Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for the arts?
I grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Growing up, I was very lucky to have a mother that wanted her children to be exposed to the arts. My mother would always take us to art museums, concerts, and I grew up in the small town of Nixa in Missouri. I was introduced to theatre in junior high. It was an elective class we could take and I fell in love with it. I was blown away that you could tell stories for a living and I figured I’d try.
Featured: Set Design for Kinky Boots by Adam Jehle.
Q: Where did you receive training? How did this prepare you for your work in the theatre world?
I graduated with a B.F.A. in Design, Technology and Stage Management from Missouri State University. Luckily it was a small school with more personalized training so I got a ton of shop experience and a chance to design Mainstage once a semester. So by the time I was done with undergrad, I had a lot of shows under my belt.
Featured: Set Design for Kinky Boots by Adam Jehle.
Q: What productions have you previously designed for Charleston Stage this season?
I have done the Projection Design for Murder on the Orient Express and I just closed my Scenic Design for Black Pearl Sings!
Q: Please discuss your process as the Set Designer for Kinky Boots.
Well luckily I had a clear vision and concept from the Director, Marybeth Clark. We had conversions about how we wanted the show to feel different. We were drawn to the idea of everything being able to change, adapt and allow ease of movement just as the characters do in the show. So once we knew what direction we wanted to go, I researched the time period, the setting and visual world of the show.
Featured: Set Design for Kinky Boots by Adam Jehle.
Q: What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with your designs for Kinky Boots?
I want people to leave with a little bit of light being shed on a very fun and touching story.
Featured: Set Design for Kinky Boots by Adam Jehle.
Performances of Kinky Boots continue running April 14th – May 1st at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. For tickets, click here.
Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for the arts?
I grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Growing up, I was very lucky to have a mother that wanted her children to be exposed to the arts. My mother would always take us to art museums, concerts, and every year she would treat us with tickets to at least one or two touring shows at The Broward Center of Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. My mother also encouraged me to join Drama Club in middle school as well as Drama class in high school. My sister, Molly, and I would often draw together and talk about fashion which would lead me to costume design.
Q: Where did you receive training? How did this prepare you for your work in the theatre world?
I received a Bachelor of Arts In Theatre and a Master of Fine Arts in Costume Design at Florida State University. During my undergraduate years, I originally focused on performance but was introduced to costume design and technology that led me to then attend graduate school. Graduate school gave me the opportunity to learn the design and construction process of a production in terms of collaborating with a director and production team, communicating and working with all members of a costume shop, and improving my research and rendering skills. Graduate school also helped further my skills as a well-rounded costume technician.
Q: What productions have you previously costume designed for Charleston Stage this season?
This season, I was the costume designer for Blithe Spirit and Junie B. Jones Is Not A Crook.
Q: Please discuss your process as the Costume Designer for Kinky Boots.
As the costume designer for Kinky Boots, I collaborated and communicated a lot with the director, Marybeth Clark. After hearing Marybeth’s concept for the production, we agreed to approach Kinky Boots with new and creative ideas. During my research process, I wanted there to be moments within the show that reference the iconic designs by Gregg Barnes while also introducing something new. And of course, I had to think about the most important thing…boots!
When designing a costume-heavy show like Kinky Boots, you have to organize and prepare as much as possible. Therefore, I knew I had to start the rendering process and swatch for fabric as soon as I could. In fact, the costumes we are building for the show were primarily influenced by the fabric I wanted to incorporate into the show. With the fast-paced nature and the cast size of Kinky Boots, I also had to consider quick changes and how the costumes flow throughout the show.
Featured: Renderings of The Angels in Kinky Boots by Hayley O’Brien.
Once the designs were finalized, we really hit the ground running. At first, I primarily focused on the characters that were going to be more involved such as Lola and the Angels. I am a huge fan of drag culture so I knew I had to consider all the elements such as padding, tights, heels, wigs, etc. After all, it can be a lot of work dressing six drag queens! Once we got the ball rolling, I was able to shift my focus to the characters that work in the factory. Just like Lola and the Angels, the factory workers have their own individual personalities and styles. I wanted to reflect that with color palettes and silhouettes, keeping in mind what each character does while working at the factory. Overall, it is a balancing act between Lola’s world and Charlie’s world.
Since the plot of Kinky Boots obviously focuses on high heeled boots, I knew I had to have a plan. First and foremost, I prioritized the safety of the actors in terms of picking what heels or boots to put them in. In terms of the boots themselves, it was important to me that each of the “finale” boots have a specific design to them that correlates to the Angel wearing them. Since we do not have the luxury of making the boots ourselves, there are a few tricks we have to transform them into Lola’s “Kinky Boots”.
Featured: (left to right) Charleston Stage Resident Actors K’nique Eichelberger as Lola and Drew H. Wells as Charlie in Kinky Boots.
Q: What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with your designs for Kinky Boots?
I am most excited for the audience to see some of the new designs for Lola and the Angels. I wanted the Angels to be individualistic and represent different styles/personas of drag culture so I think the audience will have fun seeing the variety among them. There are also some exciting surprises within the costumes that I hope the audience will enjoy!
Featured: Charleston Stage Resident Actor Jerquintez A. Gipson as Lola in Kinky Boots.
Performances of Kinky Boots run April 6th – May 1st at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. For tickets, click here.
