No costume challenge is too daunting for two local design divas. From bacteria (seriously) to insects with wings, Western chaps for a cast of 18, and 19th century ball gowns with hoopskirts, Reba Senske and Caren Brady Young have created thousands of costumes for local and regional theaters. Even if they can’t remember the shows, they have astonishing recall when it comes to the costumes themselves.
Senske is the associate costume designer at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), a position she’s had for 26 years. She’s worked for Cincinnati Playhouse and serves as costume coordinator for Ensemble Theater Cincinnati (ETC) and the Cincinnati Opera. Young is the costume designer for Cincinnati Landmark Productions, which produces shows at the Covedale Center, and designs for festivals, commercials and special events in her studio.
Costumes may not make or break a show, but they have a critical role in any production. The designer takes into account the setting, the director’s vision, the lighting design and how much movement goes on.
“You are not driving the bus,” Senske says, “but there’s a balancing act between what people expect to see and what you can actually do. Above all, we want actors to feel comfortable because physicality is such a big part of any role.”
Even after the battles are decided, there are frequent last-minute skirmishes. “What you thought was so cool looks awful. Maybe it’s the lighting or it stands out too much but you have to start over,” Senske says.
Both describe the process as “hurry up and wait.” Even with advance knowledge of the season, the work can’t start until a show is cast. Senske is currently creating costumes for CCM’s production of Legally Blonde, which opens Oct. 23. Casting was last week.
Young did the costumes for Landmark’s 2013 production of Legally Blonde. She points out that in addition to a large cast and chorus, heroine Elle Woods has 18 costume changes. Both ladies agree that it’s a killer. “Even for a musical, it’s a lot,” Senske says with a grin.
Young ticks off what’s needed: “Lots of sorority girl clothes, spring-break clothes and suits for law school.”
Senske says she’s poised for the big crunch, adding, “I’ll be calling on my buddies to see what they have.” When Young volunteered to help, Senske was quick to get her number.
That’s not the only challenge. Some of those 18 costume changes are onstage. That’s where expert designers work their magic.
“The new trick for quick changes is magnets,” Young says. “I used a lot of those for Legally Blonde.”
Musicals require costumes that fully complement the movement, especially dance. Those specialized kinds of costumes have to be built, meaning that they have a structure that can be easily taken apart. “It’s sturdier than average clothing,” Senske says. “It can be taken in, let out, shortened or lengthened.”
Once the show is cast, the designers have only a few weeks to create their designs, do the fittings and make changes. It’s high gear and not just on the sewing machines. They frequent thrift stores and flea markets, and even that is down to a science, according to Senske.
When Senske says that it’s too hard to do everything alone, Young quickly agrees. She enlisted three friends to help sew costumes for Landmark’s The Will Rogers Follies in August. Even with assistants at CCM, ETC and the Opera, Senske says she can be overwhelmed. Coffee, M&M’s and pizza help get the work done. Listening to Senske and Young describe past productions, there’s a justifiable sense of pride. When they started out, there were few undergraduate programs in costume design. Young created her own major at Bluffton College and Senske intended to be a fiber artist at the Art Institute of Chicago before transferring to Southern Illinois University, which she said had a great art department.
“But then I discovered that in theater, someone else pays for your supplies,” Senske says laughing, although she and Young have both worked with next-to-nothing budgets.
“You find ways to survive,” Young says.
They’ve already done their dream shows. “Will Rogers was a show I always wanted to do because it’s so costumey,” Young says. But she admits she’d also like to do Rocky Horror and La Cage.
For Senske, Big River was her show, which she designed years ago. “Now, whatever hits my plate is what I pine for,” she says. “I’m lucky to do a lot of variety.”
“I may not like every show,” Young adds, “but I’ll always find something to make it work.” ©
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2014.
