The American theatrical community, the University of Minnesota, and a vast network of artists across the country are mourning the profound loss of Sara Ryung Clement.
An extraordinarily gifted scenic and costume designer, educator, and mentor, Sara passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2026, following a courageous and deeply private battle with cancer.
At the time of her passing, Sara was serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Over a prolific career spanning more than two decades, her singularly inventive, sophisticated, and visionary designs graced the stages of the nation’s most prestigious theatrical institutions. From the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Guthrie Theater to the Geffen Playhouse and Center Theatre Group, Sara’s work consistently redefined the visual language of contemporary American drama. She was a champion of new work, a foundational pillar of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) theatrical representation, and a beloved educator who taught her students not just how to build sets and costumes, but how to master “modes of seeing” what a theatrical world could truly be.
Obituary, Personal Life, and Family Reality
In Loving Memory of Sara Ryung Clement (MFA)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hometown Residence : Minneapolis, Minnesota (Originally California)
Date of Passing : Saturday, June 13, 2026
Cause of Death : Complications from Cancer
Primary Profession : Theatrical Set & Costume Designer / Professor
Academic Appointment : Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Alma Maters : Princeton University (AB), Yale School of Drama (MFA)
Spouse : Greg Watanabe (Actor)
Family Devotion : Only sibling (1 brother); beloved daughter to an ailing mother
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sara’s loss leaves a devastating void not only in the arts world but within her immediate family structure, which is navigating an incredibly heavy period of transition. Sara leaves behind her devoted husband, the acclaimed theater and television actor Greg Watanabe. The couple shared a deep bond rooted in a mutual love for storytelling, artistic integrity, and community advocacy.
Beyond her marriage, Sara’s passing brings a challenging time for her surviving birth family. She leaves behind her mother, who is currently facing severe health issues and is not doing well, and her only sibling, a brother. As the family processes the sheer emotional and logistical weight of losing Sara so suddenly to cancer, colleagues and friends are rallying around them, offering support to ensure her brother and mother are cared for during this immense trial.
Educational Foundations and the Genesis of an Artistic Vision
Sara’s brilliant trajectory in the theater was built upon an elite academic foundation that married a deep understanding of literary text with master-level physical craftsmanship.
She attended Princeton University, where she graduated with an undergraduate degree (AB) in English Literature and Drama. It was at Princeton that she cultivated her analytical approach to playwriting, learning to dissect the psychological underpinnings of characters and the hidden structural themes of scripts. This literary grounding became her secret weapon as a designer; she did not merely create pretty backdrops or clothing, but rather translated the soul of a script into physical space.
To refine her visual and structural medium, Sara attended the prestigious Yale University School of Drama (now the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale), earning her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Theater Design from 2002 to 2005. At Yale, she studied under legendary design masters, honing her skills in scenic rendering, architectural modeling, costume history, and textiles. Armed with an elite mastery of spatial dynamics, she stepped out into the professional arena in 2005 as a freelance designer, launching a 21-year career that would transform regional theater.
Sara Ryung Clement: Academic & Professional Timeline
=========================================================================
[2002 - 2005] ---> Yale University: Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design
[2005 - 2026] ---> National Freelance Scenic & Costume Designer (21+ Years)
[2011 - 2013] ---> Visiting Assistant Professor, Loyola Marymount University
[2014 - 2024] ---> Adjunct Lecturer, UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television
[2024 - 2026] ---> Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
=========================================================================
Shaper of World Premieres and AAPI Theatrical Stories
Sara Ryung Clement was widely regarded as a premiere collaborator for contemporary American playwrights. Her unique style was characterized by a clean, sophisticated architectural sensibility combined with vibrant, character-revealing costuming.
She famously designed the costumes for the world premiere of Lucas Hnath’s critically acclaimed A Doll’s House, Part 2 at South Coast Repertory, a production that later took Broadway by storm. She also forged an enduring artistic partnership with playwright Lauren Yee, serving as the original costume designer for the world premiere of the smash-hit, rock-and-roll historical drama Cambodian Rock Band (South Coast Repertory).
Sara was heavily sought after by major metropolitan theater networks. In 2025, she completed the highly praised set design for Larissa FastHorse’s Fake It Until You Make It, a co-production between Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.
A Pillar of East West Players (EWP)
Sara was a treasured, permanent member of the East West Players family, the nation’s longest-running professional theater of color and the largest producer of AAPI creative works. Her scenic and costume aesthetics defined iconic EWP productions, including Steel Magnolias (2013), Washer/Dryer (2015), and Kentucky (2016). She also designed Theater Mu’s highly celebrated live film-theater hybrid production of Today Is My Birthday (2021), a project actively championed and supported by EWP.
Lily Tung Crystal, speaking on behalf of East West Players, shared a heart-wrenching tribute to Sara’s humanity and genius:
“Sara was kind, smart, grounded, humble, and brilliant, one of the best human beings and most talented people I know. Collaborating with her was a true gift, and I always wanted her in every room. This is an immense loss for all of us—our community and American theater at large. We are heartbroken. Our love goes out to her partner Greg Watanabe, her friends, and her family.”
