Transcript JOBS IN COSTUMING AT SOUTH COAST REPERTORY Costume

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Orange County’s Tony Award-winning Theatre
655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, Ca 92626
SOCCCD Collaborative 2008-2009
CTE Grant Funded Externship
Presentation by JD Nowland
Part-time Faculty, Fashion Department
Saddleback College, Fall 2008
For over 45 years South Coast Repertory has presented exciting theatre for
Southern California audiences. South Coast Repertory was Orange County’s first
resident theatre facility and the flagship of Orange County theatre. It was founded
in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson who successfully transformed South
Coast Repertory from a storefront on Balboa Peninsula to it’s current multi-million
dollar two-theatre complex; the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 550seat Segerstrom Stage. South Coast Repertory is committed to staging
challenging, quality plays with visiting artists, actors and gifted staff. A current
offering was “The Heiress” directed by Martin Benson
The play “ The Heiress ”by Ruth
and Augustus Goetz is an
adaptation of the Henry James
novel, Washington Square. Set a
decade before the Civil War in
1850’s Manhattan it is the sad tale
of a search for love and
acceptance.
“ The Heiress ” has a small
cast of nine characters
who witness and
experience the cruelties
and complexities of
human relationships. Much
of the status, emotions and
personalities of the
characters is conveyed
through costuming.
Costumes visually define a character by establishing their emotions,
wealth and reflecting changes. “The Heiress” as a historical play with
emotionally complex themes was an ideal opportunity to observe the
costume designer and costume staff at South Coast Repertory meet
these costuming challenges
Amy Hutto ( far right ) and some of her
talented staff
South Coast Repertory’s
costume manager, Amy Hutto
was very positive about the
possibility of Saddleback
College enriching its fashion
classes to incorporate costuming
techniques. She agreed “ The
Heiress” with approximately 30
costumes was an ideal
opportunity to observe the
creative and practical process of
costuming. My goal for the
SOCCCD Collaborative 20082009 CTE Grant Funded
Externship was to learn enough
about theatrical costuming to
fully understand the many
differences between fashion and
costuming .
The Costume Designer for “The
Heiress” was Maggie Morgan.
She is a full-time associate
professor at UC Davis and a
busy free lance costume
designer. Historical plays are
among Maggie’s favorite
costuming challenges.
To begin the creative process
Maggie compiles a very thick,
complete ‘inspiration notebook’ full
of images from books, period
publications, art, anything related to
the play’s historical setting. The
‘inspiration notebook’ is used to
help visually explain her costuming
choices.
Before a stitch is sewn the
costume designer attends design
meetings with the director, set
designer, and lighting designer.
Together they all communicate
their vision of the overall
production. So costume designers
are part of a collaboration and
fashion designers are not. A
costumes’ main purpose is to
convey information to the
audience, not to necessarily make
the actor look good. The fashion
designer is free to make unlimited
choices and the costume
designers’ choices are limited and
dictated by many variables.
An essential skill for the costume designer is the ability to accurately
illustrate garment details. These renderings convey to the directors,
designers and costume technicians the fabrics, proportions, emotional
content, and construction detail necessary to understand the finished
costume. Most fashion illustrations are much less detailed.
Once Maggie’s renderings were complete the
costume designer faced the daunting task of
making the costume designs a reality.
Operating within budget restraints and with her
assistants’ help the designer had three choices;
rent the costume, pull the costume from the
South Coast Repertory’s inventory of previously
made costumes, or make the costume. Usually
a designer uses a combination of the three
choices because; actors come in many shapes
and sizes, the costumes must compliment each
other, and each costume must convey important
information about the character ( rich, poor,
happy, sad, old, young, repressed, exuberant,
etc ). The decision on each costume is an
exhaustive, ongoing event that the costume
designer can change and modify many times
over in the 3 to 4 weeks the costume team had
to create the costumes.
Costumes must communicate
volumes more information to a viewer
than any fashion garment. Fabric
selection for costumes contribute to
the visual information and are well
thought out with specific reasons for
each decision. Velvety fabrics can be
sensuous, stiff fabrics are rigid,
textured fabrics can look wealthy,
roughly woven fabrics can imply
poverty. Period plays like “ The
Heiress ” must also consider fabrics
original to the period versus modern
synthetic fabrics. Usually it is a
combination of both because modern
synthetic fabrics are easier to
maintain.
Another very important tool
for the costume designer is
color. The most powerful
uses of color is to display
emotions. In these
examples from “ The
Heiress ” Maggie placed
the actress in garish red
when she is giddy;
monotone white when
somber and quiet.
Swatches of fabric for
texture and color
combinations are attached
to costume renderings to
help the costume designer
visualize the show and
present ideas to the
director.
