Draw Mode

I am in total drawing mode right now. That's all I seem to be doing and its good, very good. Cranking out first draft sketches for The River to see what I like and eventually what will make it to the stage. We had our first reading yesterday, well actually, the first reading with all the designers present and it was great!
I love when I am able to come to readings, because I'm sitting there looking at the actors becoming their characters with my ideas already in my head and making adjustments or confirmations of my designs. I can start to see how the costumes are going to look and that's always an amazing feeling.  Only a month now till rehearsals start and its going to get busy!

So for now, I will turn on my music, which happens to be a lot of music by Bonobo.

Bonobo is an musician I discovered several years ago and I enjoy his music because for some reason it makes me want to draw every time I hear it, its calm and soothing, yet also invigorating as well. Let me get back to drawing.

Enjoy.

The River starts flowing...

Yesterday around 11a.m. I was driving to my job and listening to my Spotify playlist with "Soul Rebel" by Bob Marley & The Wailers ending and "Hurt So Good" by Susan Cadogan beginning (shameless song drop), when BAM an idea hit me. Ideas for costume designs for characters in the new play I'm working on. My ideas often happen like that, either in the shower getting ready for the day or when I'm driving somewhere listening to music. I revel in those idea moments hitting me like running into a brick wall, they put a huge smile on my face and I want to jump, but circumstances prevent me. (I can't jump in the shower or I'll hurt myself and in the car I'm strapped down by a seat belt.)

Anyway, the research and idea process are probably my favorite parts of the design process. For the past month I've read and re-read THE RIVER by Richard Montoya (several times), which is the new play I'm designing for Campo Santo with Intersection For The Arts, directed by Sean San Jose, that opens in April (78 days to be exact).

I've let the characters and their conversations speak to me and imagined this new world. I usually start to get images in my head and for this one it was a lot of color. The picture below is one of the many pictures I am using in my research and a smidgen of taste of what the show might be like. However, you will have to come see it for yourself.

I always seem to get a photo, a painting or some sort of art piece that becomes my starting point, where then I can springboard off and dive into creating the world of the play and the characters. This is when I start researching different types of clothing and people according to what I'm reading and who the characters are, what they do, how they behave, their personality. I think that's what I love best about designing costumes, figuring out a characters personality because each one is different and exciting.

So, this past Monday, we had our first production meeting and it was delightful, helpful and exciting talking about this world that Richard Montoya has made for us in his writing to put forth in real life. It's awesome hearing all the designers ideas of what they imagine for sets, lights and sound combined with my costume designs coming together in this pot to make this delicious dish of a play. This is one of the reasons I love working in theatre...

And of course, this meeting helped me to get ideas for a few characters that I had not fully fleshed out, which was my idea spark at the beginning of this post. A beautiful thing production meetings are.  

So...what next? Now comes another fun part...sketching these costumes out.  

Summer 2011

Wow! I can't believe it's been about 6 months since my last post! It has been one crazy year and summer for me.
I haven't posted in several months due to my new position that will end in October. Currently I am working as Wardrobe Lead at California Shakespeare Theater(aka:Cal Shakes) in Orinda, CA. That's right folks, an outdoor theater. I originally interned at this theater in 2009 as a Costume Design intern, so it is great to be back amongst people I know in a working capacity, where this time I get paid for my skills.

My work schedule consists of working 6 nights a week with the traditional Monday, Dark Day. My social life is on hold till October, but I'm gaining a theater social life in return with all the amazing casts and crews that I've been working with for each show.

As of now, we have had a pretty great season. Our season consisted of TITUS ANDRONICUS, THE VERONA PROJECT, and now we are smack in the middle of George Bernanrd Shaw's, CANDIDA. We have a week off after CANDIDA finishes and then right back to our last show, TAMING OF THE SHREW.

I have to say that its been a great experience to see the different nuances and "vibes" of the personalities of each cast. I have to say, each cast is different.

I've also had a great hands on experience of working with the different nuances of costume needs for each show.

For TITUS ANDRONICUS, my main issue was blood, cleaning it up and washing bloody laundry. It was a big cast, so lots of maintenance on costumes.

THE VERONA PROJECT, was a easy show. Just two small loads of laundry every night, but we did have the cold factor, so thermals and body suits to keep everyone warm.

CANDIDA, has been lots of starch!!! Working with liquid starch is interesting and fun. Also dressing the actresses in some beautiful period style dresses with corsets has been fun as well. Don't forget the wigs too! It has been a high maintenance show with having everyone look perfect!!

Still waiting on what will be the main focus wardrobe wise with TAMING OF THE SHREW. We will definitely see!!

In other news, I'm quickly moving up in the world of technology with a new iPad to help with my design career, its also helped with wardrobe too!
I've founds some great apps such as Evernote, which is great for collecting research, Dropbox, for storing my documents and a great task list for my to do lists, called Complete HD. I also have a great Project Management app, called MyProjects which helps with all my shows.

Alas my BlackBerry Storm 2 went out on me, so I now have a new iPhone 4. All these MAC products are starting to make me want a MAC computer. We will see about that one.

So all in all, a very productive, exciting and fast paced summer, I can't believe it's almost over!

OUROBOROS @ Renegade Theatre Experiment

Now that tech week is over, another costume design baby has left the womb! My costume work on OUROBOROS is complete.

From January 15 till February 5th, every Thursday through Sunday, the play OURBOROS by Tom Jacobson and directed by Virginia Drake is playing at the Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose, California.

Tickets are available here. OUROBOROS Tickets.

Feel free to come and watch the show! Opening Night was a full house!

"Two American couples vacationing in Italy. Not that unusual. One couple is married and the other are friends. Again, not that unusual. One couple travels forward in time, while the other travels backward in time. Still, not that...wait, what? From the mind of renowned LA playwright, Tom Jacobson, comes the amazing palindrome play, OUROBOROS.

The forces of nature get all twisted around when Margaret and Tor meet Philip and Catherine. One couple is beginning their journey and the other in ending their's, all because of a cosmic connection and a ring, or rather rings. Is there one ring or two? Honestly, it all gets so confusing! One night the play will end as a comedy (The Nun's Story) and the next night it ends as a tragedy (The Minister's Story). Come experience this true experiment in storytelling! Love, lust, loyalty, betrayal, and faith are all wrapped up together to make the Regional Premiere of OUROBOROS by Tom Jacobson. " -Renegade Theatre Experiment