Behind the Curtain: DCPA Theatre Costumes up close

December 13, 2022 - April 2, 2023

“Costumes are an actor’s first line! Costumes are the very first impression you have of the character; it establishes who they are.”

- Colleen Atwood, American costume designer; twelve-time nominee and four time winner of the Academy Awards for Best Costume.

As an audience member, the show begins when the curtain rises on stage. As a costume designer, however, the show begins months - or even years - in advance! In our exhibition Behind the Curtain: DCPA Costumes Up Close, we highlight the processes of costume production from first drawings to final fittings.

In addition to creating clothing that best represents the character and storyline of a play, costume departments must make sure the garments have accessibility, longevity and freedom of movement. Firstly designers create sketches, called renderings, that outline their ideas. A supreme amount of research and development then goes into every design component, starting with the investigation of historically accurate styles and textiles for each piece. Once materials are chosen, drapers dress a mannequin to explore the ways that fabric will fall on a body. Outfits are then constructed by a team of expert sewists, who pass them onto tailors, who fit the garments to the actors’ exact measurements. After being taken for a test run in pre-show technical trials, the designs are tweaked to make them more comfortable, durable, or easier to shift during quick-changes.

Including Associate Costume Designer Meghan Anderson Doyle and Costume Designer/Costume Crafts Director Kevin Copenhaver, it takes a team of people to create costumes for stage and show. The DCPA’s assortment of shows highlighted here tell stories that span time, space, dimensions and identities. Join us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the process and meet some of the many talented individuals who make the magic happen.