Importance of Being Earnest Wrap-Up

What went well?

Nearly everything looked absolutely perfect during the show, and if it didn't, then it was fixed really quickly and really well. Having a smaller cast allowed for greater attention to detail and it really made a difference in the overall feel. Although it would be difficult, it would be good if we could try to put more detail into larger productions and make it neater/ more put together/more complete. Not that Mary Poppins was bad, but there is a somewhat different level of quality. It would be more difficult because of more people in production, and not necessarily any extra time. But attention to detail in this play was astounding. Everything looked great. Having the costumes in lockers was really good. Having ideas for how the hair was supposed to look was helpful

Taylor is always paparazzi ready

What could have been done better?

Having full creative license in this play was particularly difficult while working with the director and some of the actors, and working around these demands was challenging. But overall there isn't much to improve. I think we applied what we learned from the last play very well, and things went smoothly.

Selfie with Camille//Gwendolyn! I got to do her hair almost every night of the play and it was fabulous!!

How do I feel about the end result?

I loved how this play turned out. I thought the outfits were gorgeous and the actors' hair were very well done. The set looked fantastic. The play itself (which I was so happy I actually got to see this time!!) was so hilarious and so fun. It is a very quirky story, and it is fun to see how everyone gets what they want (except for Cecily, because Algernon never changes his name; but she seems happy anyway).

My masterpiece creation. I have never done hair this well before!!

My favorite part of the play was having a smaller cast. I felt like I got to know the actors more personally and it was really fun. I laughed and joked around with them, and it was really fun helping them get ready. I ended up showing up for at least a little bit each night to help actors with their hair, and it took a some work, but once I had figured out what I wanted it to look like I got really good at it and was able to get it done really fast. Which is pretty essential, so woohoo!!  I also loved the cast party at the end. It felt really good to be recognized for the hard work that had been done. I am so thankful for this experience and the friendships I got to make.

 I mostly love this class because I get to be creative and make things look good and pretty, and then it actually goes somewhere. It's almost like having my work presented in an art gallery. Seeing what I did on stage is one of the most satisfying things I have ever I felt.

Final Project Proposal

• production description: As mentioned in a previous post, I am doing a costume from the video game/anime Tears to Tiara. The game was originally for the PC then the PS3: it's release was in 2005. There are several games to series and the most recent one was released in 2013 October 31st. The anime is based on the PS3 remake and was direction by Tomoki Kobayashi
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• character description: The character I have chosen to create is Rathy. She is a cute little mine elf with the cutest outfit of them all! When I watched the anime, I thought she was a dude (since Rathy was voiced by a male), but upon doing research on her character I found out that "he" was a she. She wanted to keep her sex a secret because she was scared she would have been kicked out of the group if everyone knew she was a girl (despite the fact there are many girls in the group anyway...)
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• why you want to costume this character/production: When I first started to sew and cosplay, I looked at all the veterans and the masterpieces they created that I thought were practically impossible. When I watched the show, I loved rathy's character and quirks. Such a little thing was such a strong power-house character! And as a mine elf, she's suppose to make master weapons, but she hates that and would rather make the best pots and pans! Because of my size I get looked down on and labeled "weak", but Rathy smashes a hammer to the face. I won't be doing any smashing, but thanks to my self-defense class I can throw anyone down and make them beg ;). Aside from her personality, her clothes are my favorite of any character. I looked at her and saw a challenge. Well, at the time my sewing skills were very-how to say this- comparable to a new-born calf. I could hardly do anything and lacked the confidence to do it. It wasn't until I took the patter making class here that I felt like I could take on any cosplay I wanted: especially after successfully making AKB0048 cosplays for both my friend and I. I then looked back at Rathy and though: I am ready.
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• your proposed costume idea:So my proposal is bringing to life this adorable mine elf. Head-to-toe; hammer, crazy hat, crazy shoes, and crazy utility belt. I will base the costume mostly after the video game version rather than the anime. The difference is the number of pouches on her belt and the details of the gloves.
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• what you need to complete the costume (supplies, equipment, knowledge, time): I actually started this project at the beginning of the semester. I initially wanted to make this costume for Kawaii-Kon's Masquerade competition (AKA costume competition), so I was already on a time crunch to get it done before March 27th. I'm practically done with everything, but I won't say what I'm working on or what I have left. That will be for the next post!

