Today we’d like to introduce you to Rowyn Sam.
Hi Rowyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Florida and I’ve been both a student and an artist my whole life. My academic life is a lot more straightforward. Like many others, went to K-12 public school before getting into Rollins College, where I’m in my final year. I’ve been an artist ever since I could pick up a pencil. I taught myself to draw by trying to copy any doodles or cartoons that I saw. I’ve dabbled in many artforms over the years, from sewing to painting to pottery to even crochet for a minute. It wasn’t until the end of my freshman year of high school that I was introduced to theatre as an art form. During my first show, I was introduced to lighting design and the lighting designer for that show would quickly become one of my best friends. I immediately fell in love with the entire process. The way someone is able to transform the entire stage with a subtle shift in color seemed like magic. And to be the mastermind, harnessing that magic to transport the audience to whole new worlds no one has ever seen before, has been the best gift I have ever received. That summer is when I stage managed a show for the first time through Play In A Day. It gave me the chance to connect with everyone in the process, both onstage and behind, and support all of them in their creation. It combined all my love of organization and problem solving in a creative environment. After that I dove into sound design and costuming, even helping make props and build the sets when I could.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The start of my undergraduate program coincided with the start of the downfall of my physical health. After finally finding a path I was passionate about, it was getting ripped away from me for reasons that I wasn’t in control of and that no doctor could identify. How could I be a lighting designer if I can’t even hold myself up without assistance, much less lift a light? My sensory sensitivities were getting to a point where I couldn’t run a tech rehearsal without needing a day to recover. And above all, I was fainting for no apparent reason and not many people are willing to work with you if you’re a fall risk. I doubled down on what I could still do, burying myself in the research, paperwork, and design aspects. I fought twice as hard to keep my seat at the table, even on the days when I wanted to do nothing more than lie in bed and wait for the pain to subside. Through this, I gained even more of a passion for making the theatre accessible for everyone, even getting to write an opinion piece for the Orlando Sentinel about it, called “We aren’t doing enough for disability access.”
After three years, I finally found out why my body was breaking down. I had a very fun combination of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). This meant that the connective tissue in my joints was weak, leading to joint pain and muscle imbalances as my body tried to overcorrect, as well as my body not being able to keep my blood pressure stable. Now that I know that, I’ve been able to work with my care team to better my life and I’ve been living mostly pain-free since January. I can finally move around unassisted and I have my independence back.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a lighting designer and stage manager primarily. Some of my favorite projects include those where I can create something bold and exciting while being able to teach others and foster creativity like so many others did for me. I always love a challenge which is part of the reason why I love the Orlando Fringe Festival. For the past five, going on six, years that I’ve been a part of the Fringe I’ve been able to be a part of new works, sometimes even the inaugural production of companies. Some of my favorite shows that I’ve designed both at the Fringe and beyond have been Sam’s Skeleton Soiree with Spare Me The Details Productions, Macbeth with Wildlife Players, and Puffs! Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic with Lake Howell High School. I’ve also merged my passion for accessibility with my love of theatre with my work on numerous shows with Running Man Theatre.
*I will provide a pic from each show
Sam’s Skeleton Soiree – choreography by Rhema Joy
Macbeth – directed by Gabriel Garcia, photography by Mike Kitaif
Puffs! Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic – directed by Tiffany Ortiz, photography by Christopher Coffee
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I am producing an Arts Activism Festival on April 25th 2026 at Rollins College! It’s completely free!
https://rsam3779.wixsite.com/arts-activism
Let me know if you need/ want anything else from me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rsam3779.wixsite.com/rowynsam
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rowyn.sam.design?igsh=anR0Y3BlMXh1bXcy
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowyn-sam-7809a6371
Image Credits
Personal photo- Elias-James Jacquemond
1st- unknown
2nd- Mike Kitaif
3rd- Christopher Coffee