A Decade of Visual Masterpieces at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Nowhere was Sara’s relentless work ethic and visual diversity more apparent than at the world-renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland, Oregon. Joining the festival circuit in 2016, Sara consistently delivered striking, dynamic environments and sophisticated garments for over a decade, tackling everything from gritty modern world premieres to expansive classical histories.
Following her passing, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival released her complete production portfolio, celebrating her extensive, beautiful contributions to their historic stages:
-
2016: Vietgone – Scenic & Costume Design
-
2017: Hannah + the Dread Gazebo – Costume Design
-
2018: Henry V – Costume Design
-
2018: The Way the Mountain Moved – Scenic Design
-
2019: As You Like It – Scenic Design
-
2019: Cambodian Rock Band – Costume Design
-
2020: Bring Down the House – Scenic Design
-
2020: The Tempest – Scenic Design (Designed and partially constructed; delayed due to pandemic limitations)
-
2021: It’s Christmas, Carol! – Scenic Design
-
2022: It’s Christmas, Carol! – Scenic Design
-
2022: Revenge Song – Scenic Design
-
2022: The Tempest – Scenic Design
-
2024: Coriolanus – Scenic & Costume Design
-
2025: Julius Caesar – Costume Design
-
2026: Henry IV, Part One – Scenic Design
The OSF leadership team remembered her as a consummate professional: “Her work, whether on Shakespeare or a world premiere, was always stunning, singularly inventive, and thoughtfully conceived. A consummate collaborator, kind, generous, and always good-humored, Sara was beloved by staff. We will miss her.”
Twin Cities Impact: The Guthrie Theater and University of Minnesota
In 2024, Sara relocated permanently to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to accept a highly coveted tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Her move to the Twin Cities enriched the local theatrical scene, immediately connecting her to regional powerhouses like the Guthrie Theater.
At the Guthrie, Sara left an indelible mark across multiple seasons. She designed the scenic architecture for The Great Leap during the 2018–2019 season and created the masterful, complex costumes for the farce Noises Off. Most recently, local audiences marveled at her work on the Guthrie’s stage where she designed the vibrant, universally praised scenic environments for Primary Trust.
The Guthrie Theater issued a statement expressing their deep sorrow: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of theater artist Sara Ryung Clement, who made a profound impact at the Guthrie, in the Twin Cities and across the country. Sara will be incredibly missed by everyone at the Guthrie, and our hearts are with her loved ones.”
Select Institutional Design Footprint (National)
=========================================================================
Guthrie Theater ---> Set: Primary Trust, The Great Leap | Costumes: Noises Off
Center Theatre Group ---> Set: Fake It Until You Make It | Costumes: Fetch Clay, Make Man
Boston Lyric Opera ---> Classical operatic space conceptualization and design
Folger Theatre (D.C.) ---> Period-accurate Shakespearean text physical realizations
Geffen Playhouse (L.A.) ---> Intimate, high-end contemporary dramatic set constructions
=========================================================================
Pedagogical Brilliance: The Master in the Classroom
While her professional resume was dazzling, Sara’s impact as an educator was equally transcendent. Before joining the University of Minnesota, she spent nearly a decade as an Adjunct Lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television (2014–2024) and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Loyola Marymount University (2011–2013).
When she arrived at UMN’s Department of Theatre Arts & Dance, she instantly elevated the curriculum. Michal Kobialka, Professor and Chair of the department, shared a deeply moving academic evaluation, reflecting on his time observing Sara lead her advanced design seminar, TH5520:
“While listening to the exchanges in class, I was fascinated by Sara’s poignant and precise critique of design projects offered to each student. This critique not only provided the students with the vocabulary of terms and conditions they should be using while discussing their work, but, and maybe more important, with the modes of seeing what their design could be.
Sara’s masterful and expert handling of the discussion was a mark of her invaluable pedagogical skills and abilities. I was struck by the relationships which she developed with this group of students, a relationship composed equally of respect, support, and honesty. Sara’s comments were constructive, always tending to elucidate for the student means by which he or she could effectively improve performance.”
Sara did not command a classroom through intimidation or ego. Instead, her style was anchored by a rare blend of professional rigor and deep, empathetic gentleness. She protected her students’ creative agency while pushing them to expand their technical and historical horizons.
Condolences, Support, and Memorial Legacy
The passing of Sara Ryung Clement at the height of her creative power is an monumental loss for the American theater. She leaves behind a body of work that stood at the intersection of structural mastery and deep cultural empathy.
The University of Minnesota, along with the broader regional arts coalition, extends its profound and unceasing condolences to her husband, Greg Watanabe, her ailing mother, her brother, and her extensive circle of former students, assistants, and design colleagues.
Because of the sudden nature of her passing and the current medical hardships facing her family, community members are focusing their efforts on supporting her family network. Educational colleagues and theatrical institutions are currently organizing memorial scholarship funds and tribute events to honor her name. Details regarding formal celebration of life ceremonies in both Minneapolis and Los Angeles will be made public once they are finalized by her husband and family.
Sara Ryung Clement spent her life transforming dark, empty stages into bright, beautiful worlds. While her light has been extinguished far too soon by illness, the visual worlds she built, the stories she championed, and the students she taught to see will keep her spirit shining brightly for generations to come. May she rest in peace.