Inspirational images:

Costume Critique: Tears to Tiara

Tears to Tiara is a video game that was turned into a tv show. I never played the game, but I’ve seen the entire show. Since it was first a game, it must have had many people working on the costume design of the different characters.  The Developer of the first original game was Leaf and the Publisher was Aquaplus

5. My favorite costume has to be the one I am working on for my final project. The character’s name is Rathy and she is a mine elf and supposed to be a skilled weapon maker, but she would rather make pots and pans. This game/show is a fantasy adventure with a mix of Roman, Celtic, Welsh, and Christian mythology. On top of that, this is a Japanese game! Of course the costumes are going to be the most outlandish clothes in the world! What drew me to this outfit was the complexity of it all. The large mouse ears, the pouch skirt, the shoes! I saw this when I first started to sew and thought “how in the world could someone make that?! You would have to be insane”. I saw it more as a challenge if anything and something I could love to make and see how well I do it.

6. There is not an single outfit that I don’t like. Well, that’s a lie. I don’t like Morgan's.

 It is immodest beyond words and impractical. Practically every inch of her skin is exposed, especially the more vulnerable and sensitive ones. Although she is an archer, someone could easily sneak up on her or another archer can get her and immobilize vital muscles. The only useful purpose I see this for is distracting the men during a fight!

The hats. Those hats. The costumes themselves are just fine, but the hats are crazy! I can manage to make a hat with large mouse ears, but those are just another prime example of how anime defies logic and physics. I would like to see how someone makes one of those hats that keeps its shape.

In the News: Earnest

Check out what the Kealakai had to say about The Importance of Being Earnest.

In The News: Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins was on the cover!

And check out what the KeAlakai had to say about Mary Poppins

Taylor Bobbitt: Ernest, Wrap-up

Working back-stage for The Importance of Being Ernest was kind of uneventful. Ernest is only an 11 member cast, and only three of them has any costume changes, and those people are Jack, Gwendolyn, and Algernon. The maximum that I had to do during the show was use a lint roller on Lady Bracknell’s hem and pin and unpin a hair piece on Gwendolyn.

All in all, I found that it was before the show that was most eventful. I did makeup, did hair, helped with the straightening of costumes, and helped actors when they needed someone whom their lines can bounce off of as they practice. By the way, Dannia Tan should rap for a living, because she has the raw fast-moving language ability of Busta-Rhymes (and Ron Miller, holy crap). Hearing her practice her lines was kind of funny because she would say them so darn fast that you couldn’t comprehend anything she said until it registered about three seconds later. She has a future, I’m tellin’ ya.

That's me in the background helping and stuff

My nose is not big in person. For some reason, I look like that witch from Princess Bride. Look. I participated.

I helped Algernon with his makeup the first time that I came. I applied his eye-liner (which apparently he has trust issues with anything touching his eye except for contacts. That’s probably a hyperbole on his part, but nonetheless) and I curled his eyelashes with Gwendolyn’s lash curler. He said I did a wonderful job, and that I didn’t make him look like a drag queen. Well done, Taylor. Well done.

Dannia (aka, Busta Rhymes)

I also helped Gwendolyn with her blush and bronzer once upon a time during Ernest. I did pretty well, if I do say so myself, and I do say so myself because she said it, too.

I'm in the background helping someone else. By the way, my phone is broken and pictures are a no no. My photos are lost.

I helped the maid with doing all of her make up because she said, and I quote, I don’t know what to do. So, I did what I would normally do with everyday makeup, but with more highlighting and contouring. I did pretty well. She looked cute. Blush does such wonders, I tell ya’. I also did her hair. I twisted it back and did it up in a braided bun. She looked adorable.

In the last show (which was on Saturday) I helped Lady Bracknell with her hem. It was disgusting with dirt, so I brushed it off. By the way, that red and black lint thing not only works magic, but it has arrows on it to tell you which way the lint trapping grain goes so that you can actually trap it. Man, I love figuring out stuff through Dannia.

I have got to say, though. My favorite part of the entire thing was watching from the side. The first time that I had actually seen it from the side was on Wednesday, during the free show. I saw Act III when Lady Bracknell says, “Wheeeeeeeeeere is that BABY?!” I was cracking up on the side of the stage. UGH, she’s so funny.

Another thing that I did for some actors (it was actually only Dannia) was give them a shoulder massage to calm them down. It’s surprising how much she and the other actors were shaking from being on stage. This is funny because they hold their face, but they shake like crazy. Hmmmm. This surprises me.

All in all, it was less pressure and it was fun. I was able to be creative.

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.