busy busy busy...

...costuming costuming costuming three shows!  And they all open the same day.  Why can't I say no?  That's a topic for another time I guess...

One show I'm helping my daughter Carolyn with, and only doing a few costumes.  It's Shakespeare's "The Tempest", and I love the concept.  They are making each character as a character from a different story.  For example, the boatswain is Captain Hook, Prospero is Merlin, the Sprite Ariel is Superman, etc.  What a great idea, huh?  Should be fun to watch.

Another show is called "Sherlock's Last Case".  1900's England, one of my favorite eras to costume.  There are five characters, and not so much to do, but I did have to make two Sherlock capes *and* two deerstalker caps, which I had never done before.  Also a lady's formal gown and a couple of lady's everyday dresses.  I love thrift shopping for things that I can make into period pieces.  For the formal gown I found a rather plain dress with a lovely jacket with fancy trim.  The jacket was perfect for the time, and I simply made the dress into a skirt by putting elastic right under the arms!  It turned out nicely.  [I'll insert pictures when I'm finished and will get the actors to model them, so keep checking back!]

The last show is huge.  It's the musical that Carolyn (yes, she can't say no either...) is directing for her high school.  Oh, and she's also in the ensemble...8-/  The show is "Shout! The 60's Mod Musical".  The costumes are really fun--five girls, each represented by a certain color: Yellow, Blue, Red, Green, and Orange (which changes to Purple mid-show).  They each have at least three color costume changes spanning 1962-1972, each have Union Jack dresses (British Flag--luckily we were able to order them online), and each have their color raincoats. 

In addition to the Color girls, there are five ensemble singers, which I'm putting in black and white bold shapes, two cage dancers which will be in fringe dresses, the band, in 70's hippie outfits, and the editor of the "Shout!" magazine who is a conservative Dolores Umbridge type. 

I love costuming.  I have done Children's Theater (Anne of Green Gables, Beauty and the Beast, Hunchback of Notre Dame, to name a few), Community Theater shows (Jane Eyre the Musical, Oliver!), and school shows (Twelfth Night, Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe).  Here are some pictures of those past shows.

                      Cast of Jane Eyre. Many modified prom and bridesmaids dresses, and...

                                                 ...curtains!!  This is Blanche Ingram's ballgown.

 Jane Eyre I put in browns.  The play starts out with her memory of her childhood, so I made all those costumes in sepias.  I had her start out in brown, then gradually brought color (reds) into her costumes as she gained more and more confidence in herself.  I made a lot of capes for this show!

 I costumed Fagin's Gang for Oliver!  My daughter Carolyn played Dodger. She is fourth from the right, in the top hat.  Several people were surprised when they found out she was a girl at the Meet and Greet after the shows.  BTW, I also painted the backdrop that you see there.  :-]

This is The Raven (Death) from Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe.  My favorite costume from that show!