InterviewCostuming for Pageant of theMastersReagan Foy

The Costuming Director for the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California talks about creating the costumes, and why hundreds of volunteers spend countless hours to put on this amazing production every year.

For those who have never heard of the Pageant of the Masters, describe the Pageant and the theatrical experience for people attending a performance. What makes it so different from other forms of theater?

The Pageant of the Masters is different from any other theatrical production one would experience anywhere in the world. For the past 80 years we have created tableaux vivants, or “living pictures.” These are motionless scenes depicting the work of great artists using live people. We produce works of art from the old masters such as Botticelli, Diego Velazquez, Vermeer, to modern masters such as Picasso, Matisse, Dali, and Rivera. We traditionally close withLeonardo da Vinci's “Last Supper.”

We have about 15 year-round staff members and another half dozen seasonal

employees who build the show, but the true stars are our volunteers, without whom we could not do this show. During a show we have about 250 volunteers who are either cast members, makeup artists, wardrobe crew, headpiece crew or runners. It takes over 60,000 volunteer hours to put on the two-month Pageant in July and August.

Tell us a little about your background and experience in costuming.

I attended California State University in Long Beach, where I trained in Costume Design for theatre. CSULB is a very tech heavy school so I was able to learn a wide variety of skills from designing, to patterning, to crafts and much more. From

there I started interning and then working at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, doing various positions within the costume department. I also freelanced as a costume designer at several theatres in the Los Angeles and Orange County area duringthis time.

How did you become associated with the Pageant, and what did you do with thePageant before your current role?

Through word of mouth, I heard of andwas recommended for a craft position at the Pageant in 2008. I was brought on as a full-time staff member in 2009, creating the headpieces and working on all costume craftelements of the show.

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Left: Tableau of "Dreams of Sunday" by Diego Rivera, 1946-47, Right: Checking cast members backstage. Photos: POM.

Over the years I've been continually asked, "How did you learn to do all this?" The thing is, the Pageant has its own unique way of creating what people wear, and it's different for each painting or sculpture we create. However, we use many of the same crafting materials that any production woulduse, i.e. buckram, Fosshape, Wonderflex, latex, etc.. It's just a matter of applying themto recreate what we see in the paintings.

During my eight years of creating costume crafts, I worked closely with the Costume Director. We were a great team andshe was my mentor. She had started in the same position at Pageant that I was in so shetrained me. She also has an extensive

knowledge and experience in costuming, and I learned a lot from her. She retired mid-season this year, and I was given the promotion to Costume Director.

Walk us through what a typical year looks like for you. How do you work with the Director and the other departments?

Once the new year starts and the Pageant has settled on a theme, our Director goes over the layout of the show, walking usthrough how each painting or sculpture works into the story our writer is working on, and any special moments that take place throughout the show. We also get an idea of which of the people in the paintings we will be using real people for.

The Director then meets with the departments and those who deal directly with the cast members, including casting, costume, makeup, and master carpenter. We go over what the cast members will wear vs.what will be part of the set, whether their hands will have makeup on them or be gloved, or whether facial hair is painted on or needs to be made. A rehearsal schedule is then planned based on the scene shop’s building of sets schedule.

Our Casting Director then begins to cast volunteers for the paintings or sculptures we are working on, based on height measurements she's been given by our Technical Director. Each role is assignedtwo cast members who are almost identical in measurements, since the Pageant selects two full casts known as Blue and Green, which alternate through the summer.

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Above: Casting volunteer for role. Below: developing makeup for role. Photos: POM.

Above: Author creating headpiece. Below: Fitting costume on cast member. Trim on headpiece and costume are flat-painted. Photos: POM.

Once I'm given these measurements I have about two days to make patterns (usingWild Ginger software), cut from muslin, construct, and pull proper undergarments and shoes. We schedule first fittings with one of the cast members for each role. During this, fitting adjustments are made to the costumes as needed, the headpiece is

created on the head, they are then taken tothe set where our master carpenter fitsthem in as needed.

