Lauren Hadley, Ernest, Wrap-Up

I felt a lot more confident going into the Importance of Being Ernest backstage work because I had done it before with the production of Mary Poppins. I had an idea of potential problems which may occur, when to offer my assistance and when to step-back, and what to do while the actors were on stage.

For both the dress rehearsal and the actual play night, I mainly helped with hair and make-up for the actresses. I have never done stage make-up before but Cecily needed help and I was the only one around. I relied on Zoe, the girl who played Cecily, to tell me what had to be done for her make-up and what those previously had done. I could not simply do basic make-up techniques of foundation, eyes, and lips, but I had to highlight and contour her face. This is what I struggled with the most. I think Zoe was just being polite when she said I did a good job, but I tried my best with the little experience I had. However, when it came to her hair…well, that was another story. On the night I worked for dress rehearsal, she also asked me to help with her hair. I was able to successfully create the front poof, but I did a horrible job on the back curls. I blame the curling iron! It did not heat up hot enough to create the right curls, and instead her hair ended up looking very loose and brushed out. I apologize for my lack of beauty skills. When it came to play night, Ingrid was able to do her hair and it turned out beautifully. I was also able to help a little with Dania’s hair and also Reka’s hair and make-up. (Pictured Below)

An area in which I could improve is hair. I feel I could have tried harder, or put a better effort into Cecily’s hair. I could ask for help, or find another way to achieve the desired look. She was just so sweet and I think did not want to hurt my feelings when she told me it looked good, but deep down I knew it looked horrible.

Overall, I think my experience backstage for the dress rehearsal and play night went very well. I was able to help where I could and be there in case something went wrong. I think it might have gone so well because the cast was a lot smaller than Mary Poppins, and the actors and actresses were able to take charge of their own costumes. What I enjoyed the most was being able to learn a little bit of stage make-up techniques, and observing how all the actors and actresses interacted with one another. They were all so loving and support of each other’s role, and they seemed like a little family. 

Lauren Hadley, Costume Critique

A recently popular TV show I have been avoiding as long as I could, The Walking Dead, has been introduced into my family. I now find myself glued to the TV whenever it is on. The Walking Dead is about human survivors living during a Zombie Apocalypse and if you are queasy at the sight of blood, do not watch the show. 

Eulyn Womble is the current costume designer for the show. Before she was the lead designer on the show, she worked as a set designer and then worked her way into the costume design for the show. Womble “deploys a psychologically driven arsenal of color, style, texture, and accessorizing to subliminally enhance plot and character development. If she does her job right, you don’t notice it. You feel it.” Through her deigns, she engages with the characters, “she draws inspiration from the personalities, personal styles, and backgrounds of the actors, her costumes help inform acting choices.”

One would think that during a Zombie Apocalypse, you would not worry about what to wear. However, when it comes to Zombies, or Walkers, potentially biting and attacking you, you want to wear clothes with can move naturally with the body as you run, and boots to protect your ankles from being bit. Womble said, “The characters do a lot of walking and action. Also, the boots are comfortable but they can be used as a weapon. We do not want a walker to grab onto a skirt or something…the characters have to be stealth like ninjas so they can’t get caught on anything.” Another piece of clothing which is essential to every human character on the show, is a belt which can hold weapons. Even if a shirt is ripped and used as a belt, a knife could be tied to it.  She also wanted to add a sexy twist as characters develop in later seasons. She believes there is something sexy about being dirty and sweaty.

As for the Walkers, dressing them came easy to her because she knew what poor and tattered looked like, from her upbringing in Cape Town, South Africa.  Womble first thought of what the Zombies looked like before they died, and how long they might have been dead. Before every Zombie went on screen, Womble examined their costume. She wanted to portray the Zombies as realistic as possible because she wants them to come across as believable when seen by an audience.

The biggest challenge she has come across while designing costumes for characters on the show is to create multiple of them when someone has a death scene. She designed unique, custom-made jacket worn by the Governor, and then she found out he was going to die and had to make five more. 

I can't say I love or hate any of the costumes worn by characters. But I do enjoy and love how unique, and detailed every costume is. Womble's talent can be seen through the costumes of the show, from the Walkers to the Survivors. 

Lauren Hadley, Costume Critique

A production I saw when I was younger and fell in love with is Wicked. If anyone has not seen the musical, I highly suggest to do so because you will not be disappointed. Not only is Wicked known for its music and lyrics, it is also known for its beautiful, colorful and innovative costume designs.

Susan Hilferty, is the creative brains behind the costumes of all the characters on Wicked. Hilferty takes pride in designing and creating costumes which faithfully represent each character she works with. She has also designed costumes for the productions: Dirty Blonde (2000), Into the Woods (2002), Annie (2012) and much more.  For her work on Wicked alone, Hilferty has won three awards: a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Critics Circle Award.

