The best thing about creating theatre is the collaborative nature of this art form. Great theatre is made when all areas of design and direction have worked hand in hand throughout the process. I may be able to costume a show beautifully without communicating with others, but with collaboration, my ideas are shifted and strengthened by others’ insights, while simultaneously my perspective influences the other design areas. The overall piece becomes better and our ideas are more clearly received by the audience. This nebulous, free-flowing exchange of ideas and inspiration is the part of the theatre-making process that I get most excited for.

     As a costume designer, my job is to use a visual language of clothing to tell you who each character is. I can give insight into a character’s emotional state through the colors they wear. The textures I choose can influence your view of the character’s social standing. I can make you subconsciously connect the characters who will end up together in the end through use of subtle similarities in their dress. Every detail of a costume tells the audience something specific about the person wearing the costume. If I have done my job well, when an actor walks on stage you should have an idea of who this person is before they say a word. Taking characters and studying who they are, distilling them down to a concentrated (but not simplified) version, and then translating that into the visual language of clothing is one of the most challenging, but rewarding parts of being a costume designer.

     Someone asked me recently what my dream show would be to design. I find this question very thought-provoking because there is no single answer. Each type of show has its own challenges and opportunities. Designing a period show is wonderful because we get to work in silhouettes and details outside of our normal visual vocabulary. Even when a show requires a strict adherence to the historical design, it is necessary to make adjustments for the modern eye. This is what I find most interesting about historical costume design, taking the historical and combining it with a more modern sensibility so that the audience can better relate to the character.

     Designing for a modern show is also rewarding in its own way. Though our clothing today tends to be far simpler than the clothing of the past, there is something nice about having this direct connection to the audience. There are also fewer rules to be concerned with when dealing with modern clothing. It can be very freeing to have the opportunity to use vastly different styles in concert with one another, which is not as often possible with a period show.