On stage, we’ve seen an array of costumes. From medieval to modern, retro patterns to vintage styles and everything in between. How do we find all this stuff? 

The costume closet is the place to go.

Organized by decades and articles of clothing, the costume closet is bursting with textiles. Each and every costume—and then some—of every show that has been performed reside in the closet. 

Since 2017, the theater department has achieved quite a collection of different costumes. Theater tries to pull from the closet for a show before buying, but it can be hard to capture the vision with the pieces there. It’s getting full fast and they need room to grow. 

There are some costume pieces with strong sentimental value; one to highlight is a shawl. The theater teacher, Alisha Morris, has a knit from her grandmother in the closet. She holds this piece close to her heart. 

Seeing pieces from past shows–like the shawl–can be emotional and can make it hard to get rid of items. While getting rid of pieces can be sad, it highlights the future of the department ahead. Morris talks about her goals of the Give-a-Hoot closet cleanout.

“I want to have a good space in [the costume closet] for my costume crew to sew and work,” said Morris

To get the space for the crew to work, costumes have to go. Before Give-a-Hoot comes around, take a tour through the past and present of the theater department.

Starting at the very first show, “Cinderella”,  when the closet wasn’t filled, these costumes laid the foundation of the costume department. This show allowed the theater department to get some basics that are used in shows today. But, being the oldest show of the theater department, some pieces are lost to time, like Cinderella’s dress.

“The Wizard of Oz” is filled with gingham and ruby red and is more of a specialty show. Even though these costumes are usually stored away, the pieces do come in handy for some design concepts. The iconic gingham dress is a staple for this production, with its red accents and lace trim, there’s no doubt who’s playing Dorothy.

A personal favorite from Morris, “Xanadu” shows fun colors and bling that catches the eye. “Xanadu”, the spunky show on roller skates, has some pieces that have been changed. But the use of these skates makes Xanadu a show like no other.  Finding these lying around the closet, you can easily guess when they were used. 

While the theater department hasn’t used the roller skates again, the dresses from this show have been reused for other musicals.

Despite COVID-19, the show must go on. Masked up, we have costumes from “Little Women” with moody grays and blues. 

Having to wear masks during the show added a whole new aspect to the costumes. These masks used by actors matched perfectly with the color palette of the show. It blended in enough to not detract from the costumes with such a foreign sight. 

This show’s costume pieces have been very helpful to have. Used several times since this show, they make an appearance mostly in plays.

Another Morris favorite, “The SpongeBob Musical” was quite the opposite of “Little Women”. These costumes are useful for eccentric shows, particularly musicals.

With bright colors, pompoms and sheer blue fabric, Miss Puff’s dress perfectly captures the character. The sleeves almost resemble water. Being that Spongebob is based under the sea, it’s a creative way to bring in that detail of the show.

“Freaky Friday” has its iconic purple and green color palette, each character having their own specific style.

The two main characters, a mom and daughter, both use green and purple in their costumes. One color is clearly dominating the other. As the show goes on, they learn what it’s like to live in the other’s shoes, allowing them to understand why they are the way they are. They start to reveal more of the other’s color to symbolize their relationship growth. 

The modern design of these costumes was good to have handy for future shows set in today’s style. 

To end with a bang, “The Prom” is full of glitter and glam. This modern show had a bit more of an extravagant feel to it. 

Broadway actors coming to a small town stick out like a sore thumb. The color palettes of these flashy outfits compared to the rural setting represent the clashing values and ideas of these groups of people. 

 This show has many handmade pieces, every detail precise and meaningful. 

The costume closet has racked up an impressive collection of costumes. Some pieces will be gone soon, but they will not be forgotten in the production history of our theatre. 

To see more of the costume closet, plan to see the upcoming production. To check out the upcoming shows in this theater season click here.