There are over 200 costumes, and accessories which were created through the imagination of Hilferty. Not only was Hilferty the lead designer for all of the costumes of Wicked, she also personally tailors each costume to each character. All of the award-winning costumes of Wicked, play a huge part in representing the productions themes to the audience. She has said that a lot of her inspiration for the costumes came from Dr. Seuss, especially the costumes of Emerald City. For Wicked, “She created a style called “twisted Edwardian” which is Edwardian-era suits and dresses with asymmetry and literal “twists” in them.”

One of the biggest challenges Hilferty faced while designing the costumes for the two main characters, Glinda and Elphaba, was to distinguish them as good and as evil. In a recent interview, when asked about the costumes for Shiz University, Hilferty stated: “When I was trying to figure out what the school colors would be, I moved Elphaba to be all blue so she was always the darkest person at school and Glinda to be all white so she was always the lightest person in the school and everybody in the middle was a mix. But Elphaba and Glinda always stood out.” Additionally, Hilferty was inspired by natural sources to convey the good of Glinda and the evil of Elphaba. For Glinda’s costumes, she was inspired by “the sky, light, starts, and rainbows.” Whereas for Elphaba’s costumes, inspiration came from the earth. “[Elphaba’s] dress isn’t black, it has many colors in it—the same way that mica or coal or jewels, when you think of mining into the earth, so that’s why the dress is designed to feel like it’s planted or coming out of the earth.”

My favorite costume from the play would definitely be Glinda’s dress in Act II. Initially, I would describe Glinda’s dress as very Cinderella-y. For inspiration for this dress, Hilferty turned to young girl, whom she asked, “What do you think Goodness looks like?” The girls responded with the ideas of goodness as a Princess and a Bride.  The gown which represents lightness, air, and bubbles, was created to appear like every girls fantasy of a princess. Hilferty explains that over 25 different kinds of sequins were used for Glinda’s gown. 

Lauren Hadley, Lab

For this past week's lab hours, I had a specific job. I was to fit and style Zoe, who is going to plan Cecily Cardew in the upcoming play, The Importance of Being Earnest. The director and Sis. Dooley had specific characteristics they wanted to be portrayed in Cecily's costume. The specific characteristics are which helped me to be inspired for her costume were:  elegant and flow-y, parasol (Umbrella), and a little purse to hold her diary.

They also described Cecily's character as an Innocent, Country Girl who is also intelligent with money. In one of the class periods, we were all discussing the different characters and what colors we think portrayed their characters. We all agreed that when we think of Cecily Cardew, we think of the color Pink. The color pink is very romantic and feminine, which both could be said about Cecily's character as well. As I was about to leave to the closet with Zoe, I ran into Dan and I asked him to help me dress Cecily and he was more than happy. As we were all looking upstairs, there wasn't much of an option of pink hues in the time period of the play. I pulled an outfit (picture below) which catered to the more country aspect of Cecily's characters. 

Dan pulled an outfit (not pictured) which played along with the more sweet and rich side of her. I liked both costumes. We have yet to choose the final one, but that is something which will be done this coming week. 

Lauren Hadley, Costume Critique

A show which is extremely popular in my household and brings many laughs, is The Office. When one thinks of the wardrobe worn by the characters of The Office, Plain Jane is a good term to use. There have been a couple of difference costume designers for The Office, but the one I am focusing on for this critique is Carey Bennett. She worked as the costume designer on The Office from 2005-2006, on a total of 35 episodes. One of her most known work was done on the TV show, Scrubs, which she worked from 2001-2010. As I was doing my research on Carey Bennett, I was surprised to discover that she also did some costume designing for The Muppets. That must have been a fun job!

If you did not already know, The Office is based off of a British show, also called the Office. Before Bennett began designing the wardrobe for the characters, she wanted to research and study the British version first. From her observations of the British version, she was inspired a little but did not want to be too influenced. She was also extremely nervous because she had not had must experience working in an actual office. She had the opportunity to visit a real paper company called, Economy Paper, for further inspiration. She and the directors loved what they saw. Even the actual set was heavily based off of a real paper company. The last place Bennett went for inspiration as she began designing was to real life people walking the streets. She was fascinated to realize people “don’t wear outfits,” instead people wore very unexpected and personal clothing. She wanted this to be the main focus for the characters on the show. 

