Behind The Scenes: Styling a Play
Behind The Scenes: Styling a PlayI have shared a bit about styling my second play with the Monroe Theatre Guild this spring. The difference this time is that I am doing it solo!
For my first play last fall, I collaborated with a lead costumer, and we worked together to bring the costumes to life for the actors.
This time around for “Making Sweet Tea and Other Secrets,” I am on my own to source, style, and get everybody dressed. My collaborators, if you will, are the actors (making sure they feel comfortable in their outfits) and the director (am I accurately bringing her vision to life, too?).
It’s been a great challenge. Even the frustration of not thrifting the piece that I envision for a character has its silver linings.
This post is going to dive a little deeper into the process I’ve gone through to style the play from start to finish. Hopefully, you can take away some advice that can be applied to your own personal style or thrifting journey!
Where I Sourced Costumes: Closets, Chain Stores, and The Community
My inspiration started after reading the script, as I created mood boards of how I envisioned each of the characters.
As soon as I was able, I dug into the costume closet to find pieces. I was disappointed by the lack of contemporary styles I was finding (especially since our lead is a teenager!) and knew this would mean a lot of thrifting in my future.
Overall, I went to 17 individual thrift stores, some multiple times, all in the pursuit of costumes! (Though I may have picked up a Billy Joel cassette tape for myself along the way.)
The biggest challenge, and the reason it took so many stores, is that most of the stores are only stocking winter clothes right now and this play takes place down south in the summer. I hit pay dirt when I visited the larger chains like Goodwill because they stock seasonal clothing all year round!
A few pieces were ordered from Amazon, some were borrowed from the actors, and at the last minute, a dress was sourced by asking my friends what they had in their closets.
How I Put Together Costumes: Try-ons, Timing, and Tiny Alterations
I had approximately two months to get everything together, do try-ons, and put together the final looks. Try-ons with each actor were scarce, so when an outfit didn’t work, I had to get creative to find a workaround or another piece while I waited for another chance to fit with them.
Even though this required huge patience, it was one of my favorite parts of styling. I love the gratification that comes with choosing a piece (going off a list of measurements!) and having it fit exactly how I imagined it would.
There’s also the part of my brain that’s worked in retail for so long that is focused on pleasing the customer. So when an outfit was right, I felt like I did a good job!
And since I’m a very novice sewer, I made sure to pick pieces that only needed minor alterations. Overall, I only fixed two pairs of pants, ironed on a couple of patches, and deconstructed a couple of shirts.
Final Thoughts
We’re currently in our final week leading up to the performances on March 6-8 and March 13-15, so I only have a little to say about what it’s like watching everyone in character with their costumes on (finally!).
It is rewarding to see all the hard work pay off, both from a costume perspective that helps the actors get into character, as well as the literal work that the actors have gone through to memorize their lines, hit their marks, and endure the heavy emotional weight of this particular production.
I am anticipating seeing it come together and hope the story reaches the right audience, starts a conversation, and changes some hearts. It’s an important story to tell, and I’m honored I got to help bring it to life.
If you’re near the Monroe, Wisconsin area, you can visit the Monroe Theatre Guild website for more information and to buy your tickets for the show. Thank you for supporting the local arts!
