Costumes for Plays and Playing

This is not the usual how-to book on costuming. Rather, it suggests methods of creating a “look.” Imagining and creating a costume is a microcosm of the creative process. Proceeding from simple drawing to finished product is a lesson in patience spurred by excitement. Dyeing used pajama pants and a t-shirt can become the base layer of anyone, from a clown to a super hero. The reward of fulfillment leads to enthusiasm for further experiments. For a child or parent and child creating the illusion of a different time or place is an experience not to be missed. “Putting on someone else’s skin” can be a springboard into learning history or social consciousness. A boy who has “been” Henry the Eighth, will be interested in learning about the time in which he lived. A girl who has become Amelia Earhart can learn lessons about self-esteem and female independence. The author made every costume and pattern over a seven year period when her children were young, and continues to make costumes for festivals and events. Knowing how a costume is made, and seeing it in three dimensional form, has been invaluable to painting characters for her more than forty picture books.