Parent volunteer designs costumes for “Cinderella”
SeKoixa Gonzalez
Ms. Clarke double checks all the costumes before the ensemble arrives to change into their costumes for dress rehearsal.
Mar 7, 2017
Ms. Kendall Clarke, a parent volunteer and middle school teacher, enjoys sewing. Ms. Clarke started sewing in her middle school home economics class. At home, she often made her own dresses for church and other events. In high school, Ms. Clarke said that she took home economics for three years. Years later, she would sew for her children when they were young. Then, as her girls grew up and moved into high school, she’d alter their formal dresses and make jackets for them. Then, when her children had children, she decided to sew dresses and costumes for them.
Both Cinderella’s and the Fairy Godmother’s costumes were hand sewn and made by Ms. Clarke
Ms. Clarke said that her passion has most recently grown when she learned that she could work with her sewing hobby and her love for musical theater in high schools. Ms. Clarke said, “It’s the best kind of theater…We’ve got a great theater department. The sewing is the best kind of sewing because I can take short cuts and it’s quick and easy.”
Ms.Clarke said that she gets her inspiration from Pinterest. She said, “I love Pinterest. It gives me some ideas as to what I can do. Great tips also.” Ms. Clarke has participated in five years of McIntosh musical productions and with the choir’s Spring Gala. She most recently helped with The Georgia Singer’s “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Little Mermaid.”
Ms. Clarke said, “When it comes to picking the ensemble’s costume, I do my best to make a costume that looks good on them.” Ms. Clarke sits in the audience to observe how the colors may look on stage.
This year, Ms.Clarke made two costumes for “Cinderella” from scratch: Senior McKenzie Knudson’s Fairy Godmother costume and Senior Claire Hemenway’s Cinderella ballgown. She said, “Kenzie’s dress was the hardest to make. The wired neck was very difficult and weaving the lights into it was a struggle as well. But I loved making it. Claire’s dress is where I couldn’t decide to have lights in it or not. I watched her perform in it on stage and to me it looked awkward,so I took them out.”
Many of the ensemble’s costumes were already made or borrowed from The Georgia Singer’s Company costume designer, Ms. Dee Knudson. Ms. Clark said, “The ball gowns were all bought from a military consignment shop that was going out of business.”
Ms. Clarke said, “I get a lot of volunteer moms coming in and helping pin up dresses or help dress the girls. Some of the girls know how to sew some of their own clothing, like Shelby Moore.” Shelby Moore said that she made her own peasant’s costume, which consisted of a patterned corset, a white blouse, and a brown and golden patterned skirt. She also added yellow sleeves to her ballgown.
Ms. Clarke said that she hopes to continue her work in the school’s drama department and hopes to get a nomination in this year’s Schuyler Awards for her costume designs.
