Costumes – A Proud Playhouse Tradition
Halloween is almost here, and thoughts turn to trick or treat, parties and COSTUMES! Over the course of 70 years the PA Community Playhouse has built up an impressive inventory of costumes to dress the wide variety of plays that they produce.
Costumes for Playhouse shows come from a variety of sources. Initially, we always look to see what we can pull from our own stock and then what can we possibly borrow from local or regional theaters like Olympic Theatre Arts. Then there are pieces that people DONATE to the Playhouse – these are often vintage or even antique pieces or very nice clothes, hats, shoes or jewelry that they no longer wear or use. We so appreciate people who think to call or write the Playhouse to see if we can use clothing that they have – it is a big cost saver to us!
Finally, if we can’t find the costumes we need for our cast we BUILD the costumes ourselves. This is a lot of work involving shopping, cutting out the costume, sewing it, fitting to the actor and then finishing with hems, trim, buttons, etc. But it is worth it and our audiences tell us all the time they appreciate strong production values that really give an immersive sense of time and place.
Besides dressing our own casts, the Playhouse provides costumes to other theater companies year round as well as to local schools, civic organizations, churches, store displays and more. Our shop is always busy sending out costumes and checking borrowed costumes back in – we truly are a major nexus for the North Olympic Peninsula in the sharing of props, costumes and scenic elements to support all of the local regional theater.
If you wish to have a regional impact and stretch your artistic wings, the Playhouse is ALWAYS looking for people of all sewing experience and expertise to help with costumes for upcoming productions. We have a HUGE amount of costumes to sew for our upcoming Holiday presentation of “Christmas at Pemberley – Georgiana and Kitty”. We have projects from simple to expert that we can put in the hands of willing stitchers as well and numerous hand sewing projects.
The great thing about sewing for the theater is the WIDE array of exciting projects and challenges that most people never grapple with. How often do you get to “sew for royalty”? Sew something from ancient Greek antiquity? Sculpt a Victorian bustle gown? You can broaden your experience and put your sewing skills to good use where they will be MUCH APPRECIATED – sign up to help out with costumes.
(If you would like to help out with costumes for the upcoming production of Christmas at Pemberley or upcoming shows or if you have something you would like to see if the Playhouse could use in their inventory, please contact our Wardrobe Chair, Richard Stephens at 360-461-1617 or write to him at dramarex@gmail.com).
Scenic Help wanted for Christmas at Pemberley
The plans have been drawn up and work is about to begin on the sets for the final play in the Pemberley Trilogy, Georgiana and Kitty. Patrons who have seen the previous two Pemberley productions know of the amazing sets that set designer Tim Thorn has created that capture the rich elegance of a stately Georgian estate. We will end on a HIGH NOTE this year when we feature not one but TWO complete sets that will showcase classic rococo classicism and the exotic “Oriental” chic that was a favorite look for King George IV.
It takes many hands, literally, to craft and create these spectacular sets: people to measure and cut molding, do specialty painting to turn wood into “marble”, leg up flats, seal seams with tape and lay down a base coat of paint and so on. Working on sets for a stage is a wild adventure where you are constantly challenged to create something you would never have a need or chance to do so in everyday life.
We are looking for some skilled workers to help us build a circular settee banquette and to create a period grand piano, a central piece of furniture for this play. Learn to “fake it while you make it” – we welcome people of all skill levels. If you would be interested in helping with sets for this production or future shows, please contact PACP Board Vice President Melody Todnem at 360-670-6956 or write her at VolunteerwithPACP@gmail.com. Set work parties happen during certain daytimes, evenings and on weekends to accommodate everyone’s schedule and availability.
PACP Annual Halloween Membership Party!
PACP members are invited to the Annual Membership Halloween party at Studio Bob in downtown Port Angeles (118 1/2 East Front Street, P.A.), Saturday, October 28th to Rave in the Grave from 7:30-10:30. Denizens of the night are encouraged to dress up in your finest costume, dress to your own delight – scary, whimsical, fantasy, horror, vintage, bizarre – whatever makes you feel extra special! Costume Contest with prizes for Best Male, Best Female and Best Couple, raffle, some games and a few more surprises! Mix and mingle with your favorite fiends, dance the night away with our special DJ and partake of some fun refreshments.
The event is FREE to PACP members (this is one of the ways we say ‘thank you’ to our members) and $10. per person for Non PACP members. To learn more about how to become a PACP member, visit the Players website at www.pacommunityplayers. org.
Jane Austen Tea coming in November
The Port Angeles Community Players Theatrical Society requests the privilege of your company at the upcoming third annual “Jane Austen Tea”, Saturday, November 18th at 2:00pm in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church (110 East 7th Street, Port Angeles).
A delightful afternoon featuring a full formal tea with a lecture on the “Age of Revolution” during the Regency period as well as music and a chance to meet the cast of our upcoming holiday production, “Christmas at Pemberley – Georgiana and Kitty”.
This event has been very popular with our members and has sold out before so we encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased by going to the PACP website at www.pacommunityplayers.org and clicking the Jane Austen Tea button on the landing page. (Tickets available October 20th)
As this is a “formal” event celebrating Ms. Austen, guests are invited and encouraged to wear their nicest hat to this event. We hope to see you there.
“How We Spent Our Summer Vacation”
This summer, shortly after wrapping up our hugely successful Children’s Theatre sci-fi comedy epic, “Catch the Waves”, a busy crew of volunteers met together to empty out the ENTIRE Set Shop. Through a very generous donation of a large U Haul truck from Affordable Storage, scenery pieces, wood, windows, molding and more were hauled onto a truck or into the side parking lot and covered with tarps.
In the evenings, crews worked to clean the floor, paint the walls and reset the whole lay out of the room. Master Set Designer Tim Thorn created new bays for wood, allowing us to sort and store cut wood by the size of the piece of wood as well as new bays for large wood pieces. New shelves and new storage units were installed, a lot of old stuff got tossed or recycled and the upper loft is being extended with REAL stairs installed to replace the skinny ladder we had before, adding a lot more needed storage.
Then the work crews came back the next week and brought back all the shop materials in. Now tools are being organized above work tables, the Chop saw is on a moving table unit that can be rolled out on to the stage for set builds and building materials are going in organized spaces with large easy to read printed labels that will make finding needed resources much easier.
A big thanks to the many volunteers who helped with this effort and the support crew who provided delicious lunches and snacks (mmm, baked cookies and brownies!) – “Play” is half of our name and we do have fun work parties!
The Playhouse is looking for some Set Shop Stewards, folks who will help with the weekly upkeep of the shop (making sure tools are filed away, wood is properly stored, sawdust emptied, etc.) If the new shop looks like a place YOU WOULD like to help out in, please contact PACP Board Vice President at 360-670-6956 or write her at VolunteerwithPACP@gmail.com.
w we need a new roof.”