Behind the seams

The humming of sewing machines and the sound of scissors slicing through fabric can be heard throughout the Department of Theatre Arts’ costume shop. It’s here that students in the theatre arts majors and minors get hands on experience learning how to sew, mend and create patterns for theatre productions at TU.

Throughout the semester, Alizon Santamaria, costume shop manager and professor, teaches 12–18 students the art of costume creation, enabling students to understand the design process from start to finish.

Students get accustomed to the costume shop by helping organize the extensive stock of costumes and learn how to hand sew, use sewing machines and create their own patterns by hand.

“I try to stress to our students that these are life skills. I try to keep on their minds that there are so many applications of the work we do in the costume shop in their everyday lives and in their different job possibilities,” says Santamaria.

Promoting sustainable practices in theatre

Santamaria recognized the value of teaching students about sustainability in theatre and created an online lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on fast fashion and how sustainable practices—including upcycling, mending and salvaging fabric scraps—can be implemented in costuming for theatre.

“Theatre is inherently thrifty. This lesson allows us to think about what we’re doing right, how we can apply it to our lives and how we can do more of it,” she says.

One way the costume shop regularly practices sustainability is by pulling items of clothing, shoes and accessories from their stock and reusing them or upcycling them.

“Everything on stage can be used in another show. We pull from what we have so that we aren't reinventing the wheel, but we also want something in the shop to be handmade,” Santamaria says, “Even if clothing in a show is mostly thrifted, pulled from stock or upcycled, we like to make at least one original item for each show.”

Among other pieces, the spring production of Green Day’s “American Idiot” will feature a leather jacket, a red plaid skirt and a baby doll dress custom made for actors by the costume shop team.

This year, Santamaria moved her fast fashion lesson earlier in the semester to align with TU’s engagement in the Worldwide Teach-In on Climate and Justice. The project, founded by Bard College’s graduate programs in sustainability, encourages dialogue on climate and justice on campuses around the world.

In addition, TU participates in the Maryland Climate Teach-In to further reinforce dialogue throughout the campus community.

“I’m excited to see the difference of moving this unit up into the semester and seeing if that changes students’ approach to their work in the shop,” says Santamaria.

Real-world applications

The theatre major and minors who choose the costume shop for their practicum hours often come in with little to no sewing or design experience, but they walk away with a well-rounded perspective of the effort and precision that goes into crafting the visual storytelling elements that are costumes.

"Throughout the year we provide a variety of both conceptual design coursework and practical skill-building. Students spend time in all the shops so that they can gain an appreciation for the various components of theatre production," says Julie Potter, chair of the Department of Theatre Arts, "They also gain practical skills that they can take into the workforce or to improve their lives. Do you know how many students don't know how to iron something or sew on a button? Life skills."

While initially for extra credit, the fast fashion lesson received such positive student feedback it is now a requirement—and a welcomed one at that.

"Seeing students have an ‘aha’ moment about the design process or recognizing they now have a skill they can come back to is incredibly rewarding,” Santamaria says. “It gives them the context and confidence to go back to that skill later in life and gives actors a better idea of what goes into the costumes they wear onstage.”