We may make further adjustments tothe costumes at this stage, since they arenow posed properly in the set. We thenmake all the alterations to the costumes

and schedule a second fitting withthe cast member’s alternate to makesure the adjustments work for bothof them. The alternate is placed inthe set to make sure the carpenter’sadjustments worked and then thecostume painter might draw on thecostume while the cast member iswearing it to help them with wheredetails, highlights, shadows etc goin relationship to the body.

How many people work withyou to design and build thecostumes for the performance?

Up until this year the Pageantemployed 2 full time staff in the Costume Department , myself and ourprevious Costume Director. In addition to that, we have 5-6 seasonalpart time employees within the costume department (a couple of stitchers, wardrobe manager, costumepainter and wardrobe maintenance).

How do you recruit staff, and how long are they with you during the season?

I just took over as head of costuming earlier this year, so I have

not been in charge of hiring before, but I believe they are primarily recruited by word of mouth.

Do they have theatrical costuming backgrounds, or do you train them?

Typically they have a background in theatrical costuming or some form of craft artistry. We do train them in our unique styleof costuming for the Pageant.

Are many of them the same people year after year?

For the past three years we've had a pretty consistent team.

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Stage crew testing cast member in costume on set. Folds on skirt, instrument, and shadows are flat-painted. Photo: POM.

Tableau of "The Love Letter" by Johannes Vermeer, 1669-70. Photo: POM.

What materials and construction techniques are used, and how are they different to theatrical costuming?

For the Pageant, we look at lines, shapes and fit more then period accuracy when recreating costumes for each of the paintings. We also look at eliminating dimension. For instance, if we were looking at a painting with a pleated Watteau we'd probably just cut a piece of muslin backed with interfacing in the shape of the Watteau

that we'd attach flat to the back of the bodiceand transition into the skirt where it needs tobe. Then, the Costume painter would paint in the dimension and fullness as indicated in the original artwork.

We have to build costumes extremely quickly so we don't worry about details. Buttons, pockets, bows, ruffles, etc. are painted in. Almost all costumes are cut from muslin since it takes paint well. We overlockeverything and don't cut corners when

constructing. However, it does need to be alterable in case a cast member grows or changes during the run of the show. All costumes have a 2" (5cm) Velcro closure on the side that the audience wouldn't see.

How much material is used to make the costumes for a production, and how many costumes does that represent?

We make costumes for about 150 cast members each year. We use around 500

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Top: Fitting costume. Bottom: Cast member's torso sticking through set (only top half of costume built). Right: Tableau of “Le Cirque” by Georges Seurat, 1891. Photos: POM.

yards (460m) of fabric total. Most of it is thesame muslin as used for the backgrounds.

On some sets, a portion of a cast member’s body is not visible because it is hidden behind part of the set or sticks through the set background. Do you only create a partial costume in that case?

We don't build costume pieces that youdon't see. For example, if a cast member wasonly seen from the waist up we would not make them pants. However, if we only see one arm we still build a full blouse, jacket,

bodice, etc with sleeves on both sides. We will sometimes build a shirt, vest and jacket all into one to eliminate the amount of layersa cast member will have to wear for comfortin the hot nights and to help control the way the costumes are worn.

Some of the costumes that reproducebronze sculptures or gold jewelry have metallic finishes. Do you use different materials? What special techniques do you use to get those kinds of finishes? Do you use similar techniques for the marble sculptures?

For sculptures that are metallic in nature and have costumes that are heavily draped we tend to use metallic lame knits. If it's a marble sculpture with heavily draped costumes, like in Greek and Roman sculptures, we use a white knit that might bedyed slightly to the color of the marble and then painted to give it striations. However, ifit's a sculpture that has a costume that doesn't need heavy draping, for instance the Thomas Jefferson memorial, we would use muslin that we treat to stiffen it. Then we cutand fit the Costume to the cast member and paint it with a metallic paint. For skin, of course, we use metallic or marble-colored theatrical makeup that matches the color of the costume fabric.

All the costumes also require head pieces, and they're very different than for typical theatrical productions. Could you describe the operation that produces them and how they're made?