Once Maggie had completed her renderings, collaborated with the director
and other designers, confirmed the measurements of the actors, rented
numerous costumes, pulled others from South Coast Repertory inventory,
and purchased fabrics, finally the costume staff begins the construction of
the remaining costumes. South Coast Repertory costume shop employs
three full-time stitchers, draper/cutters and assistant to the designer in
addition to Amy Hutto the shop manager. Their backgrounds vary from
practical experience, to advanced degrees in apparel and costuming. For
the costuming demands of “ The Heiress ” approximately nine overstaff
employees were also hired. Every employee was knowledgeable of the
main differences between costuming and fashion garments.
Main differences between
costumes and fashion
garments
• Audience is not able to see small details.
The broad general effect is most important.
Silhouettes and details can be exaggerated
more than in fashion garments.
•Costumes are made for very quick changes.
Actors frequently have minutes to quickchange in or out of a costume. Often costume
closures differ from choices of fashion
closures.
•Costumes may be subjected to very rough
treatment. Characters may fight, fall, crawl,
jump out of windows, etc. Stronger
construction of seams and hems than fashion
garments.
•Costumes need to be easily altered to fit
other actors, especially period costumes that
are costly to create and more elaborate. Large
seam allowances, deep hems and expandable
features make alterations easier. In fashion
garments these features could create
uncomfortable bulk.
Regan was the craft person for “ The Heiress ”
In addition to creating garments, costuming also has specialties. “ The
Heiress ” required period frock coats and a theatrical tailor that understood
men’s suit construction was hired. There is usually a wig master that will
style and maintain the wigs. There is also wardrobe supervising and
costume maintenance. They oversee the laundering and dry cleaning of the
costumes. They also organize the costumes before each show and perform
any repairs. Wardrobe helps the actors get dressed and make costume
changes. Maintenance oversees striking the show at the end of its run. The
craft person is responsible for millinery ( hats), accessories, dying any
fabrics or garments, painting shoes, making masks, gloves, jewelry, etc.
The craft person must be well versed in many mediums.
rendering
construction
From inspiration to the
finished costume South
Coast Repertory provided
an in depth view of the
costume process. The staff
and designers were
available and receptive to all
questions. This information
is an invaluable asset in the
goal of creating curriculum
to prepare students for the
costuming industry.
fittings
finished costume
Possible additions to current fashion curriculum
FASH 111 FASHION SEWING-INTERMEDIATE
• closures for quick changes
• grow tucks
• continuous lap placket
• Hollywood waist
FASH 31 TEXTILES
• modern fabric substitutes
( i.e.., Miracle net replaces crinoline)
• non-traditional materials
• emphasize popular period “looks” in fabrics
• fabrics and dyes developed
FASH 230 ALTERATIONS AND FITTING
• fine tuning fit from measurements
FASH 154 FASHION ILLUSTRATION
• color renderings w/fabric swatches
• emphasize details
( i.e., seaming for patternmaker, identify fabric )
• illustrate evolution of character
( i.e., rich to poor, happy to sad, young to old )
• incorporate use of “ inspiration” for illustration
( i.e., postcards, images, colors )
FASH 124 WEARABLE ART
• cartridge pleating
FASH 144 FASHION TRENDS AND
CULTURAL COSTUMES
• historically correct construction techniques
( i.e., when were darts, zippers introduced )
• placement of shoulder seams
• what fabrics, dyes accessible
• emphasize silhouettes thru history
FASH 240 DYE PROCESSES ON FABRICS
• how to ‘ knock down ’ colors
• fabric modifications
•( i.e., faux finishes )
• how to distress/age fabrics
• painting shoes
FASH 130 FLAT PATTERN DESIGN
• larger seam allowances
• incorporate need for possible future
alterations
• historically correct garment construction
techniques
• slight exaggerations to design to compensate
for distance to stage
• marriage of old techniques/period feel with
modern ascetic
JOBS IN COSTUMING AT SOUTH COAST REPERTORY
Costume designer: design, coordinate, and supervise the
execution of costumes
Costume Shop Manager: responsible for supervision of
personnel, maintenance of equipment, purchase of supplies,
scheduling work
Assistant Costume Designer: research, swatch fabrics,
organize, take notes, any job required by the designers
Costume Technician: skilled in pattern making and
construction. Capable of creating costume from sketches
Cutter/Draper: responsible for making patterns, cutting all
parts of the garment, and preparing the garment for stitching.
First Hand: assistant to the patternmaker
Stitcher: entry level position, stitches the costumes together.
Craftsperson: skilled in a variety of costume and prop-related
crafts. Responsible for millinery, dyeing, fabric painting, etc.
Wardrobe Supervisor: responsible for laundry, dry cleaning,
repairs, pre-show setup and quick changes
Overstaff: temporary employees hired by the costume shop
manager
MANY THANKS…
• Amy Hutto, Maggie Morgan and the staff at South Coast Repertory
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•Penelope Skaff and CTE Advisory Committee at Saddleback College
•Lindsay Fox and Advanced Technology & Applied Science Division
•Photographer Cindy Yamanaka and The Orange County Register
•Applications Specialist II Kathleen Constance and Innovation and
Technology Center
•Tom, Christine & Sarah
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