026 return was never intended to simply recreate what existed five years ago. With Buried Child, ShepardFest began a new chapter centered on bringing artists together around Shepard’s work and creating relationships that can continue from one production to the next. Eddie was part of that return, and as ShepardFest looks toward what comes next, he’ll be part of building its future.
