Week 4: Costumes

Danya Tribuna '19
In this week's edition of Behind the Curtain, Danya '19 enters the world of the CSW costume closet to learn more about how designers conceptualize and create clothing to help bring stage characters to life...
With actors still rehearsing diligently, crew members continue to work backstage. This week, I had an opportunity to sit down with those in charge of costumes for the show. In the Costume Shop, I was introduced to Zoe Sundra from Wheelock Family Theatre, who serves as CSW’s Costume Designer. Currently, she works alongside Ellie Turner ’19 and Ayla Wellnitz ’20 where she mentors those involved in wardrobe preparation.

The Costume Shop is filled with racks of clothes and coats, and boxes overflowing with shoes, props, and accessories. I asked where the items had come from and was surprised at the variety in the responses. Some are saved and reused from prior shows, while more specific items are typically found in a thrift store, or better yet, CSW’s attic. Zoe explained that since Urinetown is an incredibly specific show with a predetermined “look,” a large portion of the materials needed to be sought out from other locales.

In spite of understanding that each character has a unique presence in the story and on the stage, I was confused as to how that translated into wardrobe. How does one gain enough familiarity with a character, simply from the lines they have in a show and learn to portray them properly? Unsurprisingly, Zoe, Ellie, and Ayla, all seasoned costume designers/assistants, had a precise process that they found useful in “getting to know” the characters.

“Well, first we read the script,” says Zoe. “And then we read it again, and again. Oh right, and then again.”

The three claim that it is generally easy to gauge the style of a show based off the script and then peruse inventory in the attic. Afterward, students are able to consult image searches, websites, YouTube, and pictures/videos of other productions of Urinetown. Using that intel, the remainder of the more specified materials can be purchased off campus. The three claim that there are usually several different ways to portray characters, and praise their shared Google document for serving as an outlet for group communication, where they can draw inspiration from one other.

“The Costume Design class designs the costumes earlier in the year,” says Ellie, but the current designers still get to “take some creative license.”

“It’s all about communication,” says Zoe. “It’s more important that the design team is talking with each other, as well as to the directors. We have a very important job that the actors don’t. They portray the characters, we design them.”

The process is clearly enjoyed by all involved, and Ellie shares that she will be attending Kent State University for Fashion Design next year. “I’ve been working on productions since I was 10, and have always been into costumes,” she told me. “Eventually it evolved as I started at CSW and began to work with Zoe. From there, the interest just became natural.”

Ayla’s love of fashion is also her motivation, and she even sews some of her own clothes! “I thought it would be fun to take a costume design class in my freshman year, and it got me interested. I had a lot of fun in that class with Lisa Hirsch, and really learned how to design.”

While the trio has their work cut out for them over the next few weeks, thanks to their experience and dedication (and of course, the shared Google document), they foresee smooth sailing as their preparation continues.

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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.