Design
What Does It Take to Be a Ballet Company’s Head of Wardrobe on Opening Night?
As head of wardrobe for the Joffrey Ballet, Ellie Cotey has her hands full when it comes to creating costumes from scratch for a full-length production. Managing a team of 50 builders, alterations, dress rehearsals, and of course, laundry, requires a strong leadership skillset. Dance Magazine chats with Cotey about her role as Head of Wardrobe and what a typical opening night’s schedule looks like. (Spoiler: The work begins early in the morning!) READ ARTICLE via www.dancemagazine.com
Register for the 2019 CUE Professional Development Conference!
REGISTRATION: NOW OPEN! WHAT: 2019 CUE Professional Development Conference WHEN: July 19 – 21, 2019 WHERE: Madison, WI Join ETC and High End Systems for the fifth CUE conference hosted by ETC! This professional development conference was created for end users of all skill levels including designers, programmers, educators, and students.CUE 2019 features interactive classes on a variety of topics led by ETC employees and industry experts, including several surprise guests. On top of the opportunity to experiment with all the latest ETC gear, CUE also gives attendees the opportunity to network with industry peers and the ETC professionals behind the company’s award-winning products. In addition, ETC will host exciting events and tours of its legendary factory, giving att...
A Conversation with Costume Designer Dede Ayite
With a background studying theatre and behavioral neuroscience and a graduate degree in scenic design from Yale, how did Dede Aiyte carve her path to become a Broadwy costume design? Connect the dots with her here: READ ARTICLE via www.stage-directions.com
Lighting Designer Valerio Tiberi on Lighting West Side Story in Italy
via www.stage-directions.com Lighting Designer Valerio Tiberi discusses his vision of lighting West Side Story in Italy at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. READ ARTICLE via www.stage-directions.com
How the Phantom of the Opera’s Mask is Made
Saturday, January 26, 2019 was the 31st Anniversary of the Broaddway opening of The Phantom of the Opera. Here’s a backstage video about how the iconic mask is custom-made for each Phantom. – via www.stage-directions.com READ ARTICLE
Theatre Puget Sound – Production & Tech Personnel Registration
Do you direct, choreograph, or stage manage and want to be seen by auditors at the 2019 Unified General Auditions? Submit your resume and portfolio images to be included in the supplemental Production Personnel & Tech Resume auditor packet. Auditors at the UGAs run the gamut from large and small theatre companies to film producers, talent agents, and independent film/theatre producers and directors. They are not only meeting more than 400 actors, they are also scouting people to make it all go behind the scenes… YOU! Production Personnel & Tech Resume submission is a direct member benefit of Theatre Puget Sound. 2019 TPS membership is required to participate. UPLOAD RESUME HERE
The Fake Food Cookbook
The Fake Food Cookbook: Props You Can’t Eat for Theatre, Film, and TV created by Karestin Harrison and Tamara L. Honesty from Focal Press is a handy new resource for prop makers in all areas of the entertainment industry. Learn more and give it a try: READ ARTICLE via www.stage-directions.com
Working in the Theatre: Makeup
via www.stage-directions.com This episode of Working in the Theatre: Makeup features make-up artists Brian Strumwasser and Thelma Pollard speaking about their craft and the paths they took to get to Broadway. A character on stage is shaped by many factors. An important, and often under-examined aspect to the creation of a character and achievement of a production is created by the magnificent makeup artists on and off-Broadway. But, what does it take to achieve the prefect show-ready look 8 times a week? Makeup Artists Brian Strumwasser and Thelma Pollard share their journey on the creation and maintenance of a character in this episode. Through Brian’s work on A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, we delve into the detail and dedication needed for one actor to change their look 17...
Costume Designing an All New Mary Poppins
BY EMILY ZEMLER via www.backstage.com In “Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell was tasked with reimagining the look of a beloved character originated by Julie Andrews and now played by Emily Blunt. The three-time Oscar-winning costume designer, working alongside director Rob Marshall, put her own spin on the story’s fantastical, 1930s London setting. Here, Powell unpacks her challenges and inspiration for the film, and also discusses her polar opposite work in Yorgos Lanthimos’ period drama “The Favourite.” Did you feel any pressure to take inspiration from the original “Mary Poppins”? It wasn’t exactly pressure, because Rob had made it clear we weren’t actually doing anything like the original. It was a whole new story. So the only thing we had to take into consideration was Mary Poppins h...
A Commedia Mask Makers Materials
BY JONATHAN BECKER via www.theatre-masks.com Sculpting in Clay I was recently interviewed about mask making materials associated with Commedia dell’Arte Masks. I thought I’d share this mask makers response here. Question posed: I know you’ve worked (fabulously) with neoprene and other synthetic materials. What would you say to the traditionalists who believe that a mask needs to “breathe” or be made of “organic” materials in order to have life on stage? How about those hard-core people who say Commedia masks were and always should be leather? My Response: What makes a mask play is connected to the level of sophistication as concerns the rhythmic expressive form of the sculpture itself. The material the mask is made out of does not affect the ability of the mask to play. It is the skill ...
The Marvelous 1950s Costumes of Marvelous Mrs Maisel
via www.thecostumerag.com Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Marvelous Mrs Maisel is about a Jewish mother who explores her passions by becoming a comedian. The show uses 1950s fashion throughout the plot using colours and patterns to express both the glamour and austerity found in the post-war period. The 1950s costumes create an authentic portrayal of this time period, and illustrates Midge’s emotional journey as well. Costume designer Donna Zakowska told Mashable how important Midge’s wardrobe “was [as] an attempt to optimistically capture the spirit of a woman, who in spite of unfortunate events continues to assert her spirit to remain on her feet. Her love of clothes, detail and color would become tools for expressing her strength and identity. [We’re] re-examining the strength and complexity o...
Mic Concealment Made Easy
BY THE POINT SOURCE SOUNDING BOARD BLOG via www.stage-directions.com One of the challenges that face both designers and technicians is how to hide a microphone on an actor. In their hair or in their costume; there weren’t a lot of good solutions to this challenge, until Point Source Audio created its EMBRACE™ Earmount microphone solution. As a customizable mic’ing solution that is engineered for concealing, EMBRACE has earned praise from end-users, as well as two patents from the U.S. Patent Office. The innovative design means the patented EMBRACE’s shapeable structure can be trimmed, bent and, shaped to a custom-fit for each user allowing for microphones to be easily concealed and quickly custom-fitted for the wearer—providing a placement of the microphone in just mere seconds that is con...
