Knocking the rust off
Aug. 31st, 2006 02:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grnvixenWell now that I have knocked a little rust off of this LJ I am reminded it is here to be *used* and decided to jot down a few memories of a recent costume experience for the future. cut for possible length The director I worked with last winter on FORTINBRAS asked if I would costume another production for him this summer; a modern-english adaptation of Moliere's The Miser. Despite having some serious misgivings about the timing (opening right before faire), since I didn't have any commitments for faire, and had really enjoyed working with this director previously, I said Yes. Sigh. Now, I don't really regret having agreed to do this, it ended up a good experience but I was ready to pull my hair out about part-way through.
The positive; being given the complete trust of a director. The casting for this show was actually in June, some read-throughs were done, but then the director had to be out-of-town for 3 weeks so we had a break. This was an advantage for me in allowing me more time for fabric shopping (but unfortunately did not translate to more construction time). Before AS went out of town we had a meeting to review style/sketches and what colors/fabrics I was hoping to find. After that, I was on my own! Nice, and a little scary, to know he trusted me enough to leave it all in my hands while he was out of town. We do have a good natured debate going about terminology however :). AS calls it period costuming, I call it period-style costuming. To me period means research, pattern, fabric, etc. For this production, to try and simplify construction for modern sewers, I used modern patterns and construction but, at least for the theater, I guess this is considered *period* costume.
More positive; another great cast. Now I wish a few more of them had sewn, or knew folks that could sew, but aside from that they were ready and available for fittings, the guys got the wigs and tights that were required, very little grumbling about the different styles of clothing they were not used to wearing, everyone found plain or period-style shoes and they did try to help where they could with the sewing. I was there before the show every night during dress rehearsal week but warned them that after opening night they were on their own (except for a quick check-up this week). And this was a great cast for opening night pressies! Several of the cast members had thank you notes for everyone, one brought flowers for everyone, another candy (this is all for cast *&* crew). Also, when the cast got together to get t-shirts for the production they chipped in for shirts for the cast as well. There are some experienced local actors in this cast and I received some very nice compliments from them on the costuming as well. It was a lot of work but it sure makes a difference when you know it is appreciated.
And KCFestfop came through BIG time on a favor for me and made a complete dress for one of the women in the show. I knew this dress really needed to be *right* and I could trust him to do it justice. The finished product rocks! And you could tell how well it fitted the actress, and the character, the first time she put it on and went dancing across the floor. Perfect!
The negative; getting all the darn things sewn! That is the inherent problem with a "period" production, to do it well you need to create as many of your costumes as possible so they will look right together. I will say this for The Barn, they had a costume budget. Not much, but with judicious use of coupons and catching the big sales, I managed. JCCC also let us borrow a few basic pieces, like shirts, which helped too. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, not to many of the cast could, or knew folks, that sewed. Ok, braced myself for long sessions at the sewing machine (something I try to avoid now because of the arthritis) and kept a little time in the schedule because I hoped to be able to distress the servants costumes. Wellll, good thing I did as one of the folks who had started one of the costumes quit part way through as it was too difficult. Sigh. Another person that was helping over estimated her experience, and time, so there was another scramble to finish one piece two days before opening. I also ended up resewing 2 sets of buttons (someone's ex-girlfriend had sewn them on) during dress rehearsal week. Bottomline; they did all get done but perhaps not the way I would have done them.
That is probably the hardest for me to get a perspective on with these community theater projects. I *really* want to make the costumes a certain way and while I know there are theatrical shortcuts I have my own quota of what I will or will not use. I have warned AS I cannot sew all the costumes, and he does not expect me too, but I know he trusts my quality control on the finshed project. I do enjoy the research and planning for these projects, and who can resist fabric shopping :), but the actualy construction/wrangling is my least favorite. Somthing to keep in mind for the next one.
So, all that being said, there is one more weekend for the show, naturally it is the first weekend of faire :), but if anyone is a die-hard Moliere fan you can still catch a modern-english adaptation of The Miser at The Barn Players (in Mission) this friday and saturday, 7:30 pm, 2:00 pm matinee on sunday.
The positive; being given the complete trust of a director. The casting for this show was actually in June, some read-throughs were done, but then the director had to be out-of-town for 3 weeks so we had a break. This was an advantage for me in allowing me more time for fabric shopping (but unfortunately did not translate to more construction time). Before AS went out of town we had a meeting to review style/sketches and what colors/fabrics I was hoping to find. After that, I was on my own! Nice, and a little scary, to know he trusted me enough to leave it all in my hands while he was out of town. We do have a good natured debate going about terminology however :). AS calls it period costuming, I call it period-style costuming. To me period means research, pattern, fabric, etc. For this production, to try and simplify construction for modern sewers, I used modern patterns and construction but, at least for the theater, I guess this is considered *period* costume.
More positive; another great cast. Now I wish a few more of them had sewn, or knew folks that could sew, but aside from that they were ready and available for fittings, the guys got the wigs and tights that were required, very little grumbling about the different styles of clothing they were not used to wearing, everyone found plain or period-style shoes and they did try to help where they could with the sewing. I was there before the show every night during dress rehearsal week but warned them that after opening night they were on their own (except for a quick check-up this week). And this was a great cast for opening night pressies! Several of the cast members had thank you notes for everyone, one brought flowers for everyone, another candy (this is all for cast *&* crew). Also, when the cast got together to get t-shirts for the production they chipped in for shirts for the cast as well. There are some experienced local actors in this cast and I received some very nice compliments from them on the costuming as well. It was a lot of work but it sure makes a difference when you know it is appreciated.
And KCFestfop came through BIG time on a favor for me and made a complete dress for one of the women in the show. I knew this dress really needed to be *right* and I could trust him to do it justice. The finished product rocks! And you could tell how well it fitted the actress, and the character, the first time she put it on and went dancing across the floor. Perfect!
The negative; getting all the darn things sewn! That is the inherent problem with a "period" production, to do it well you need to create as many of your costumes as possible so they will look right together. I will say this for The Barn, they had a costume budget. Not much, but with judicious use of coupons and catching the big sales, I managed. JCCC also let us borrow a few basic pieces, like shirts, which helped too. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, not to many of the cast could, or knew folks, that sewed. Ok, braced myself for long sessions at the sewing machine (something I try to avoid now because of the arthritis) and kept a little time in the schedule because I hoped to be able to distress the servants costumes. Wellll, good thing I did as one of the folks who had started one of the costumes quit part way through as it was too difficult. Sigh. Another person that was helping over estimated her experience, and time, so there was another scramble to finish one piece two days before opening. I also ended up resewing 2 sets of buttons (someone's ex-girlfriend had sewn them on) during dress rehearsal week. Bottomline; they did all get done but perhaps not the way I would have done them.
That is probably the hardest for me to get a perspective on with these community theater projects. I *really* want to make the costumes a certain way and while I know there are theatrical shortcuts I have my own quota of what I will or will not use. I have warned AS I cannot sew all the costumes, and he does not expect me too, but I know he trusts my quality control on the finshed project. I do enjoy the research and planning for these projects, and who can resist fabric shopping :), but the actualy construction/wrangling is my least favorite. Somthing to keep in mind for the next one.
So, all that being said, there is one more weekend for the show, naturally it is the first weekend of faire :), but if anyone is a die-hard Moliere fan you can still catch a modern-english adaptation of The Miser at The Barn Players (in Mission) this friday and saturday, 7:30 pm, 2:00 pm matinee on sunday.
