The Curtain Rises...

There comes a certain point in a production where an audience becomes necessary. If you have even been to a preview performance, or opening night of a show, you will understand. There is a level of heightened enthusiasm, the excitement and delight of the first laugh from an audience, the excited murmur from the audience prior to the performance, the hush that comes over the audience as the curtain rises or the lights go dim. Of all the exciting things in live theater, this is perhaps, my favorite. Last night, we at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, had our first preview for Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. With a few small hiccups here and there in the costume department (I was sitting next to the designer, and was privy to all the dresser notes that were taken), the performance was enchanting! It is so gratifying to be see all of your hard work before you and presented in a full and fun manner. It is also completely delightful to see something that I made, onstage, at the Festival! After all, I have been coming to see shows at the festival since 1997... It is rather thrilling to have finally created some of the costumes!

Benedick, Claudio, Don Pedro & Leonato

Kym Mellen as Beatrice

True Love

Have you ever seen a sight so beautiful? I now own 4 pairs of shears, and 3 of them are Gingher... I LOVE Gingher shears... They make the most satisfying sound in the world when they cut fabric. You should try them sometime. They could possibly change your life.

Photo Call

One of the most frightening and exciting parts of the costume design world is that at some point, everything has to be finished, or there is the possibility that actors can walk out without clothes, or at least clothing that fits. For many shows, it is for some sort of publicity photos. The Utah Shakespearean Festival is no different. On Friday, about half of our costumes for Much Ado about Nothing ( the show that I have been working one) have to be completely finished, down to the label being sewn in. On some costumes, this is not a big deal, because the alterations are minimal or simple. For others, however, it means clothing has to be built from scratch and completely finished by this date. Rather daunting, and yet there is something to completely fulfilling about building and finishing projects in such a short period of time. Here are a few samples of things that I have built that will be used in photo call.

Beatrice Bodice: Back view
Front View
Dogberry Jacket: Before
After:) Don't worry, none of the stains or anything is permanent. Any guesses how this was achieved? *As a side note, the designer who originally had this made walked over today to look at it, and was very sad to see that it was so dirty... I was rather thrilled that even he was fooled into thinking that it was permanent and that I had ruined his costume:) *

Another watch costume... I like the plastron (large center piece with the buttons)...