The sound of a sewing machine at a steady pace. Yards of fabric strewn throughout the room. Four or five pairs of sharp scissors lie on the table waiting for their turn to cut colorful pieces of fabric. Rows and rows of vibrant costumes hang from racks, awaiting their time to shine. These are just some of the details in the costume shop in Russell Hall.
The shop and its many workers are in a flurry of activity getting finishing touches done on the latest production, “Camino Real” by Tennessee Williams. Costume designer Frederica Jepson designed all 66 costumes for this production. Kris Hall, costume shop supervisor, called this production the biggest she’s worked on since starting in 2000.
A separator curtains off a corner of the room. There is just enough room for the young actors to change and reveal their characters’ identity through their costumes.
Anthony Teixeira, a senior theater major who plays Abdullah, came to the costume shop to get a fitting for his costume. Teixeira stood almost statue-like as Jepson made final alterations to his costume. Some minor stitching and fitting of the costume to Teixeira’s body will add dimension to it. Teixeira was fitted from his shoes to a pointy hat. Hall said Teixeira’s alterations will probably take eight hours to complete.
Jepson said after all the details on the costumes are worked out, an actor can then become his character.
“Somebody becomes a different person through their costume,” Jepson said.
“Camino Real” tells the story of a town in a strange fantasyland populated by famous characters, such as Lord Byron, the romantic poet, and Don Quixote, Cervantes’s idealistic knight.
“It’s what happens when totalitarianism has its rule and creativity and romanticism die,” Jepson said.
The lead character, Kilroy, played by Mark Friedlander, is the symbol of freedom. He is tricked into staying in the town and forced to become a clown. The classic and understated story of oppressors and oppression, done best by Tennessee Williams.
The play is given life by Jepson’s designs and use of topical dress. Jepson begins designing costumes with colorful sketches of each character. Every detail from color to type of fabric is apparent on the sketches. Hung on the paper are pieces of fabric to be sewed on the costumes, from pieces of gold sequins to red and black-striped fabric.
Jepson designed the costumes in such a way that the characters who represent the oppressors wear costumes like those of Nazis and Hitler and Gutteman. These costumes are full of life and color whereas the characters who are oppressed are dress in dull, lifeless gray costumes. These characters wear Islamic burqa’s , coulees and other topical dress typical of people in oppression.
“The idea is not to pick a certain time or place, but to get a sense of different people under oppression,” Jepson said.
The story of “Camino Real” brings understated themes which are current topics, like personal freedom and creative expression. The job of costumes and costume designer drive the theme further to help an audience gain a greater understanding of the story.