Dennis Milam Bensie

Dennis Milam Bensie grew up in Robinson, Illinois where his interest in the arts began in high school participating in various community theatre productions. He holds a degree in Theatre Costume Design from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and completed an apprenticeship in theatrical wig construction at Los Angeles Opera. He has costumed and wigged shows all over the country, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival; PlayMakers Repertory Theatre in Chapel Hill, NC; Alliance Theatre of Atlanta; Arizona Theatre Company; Actors Theatre of Louisville; and the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego to name a few.

His costume and wig design for Valley of the Dolls at Empty Space Theatre in Seattle garnered him a feature article in Entertainment Design magazine and a Seattle Times Footlight Award for Best Design. Mr. Bensie also teaches master classes in wigmaking and wig maintenance around the country. He has been on staff at Intiman Theatre in Seattle since 1992 and is proud to have been involved with such productions as Angels in America, Nickel and Dimed, and the world premier of the Tony Award winning musical, Light in the Piazza. Shorn: Toys to Men is his first book. He lives in Seattle with his partner and three dogs.