The story of what would become Studio D313 began in early 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Having his senior year of highschool cut short by what would become the longest two-week break in recorded history, Barrett Funderburk picked up an interest in filmmaking by studying from the masters available to him through Netflix and HBO.

Around this time, a small acting group in Rochester NY known as Black Sheep Theater was shuttered under the restrictions of pandemic era social distancing.
Diane M. Mashia, the owner of Black Sheep, was forced to close the doors of the studio apartment which hosted her black box theater, and the acting group separated after 14 years together.

Having made a few short films with his friends and available resources, Barrett was in search of a new label for all of his present and future productions. Turning back to his days working as a lighting and audio tech for Black Sheep Theater, he decided to adopt a logo of a black sheep named Mashia, as well as taking the name of the apartment which hosted the former black box theater: Studio D313.

In early 2026, Diane M. Mashia passed away after years of fighting cancer related illnesses. She was surrounded by friends and family and is dearly remembered for her commitment to community theater.

Mashia, the black sheep, is the new black box in the limelight, and carries on the legacy of Studio D313.