Elizabeth returned to school in June 2005 to begin work on her masters degree. She enrolled at Antioch University, Los Angeles in their creative writing program with an emphasis in poetry. She completed her dergee in June 2007. She is thrilled by the immersion in the process of writing and is certain that this program will lead to other projects in fiction and drama as well as poetry. Her current writing bio reads:

Elizabeth Pietrzak, Claremont, California, is a mostly-vegetarian poet who spurns the meat of global over-consumption in favor of a sustainable, locally grown lifestyle. Although she was raised on the meat and potatoes of small-town Minnesota, she returned to her birthplace of Southern California for her undergraduate studies in 1987. She received her BA from the University of La Verne and is pursuing an MFA at Antioch University, Los Angeles. She is writing her first novel as well as a collection of poetry, and her first chapbook, "The Scent of Kisses in the Dark", was adapted into a performance by Kirsten Ogden in May 2005. She has co-authored a solo performance with Rob'n Lewis which is currently in development.

Elizabeth is a lighting & scenic designer for live theatre and in her spare time is learning Irish Gaelic and the accordion. She has done theatre on both coasts, including working for Disneyland and for the oldest running summer stock theatre company in the United States, The Barnstormers Theatre in New Hampshire. She is a self-proclaimed patron saint to feral cats and rabbits, with an occasional nod to feral possums, skunks and raccoons. She gardens when she can, but mostly lets the plants run wild.

Elizabeth has poems published in Prism Review, The Chickasaw Plum and The New Verse News. She has also self-published four chapbooks, "The Scent of Kisses in the Dark", "Room in My Suitcase", "Milkstone in the Cave of Skulls", and "Losing My Faith in the Poem"..

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Summer Stock Theatre was calling Elizabeth Pietrzak (1991) again during the summer of 2003, as she drove to Tamworth, New Hampshire to design for The Barnstormers Theatre, the oldest summer stock theatre company in the country. It was a hefty load doing one week summer stock, which included a new show to be designed, built and mounted every week! The highlights included A Little Night Music, Summer and Smoke, Same Time Next Year, Home, and The Rivals. Elizabeth was hired to design sets and TD the season. She is pictured to the right with MJ Richiutto (carpentry intern) and Karen Wiebe (sound designer), busy painting some last minute touches on scenery for the final show of the season, Love Rides the Rails, or Will the Mail Train Run Tonight? She praises the Barnstormers for their wonderful company and terrific work ethic and environment, and she especially wishes to thank Doug Shapiro and Amanda Baker for their efforts in getting her back to work on the East Coast! More photos of the Elizabeth's designs are at the bottom of this page.

Upon graduation from ULV in 1991, Elizabeth was hired by the ULV Theatre Department to be a 3/4-time Technical Director. During those early years at ULV, she moonlighted at Disneyland, working under contract with I.A.T.S.E. Local 504, the Orange County stage technician's union. While at Disneyland, she worked as a followspot operator, gaffed on several commercials, and was part of the installation crew for the outdoor show Fantasmic!, on which she also worked as running crew for over 500 performances. She is now full time at ULV and in 2001 was promoted to Theatre Manager. She continues to design sets and lights for major ULV productions and still teaches Stagecraft, Lighting Design and Desktop Publishing for Theatre, but now manages all of the daily operations of the theatre department under the direction of Chairperson Dr. David Flaten.

She has also worked professionally for Mount Washington Valley Repertory Theatre Company in North Conway, New Hampshire, The Brickhouse Theatre, Inland Valley Repertory Theatre, Christ's Church of the Hills, Long Beach Community Theatre, Alhambra Community Players, Vanguard Theatre, Seventh Street Playhouse, Inland Pacific Ballet, Karousel Kids, Long Beach City College, Raven Playhouse, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, The Grove Shakespeare Festival, Theatre 40 and now The Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, NH,.

Elizabeth has been lighting designer for over 100 productions, events, concerts and installations; scenic designer for over 40 theatrical productions and events; technical director for over 60 productions, events and concerts; and producer/director/designer for three legendary ULV haunted houses.

For more photos of Elizabeth's design work, check out her detailed website and resume at www.ulv.edu/theatre/mep

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Tom Moose (2000) and Elizabeth Pietrzak (1991) lighting the show for Godspell, jointly produced with Inland Valley Repertory Theatre and Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Claremont during the summer of 2000. Tom also joined Elizabeth for carpentry work with The Brickhouse Theatre for their production of See How they Run.