Pageant headpieces are similar to a skull cap that we build the shape of the hair on so that it can then be painted to look like the hair in the painting. I fit a buckram cap to the cast member's head. Then stiffened Fosshape is attached to the cap to start the shape of how the hair is styled. Nylon is glued to the edge, pulled across the cap, and batting is used to stuff and shape the hair. Once this is done any hats, hair accessories, etc. are glued to the cap and then it's painted with layers of gesso to prepare it for paint.

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Gold lame knit fabric draping and gold theatrical makeup on figure in tableau of Gaston Lafitte gold and enamel brooch, 1904. Photo: POM.

Author fitting shaped headpiece painted to look like hair onto cast member. Photo: POM

What about accessories like boots, belts, parasols, fans, etc. Does the costumeshop make those, or purchase them?

If a cast member’s feet are seen then we pull from our stock or purchase shoes that are similar to what is seen in the artwork. For paintings most accessories are painted directly onto the garment, we might cut a piece of fabric that is interfaced in the shape of an accessory and sew it to the proper location so that our painter has some indication to the proportion and location of the accessory. Handheld items are typically made by our carpenter or foam sculptors because they need to be relatively flat so it istypically a piece of wood cut to the shape which is then painted to look like a parasol, fan, hat, etc.

Lighting on stage plays an importantrole in creating the illusion. Please give us an idea of how the costumers, painters, and lighting designers work together to achieve it.

Lighting is all about eliminating shadows and dimensionality rather than lighting the costumes. Any shadows from dimensional pieces, cast members, cut outs for chairs, tables, etc must be eliminated. Dimensionality is added by very controlled use of colors and shapes on the costumes.

How many cast members are in a typical production, and how are they recruited?

We on average have 150 parts in a show, which means there are 300 cast

members since each role has 2 people cast for it. All of the cast members who appear on stage in paintings or sculptures are volunteers. We have a casting call at the beginning of January, where for three days people come to fill out information cards, bemeasured and have their picture taken in hopes of a chance to get a spot in that year's production. On average, we see 1300 peopleduring those three days. We then continue tosee people through out our build season (January to June) who are welcome to come in during our business hours to sign up.

Our casting director then takes all that information and puts it into a database that she uses to choose our cast members from during our build season.

Do cast members appear multiple times in a production or only once?

Typically a person is given one part to play, however we have on occasions given people two roles.

Do cast members come back year after year?

Our volunteers love being a part of pageant and for many it's a family affair. They have made life long friends so they tend to sign up year after year. In some cases, we even have multi-generational families, where the parent or grandparent started with the Pageant when they were young and eventually interested their children and grandchildren.

With so many cast members in a production, it must get crowded back-stage during a performance. Give us an idea of the process of getting the models dressed, onstage, and off again?

Backstage during a performance it is not as chaotic as one might think. After 80 years this is a well oiled machine. Cast members have staggered called times starting an hour and a half before the performance with the last cast members arriving shortly before intermission.

When a cast member arrives they check in so we know they've arrived, they

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Actress Bette Davis liked to help out, sometimes as a cast member, sometimes repainting the bleachers. Photo: POM.

then wait to be called into the building at which time they check in at the building door so we know they are now in the backstage area, they then go to either to men's or women’s wardrobe where they are given pageant separates (a tank top and shorts) and maybe part of their costume.

They then proceed to headpiece for a wig cap, next to makeup where we have about 30 stations with volunteers who apply the makeup. Once the makeup is checked bya supervisor, they go back to wardrobe to put on the rest of their costume, and then to get their headpiece on. Once they are done, they either head to our patio to wait for their time to go onstage or if it's close to their time they sit in seats we have near our stairs to the stage.

This process occursthroughout the evening, even whilethe show is running. Once on stage,they are loaded into their sets. Wetypically have about 7-8 sets loadedwith cast members ready to goonstage. A cast member will wait intheir set about ten minutes beforethey are rolled behind the curtain tobe debuted to the audience.

As soon as their time is doneand they are rolled to an unloadingarea, the cast members are removedfrom their set and lead downstairs.Then they go back to headpiece toreturn their headpieces, then to

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Call sheet for blue and green cast, listing scenes, andcheckin and checkout times for cast members. Photo:Donna Granata.

