#costumes apprentice

Position: Costume Apprentice

Hometown: Lynchburg, VA

Education:

“I started as a dancer for many years. Then, when I was 16 my appendix ruptured, so I had to sit out from dance while I was healing. The prior year I had auditioned for a play, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, and I was a lead and that was really exciting (her 1st play). So I decided to go back to theatre and I did basically everything that I could to get involved:  acting, props, set construction, etc. [I] assistant directed and choreographed some shows. I fell into such a rhythm with the theatre scene that I didn’t really crave the dance scene anymore.

“After graduating high school I went to Randolph College, formerly known as, Randolph Macon Women’s College, in Lynchburg VA. I was planning on transferring, but I fell in love with the community, and the people, and the traditions. I started getting into costumes and lighting because that I was what I hadn’t learned in high school, but after a while I developed a heavy focus on costumes. I graduated in May, right before I came here, with a BFA in Theatre and a double emphasis on Costumes and Performance.“

Why the Olney Theatre Center Apprentice Training Program?

“My senior year of college, I went back to SETC. Leading up to it, I was practicing writing cover letters, and I was looking at lots of jobs and I found OTC’s program. I wrote a letter to OTC that was at first a class assignment, but decided to submit it after completing it's final draft. While at SETC, I saw the Olney Theatre Center table, but never got to meet JKJ. We eventually set up to meet over skype and about two hours later, he offered me the job. It was only for the summer at first, and then about three weeks later, he asked me if I would like to extend for the year.”

What are you most looking forward to working on?

“I guess I’m most looking forward to working on THE CRUCIBLE, and that’s crazy because when I first started that was at the end of my apprenticeship, but now it’s coming up. I get to revisit actors that I’ve already worked with--Chris Genebach, Dani Stoller, Paul Morella--and that will be a really good way to round out my experience.”

What’s something that’s surprised you about this experience?

“What surprised me when I first got here was just how much this community felt like a family. It was a really good next step for me coming out of college, especially coming from such a small liberal arts college that also had a family/close-knit community vibe. It was an easier transition to come to a place that worked like this. Everyone knows each other here.  They help you when you need it, and they are genuinely interested in how they can best further your career and get you to the next step.”

What makes the OTC community so special?

“The history here is so important. So many people have walked through this campus, and so many more are going to. We’ve had so many big deal people come through here that I’ve gotten to work with, and I don’t feel set apart from. The way OTC has the housing set up and the kitchen, you get to hear all of their stories and share in their experience, and that’s really neat.”

Favorite place on campus?

“The big circle patio outside of the main and all of the trees that are bordering it. In the summer, and at night sometimes too, I would lay on the pavement and read, or stare at the stars, it’s a really pretty view, and during GATSBY (one of our touring National Players shows), I realized that two of the light posts coming out of the trees look like an eye and I thought that was really neat.”

What advice do you have for the next Costumes Apprentice?

“Learn as much as you can. Try to think about one thing that you’ve learned everyday, whether it’s an actual skill or the way you communicate with others. So much of this experience flies by that it’s important to have that self-reflection.”

Anything else?

Position: Costumes Apprentice

Hometown: State College, PA

Education

“I decided when I was in high school to pursue theatre in college and as a career. There weren’t too many other career options that I was excited about, and I knew I wanted to get out of my hometown (rather than going to Penn State University). So I started to look around at other state schools, and a friend recommended West Chester College. I went to check it out with my dad and fell in love.”

While at West Chester, Janice pursued a BA. “I chose a BA over a BFA,” she started to explain, “...Because I wanted to have a thorough knowledge of theatre. I wanted to be a theatre artist. My BA allowed me to perform, to direct, to design—[to do] arts administration work. I really got the full gamut, and I wanted to learn everything. I jumped at opportunities when they were presented to me. I graduated in May with my BA in Theatre and a minor in Fine Art.”

What attracted you to the Olney Theatre Apprentice Training Program?

“Coming up on graduation, I knew I wanted to pursue costume design as a career, but I didn’t know how. My first thought was, ‘I’ll go to graduate school.’ So I did all of the research and went to URTAs.

“I had all of these professionals telling me to consider doing an apprenticeship first.” For example, “Liz Covey—she co-wrote the handbooks on how to be a costume designer and technician—she recommended this program. I just admire her so much, so I applied.”

So Janice decided to defer grad school for a year and said, “I’ll stay in touch, but I want to make sure this is something that I want to do. This [apprenticeship] has been instrumental in telling me which aspects of this field that I love and which I couldn’t see myself doing.”

What are you most excited for?

Without missing a beat, Janice reflected, “I am most excited to watch professional designers work in a freelance environment. That’s what I’m interested in doing. It’s been so educational to see how they work with a costume shop and to know the costume shop’s side of it too.”

But looking ahead, she shared, “I am Assistant Costume Designing on THE CRUCIBLE. I am very excited to work with Sarah (Cubbage), and to have that opportunity to be behind the scenes. Hopefully, I can be helpful in her process. I think Eleanor (Holdridge, the director) is taking the project in a really unique way, and I’m excited to see how that manifests in [Sarah’s] design process. I know the shop and the resources that we have on campus, and I want to see how that helps her process.”

What’s something that you’ve learned from this experience?

“Obviously, I’ve learned a lot about theatre and tech skills. But about myself, living in an environment with 15 other artists: it challenges yourself in a way most people won’t get to experience. It’s helped me develop a moral compass, and to think about where this world is going and how I want my work to have a place in it.

“...That’s probably better than, ‘I can put in zippers better now,’” she laughed, but then added, “I CAN put in zippers better now...”

What separates OTC from other theatres?

“OTC really does have a family feeling behind everything that we do. There are a lot of fellowships and apprenticeships that provide housing, but you’re not on the same campus. I think living here develops a strong bond of camaraderie and unique relationships where this company really cares about everyone working within this hive. It’s nice to walk into the kitchen and have a conversation with your company’s Director of Production while they are microwaving their soup.

“I think it says a lot that when help is asked of you, everyone gets up to do it. It’s a group effort, it always is. You feel that really keenly with Olney.”

Describe your favorite place on campus.

She mused to herself, “My favorite place...” before finally settling on, “The porch—this strange crossover world of the working environment and the campus aspect. We play games, there’s a library, we watch movies, and talk about our day.”

At this point Janice looked at me with a rye smile and added, “I love the blue couch; it’s the most comfortable. Some people will say it’s the recliner, but it’s the blue couch.”

Do you have any advice for the next costumes apprentice?

“Please clean up after yourself. We tend to be messy as artists, put things back where you got them...”

“The more prolific advice is probably: there is no point in doing anything halfway. Being an apprentice, especially working in the production aspect, can be exhausting. It’s long hours and you’re working hard, and you really do pay your dues. But when you’re working your butt off, it’s important to be conscious of the quality of work you’re putting forth. It speaks a lot about you as an artist.”

Anything else?