 Although Bennett wanted a very real, casual, and personal look for the characters, you would be surprised how much work and attention to detail was put into each piece of clothing. One of my favorite characters, and whose clothing choices I enjoy is Jon Krasinski, who plays Jim Halpert. In an article, Costumes of The Office, written by Elizabeth Chou, it stated regarding Jim Halpert’s character, “His clothes reflect the character’s apathy toward the corporate world. The story behind the look is that he probably dug his clothes out of his father’s closet, Bennett says. Jim’s clothes are shapeless and don’t fit him very well, and the wool ties date back to the 1970s. Since dad’s clothes are no longer the rage, Bennett had to look everywhere to maintain a steady supply of wool ties. She says she sometimes kicks herself for setting up her characters with costumes that are so hard to keep in stock.” 

What I like most about all the characters costumes on the show is that they are very realistic and definitely relate-able. Although some may say that Bennett did not do much as a costume designer on the show because it didn't consist of much fashion, I think she did a wonderful job at portraying each individual characters personalities and roles at The Office.

Lauren Hadley, Mary Poppins, Wrap Up

I was able to work behind the “seams” of Mary Poppins on Thursday, which happened to be opening night. I had already helped at a dress rehearsal, so I had an idea of what would go on. When I first arrived, I thought a lot more actors would be there already getting ready, but only a few. Aliya was there early doing her hair and make-up which looked amazing (pictured below). I helped Taimi iron and steam a few last minute costumes and then we just waited for more actors to arrive. One by one they started to come and you could feel the excitement in the air. Some of the male actors could not find their correct shirts, or jackets but were able to locate them quickly and without fuss. Other than a few safety pinning, and securing wigs, I did not do much to help.  I felt that all the actors were very organized otherwise, and knew exactly what they needed to individually do in order to be dressed and ready for show time. I was asked by a male actor to help him with his makeup and I was scared because I have no experience with theater make up. But I figured I was a girl who wears make up, so I could figure it out. I quickly observed what the other actors were doing and picked a foundation which I thought would match his skin tone. I also saw that the others were putting some sort of magical powder on their faces to ensure that the makeup would not melt of as they sweat. The part of theater make up I struggled with the most is the eye liner. I did not know how dark and thick to make it, so I put a medium amount on him. Once the show began, things slowed down back stage and many of the actors were playing games until it was their turn to go on stage. As the play continued, back stage, many of the actors put their sweep costumes on. I noticed that one of the sweep’s hat was not completely black or dark, and was mainly a tan color. He was the only one with an odd hat. I mentioned to him if he had another hat or if he could wear a spare hat we had backstage but he was stubborn and said he did not want to. I was not sure how crucial it was for him to have the right colored hat but I was afraid he would stand out too much on stage even though he was not a main character. Even Alpha agreed but he wore it anyways. I am sure it was fine though. There was one thing I could have done better as I worked backstage. As the play was coming to an end, I wanted to start cleaning up because I did not want to stay too late as I needed to get home to my daughter. I collected all the rubbish and cleaned any odds and ends I found. I thought I would also help the actors out by putting away and organizing the makeup station. However, I noticed one of the actresses rushing around trying to find her makeup because it was, “suddenly missing.” My fault! Overall, I enjoyed my experience back stage and I enjoyed the rush.

** a video before the chaos began...

Lauren Hadley, Lab

For this week’s lab hours, I had the opportunity to help at the first dress rehearsal for Mary Poppins. When I first arrived, it was complete chaos. Half-dressed actors and actresses were running around asking questions about their costumes because they were unclear what went with what. I mainly focused and helped with the female actresses, zipping up, safety pinning, and bobby pinning. Since it was the first night of dress rehearsals, the actors only had to put on their costumes and did not have to worry about hair or make-up. Aliya, the girl who played Miss. Corry, and I did not know how to put her costume on. We were confused with all the petticoats and bustles she had. Finally, we asked for help and figured it out and she looked great. Taylor did a wonderful job on her costume. One of the biggest challenges of the first dress rehearsal was that a lot of costumes still needed mending or altering. I did not think there would be that many but there were a ton. When and if we came across a costume which needed fixing or altering, there was a system. You wrote the name of the actor or their character, and exactly what needed to be done. When I got there, only 3 alterations were on the chalk board, by the time I felt, the entire board was covered and an additional five pages of notes that Dan had taken. Side note: Dan is a super star! From my observations, he helped so much backstage and there would have been a lot more chaos without him.

** Below is a picture of the finished product of Bert's patchwork vest.

Lauren Hadley, Lab

Oops! I was only able to complete one hour of lab work last week because I left my last hour to do on Friday, and then my car was towed (stupid security!) and I had to find a way to town to pick it up.