Left: Makeup applied with aid of reference head. Right: Headpiece adjusted by author. Photos: POM.

Cast members of "The Chess Set" lined up to go onstage. Photo: POM.

wardrobe where volunteers help remove their costume. After washing their makeup off, they put on their street clothes, and are done for the evening.

Do the people who create the costumes also help the performers get intoand out of their costumes every night?

We have a Wardrobe Manager, who hasbeen a part of the build, and myself who are there in the summer to supervise that cast members are being dressed properly and deal with any problems that may arise. We have volunteer wardrobe crews assigned to both the men’s and women's dressing rooms who help cast members get dressed.

How do you manage having the rightcostumes available at the right time during a production, and putting them away again after a performance?

We arrange the costumes in each dressing room in show order, and each hanger (typically all the parts of a costume are on one hanger) is labeled with the name of the painting and the cast member’s assigned number for their part. All costume pieces have this same title and number written on it. As the cast member comes intothe dressing room, not necessarily in show order, the volunteer wardrobe crew gets theircostume and hands them the predetermined items they need to go into makeup.

When the cast member comes back from makeup our volunteers will then finish getting them dressed. Once the cast members are done on stage they return to thedressing rooms. This typically happens in show order, making it easier to put things away. The wardrobe crew then helps them toundress and the crew member hangs the costumes back up on their designated hangers. By having a trained crew who, like the cast members, are volunteers and do one week on one week off, we are able to manage that the proper costumes are given out, returned and put away neatly during each show.

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Costumes arranged in dressing rooms in show order on hangers. Photo: Donna Granata. Headpieces arranged in show order. Photo: Donna Granata.

What is the costume shop itself like? How large is it? What areas are there in the shop? Is all the construction done in the shop onsite, or elsewhere?

Our costume shop is the downstairs area of the theatre building, and the areas areturned into the dressing rooms for the summer. We have two split areas that we usefor our shop. Each contain a couple of cutting tables, a couple of industrial sewing machines, overlock machines, ironing stations and hung poles along the walls where we hang costumes as they are completed. We also have a workshop that is past the theatre building where craft work is done. We do all construction onsite.

What happens to the costumes once a production is over? Do you store any of them from year to year, for example “The Last Supper” that appears as the last scene each year?

Most of the costumes we've used for a production are ready for the trash by the endof the summer. They have been worn for 60 performances, without being laundered, are caked in makeup around the neck and arm holes, have had several repairs done throughthe production and are not reusable unless we were going to do that same exact painting again. Our director may indicate that we should store some of the pieces if she thinks we might be doing it again in the near future. We do, however, save the costumes from “The Last Supper” since it is our traditional closing scene every year.

A production like this requires a highlevel of dedication and camaraderie for everyone who works together so long to put it on each year. What are your thoughts about why everyone works so hard to do this, and what makes it all work year after year?

I believe that the Pageant's success is due to its uniqueness and the tradition of it. Our creative and talented volunteers and staff love being a part of Pageant. For many it's a family affair, while for others it’s the life long friendships they have made. But foreveryone, it’s the joy of sharing this amazingexperience together every year.

Reagan Foy is Costume Director at Pageant of the Masters. She received her Bachelors Degree from California State University, Long Beach in Costume Design for Theatre. She has worked at various theatres in Southern California designing costumes, doing crafts or construction. She started at Pageant of the Masters in 2008 doing costume crafts and was promoted to Director in 2016. Besides her passion for her costuming work she also does wood working and painting.

Thanks to Donna Granata of Focus on the Masters and Sharbie Higuchi of Pageantof the Masters for permission to use photos.

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Staging tableau of "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci, 1495-1498. Photo: POM.

Visiting the PageantThe 2017 Pageant of the Masters

takes place from July 7 to August 31 in Laguna Beach, California USA, as part ofthe Festival of the Arts. Visit their websitefor details and tickets. Hotels and parking are tight, so plan well in advance.

You can also attend the Pageant as part of a tour package, such as one by Road Scholar with educational programs, and a chance to meet Pageant staff.Paints used to color costumes and backgrounds on

shelves in the workshop. Photo: Donna Granata.