Seussical at Sitar Arts Center
Sitar Arts Center is a youth theater company that services underpriveleged children and teenagers who live below the poverty line. Each summer, the company produces a full-size musical, directed by Lorraine Robinson, a Black woman with a Tony Award in Theater Education.
I served as Costume Designer for their summer 2018 production of Seussical. There was a cast size of 51, including the actors between the ages of 7 and 18, the pit band, ushers, and stagehands, which I had to create costumes for. My team included an intern and I, and we worked Monday-Friday from May-August 2018 on-site in the costume shop, as well as served as wardrobe dressers backstage during performances.
My budget was $2,000. I constructed about half of the costumes, including ears for Horton, a tutu dress for Gertrude McFuzz, a crown and gown for Mayzie LaBird, as well as wings and tails for all ensemble creatures, just to name a few. In addition, I purchased another half of the costumes from speciality craft stores, online, and thrift stores. What I love most about children's theater is that there are no limits to color, texture, and sensory details, such as incorporating taste and smell into the costumes. I incorporated a range of fabrics, such as tulle, silk, feathers, crepe, velvet, and faux fur.