Meet Our Team: Costumes/Hair/Makeup Designers

What to wear, what to wear, what to wear? It's a question some people ask everyday, and a question some people never ask. Your outfit can be a representation of who you are, or who you'd like to be; a statement, your way of communicating to the world without saying a word. Or sometimes its just the clothes you pull from the bottom of your closet.

But to a Costume Designer? Clothes are everything. A Costume Designer must work to create the illusion that the actors, are not the actors, but the real living people of the play. They sprinkle a little magic.

Meet the Costume/Hair&Makeup Team: Desiree Hale and Trudy-Bridgette Smith.

Desiree Hale and Trudy-Bridgette Smith. Photograph by Kirstin Shale. 

Design Meetings. Trudy-Bridgette and Desiree
present their designs. Calvin's hat makes an appearance.
Photograph by yours truly. 

Desiree is working through the Theatre Diploma program, with her passion and dream job in costume design. This is Desiree's first taste of costume designing and the most exciting thing for her is getting to analyze and deduce characters through what clothes they wear. 

"There is a lot less of "Does this look good?" and a lot more of "Is this something the character would actually dress themselves in?" and I've had a bunch of fun answering that question."

There seems to be a trend in everyone's biggest challenges in Ensemble. Schedules and timing. As well, Desiree says her challenge is keeping on top of paperwork, and research, and learning the process. You'd think we were all new to this or something?

Her advice to you?

"Following your dreams it's 110% worth it...Hone your skills and find ways to incorporate the things you love most into a career path, and you will find happiness within your work."

Desiree and Trudy-Bridgette go over final details
at the Publicity Photo Shoot. Photograph by Kirstin Shale. 

Trudy-Bridgette is studying Theatre and Psychology with plans to graduate in 2018. Also a first-time designer, Trudy-Bridgette is excited about the opportunity the students have been given for the Ensemble Project. 

Time, time, and time. Trudy-Bridgette finds the challenge in using the limited time the team has both off-stage and on-stage, and finding costumes that were quick to build, and quick to change between scenes. 

Her words of wisdom:

"Plan things well in advance. Stick to your schedule and remember to have fun while getting the job done!"

These lovely ladies got the first chance to see their designs realized at the Publicity Photo Shoot this week. It really was magic. 


-JI Milliken