However, for the hour I did do lab work, I was able to sew all the individual patch work squares together. I was so amazed at how 100 squares sewn together creates a new, unique, piece of fabric. I felt so accomplished and proud of myself. After that, I found the vest pattern I wanted and cut out the pattern from my new piece of fabric. That was a long, tedious job. I also poked myself with pins multiple times. Ouch! Before my hour was up, I was able to put together a couple pieces of the cut out pattern and it finally began to look like an actual vest. Thankfully, someone was able to complete the entire vest and when I saw Bert wearing it, I was so impressed with how it turned out.

After the first dress rehearsal, a few suggestions were made regarding the patchwork vest in order to make it look more realistic and easy for Bert to quick change in. I hand-stitched three green buttons to the left side of the vest and used Velcro on both sides for a quick and easy change. Unfortunately, I did not know that you aren’t supposed to use sticky Velcro on fabric and went to stitch the Velcro into the fabric to secure it and almost broke the machine. SORRY!

Lauren Hadley, Costume Critique

This past weekend I watched Catching Fire, the second movie of the Hunger Game Series. The wardrobe choices in this production were incredible. The magic and talent behind the seams was Trish Summerville. This costume designer is best known for her work on another production based off a book, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Summerville has worked alongside many celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera. She is also the first-ever costume designer to collaborate designs with the clothing store H&M. 

Fantasy is one word which can describe the wardrobe of the characters on Catching Fire. Katniss Everdeen, the main character, played by Jennifer Lawrence had a variety of situations and scenarios which required different types of wardrobes. One of the main costumes she had to wear was during The Games. Summerville said that The Games costume was one of the most difficult to create. She said, “…it had to be functional, fashionable and look good. It had to fit 24 different body types, from young bodies like Josh [Hutcherson], who's a completely fit, in-shape, and athletic 19-year-old to a 78-year-old woman. It also had to be something they could swim in, run in, and it had to be cool enough when the temperatures were hot. It had to be suitable for stunts, so I had to incorporate pads that were decorative and fashionable on the exterior of the costume, as opposed to trying to shove them underneath where they'd be seen.” I thought the outfit she wore while fighting and participating in the games was very realistic and was something I wanted to add to my own wardrobe. Katniss’s outfit which I wish belonged in my closet was her beautiful, intricate wedding dress. The wedding dress was something that was created and designed specifically for the film. Summerville said it was also difficult designing a dress which catered to the fans desires and the character of Katniss. Summerville said, “That wedding dress already has garnered plenty of attention. The gown, the work of Indonesian designer Tex Saverio, featured a metal bodice layered with silks and decorated with Swarovski crystals and weighed close to 25 pounds.” They needed a dress which was wonderful and unique in every single way but was still light and flexible, that would be able to twirl as Katniss moved. 

 

My second favorite costumes of the production were worn by Elizabeth Banks, who played the character Effie Trinket. Her character was very flamboyant, and magical. Her entire look, from her hair to her shoes, was unique to each outfit she wore. My favorite costume Effie wore was entirely covered in butterflies! An interview done with Summerville, she said, “a lot of [Effie’s] dresses she can’t really sit in, and the waist we had cinched in quite tight. Some of them have these metal belts that kind of cut into your ribs. That really helped with her posture and the whole concept…  She looks quite incredible, but she’s never really relaxed and comfortable.” Although I could never wear any of her costumes in real life, they are all incredibly detailed and beautiful. Her costumes definitely suit her character and fit her eclectic personality. 

Lauren Hadley, Lab

            This week, I was finally able to use the sewing machine! I was so excited. I was asked to being creating a patchwork vest for Bert to wear during Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scene of Mary Poppins. My first step was to choose fabric for the different patches. Sis. Dooley suggested to choose some colors which matched the other actors in the scene. I choose brown to match the customers, blue and pink to match Miss. Corry and her daughters, and random patterns to add dimension the vest. I then worked with Sis. Dooley to determine how many single patches would be sufficient to create the entire vest. We decided on 10x10 with each patch, or square, being 5 inches all around. Next, I cut each individual square or fabric using a pizza cutter like device (I am not sure the proper name). It did take me a couple of hours to cut out all the patches because I wanted to make sure all the edges were as straight as possible and that each side of the square was 5 inches long. Also, because some of the fabric I chose had been sitting for so long, they had many folds and creases which needed to be ironed out before cutting. After all 100 squares were cut out, the real magic begun. I now needed to assemble all the patches together to create one big quilt. Initially, sewing the patches together was difficult and tricky because you couldn’t stop. After you sew a straight line along the side of one patch, you quickly but carefully, add another patch without ending the stitch. Confusing? Yes it was. I was only able to finish one row of 10 patches before I had to leave. Hopefully I can finish the entire project by next class period.