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Community Corner

The Sound of Music - Nuns to Nazi's, everyone needs a costume

THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this coming March 20, 21, 22, & 23rd, 2014 at Brookfield High School, has a cast of over 100 students who will all be in period costumes from Salzburg, Austria the late 1930’s. The Brookfield Drama Department is renting the base costumes from a theatrical supply company but the sizes received are somewhat random and each costume needs to be custom altered to fit each actor. Can you imagine the challenge of measuring, fitting and altering costumes for this many children and young adults with the pressure of a show deadline? This is the task that adult volunteers Polly Stott and Kathy Pettit of Brookfield have enthusiastically signed up for. Both have do-it-yourself sewing experience with a high level of creativity that allows them to overcome the challenges that come with rented costumes that might have a broken zipper, sleeves that are too short, evening gown hems that need adjusting, missing buttons and occasionally making a costume from scratch. “I really enjoy being able to make a contribution to youth theatre by helping with the costumes. Brookfield’s drama program is so well done that everyone involved takes away experiences and lessons that will last a lifetime.” said Polly Stott the lead adult costume volunteer.

The main job of costumes in a production is to provide visual support to an actor to enhance their characterization. The actor’s costume helps them to bring their characters to life and make it easier for the audience to be brought into the story.

Everyone in the cast of The Sound of Music has at least two costume changes with the main characters having many more. Maria, played by BHS Senior Jessica Schwartz, has as many as 8 wardrobe changes. One part of the story has a wedding scene. While most brides might take hours to get into their wedding gown, Jessica will have only minutes. Costumes need to be constructed so that they can be changed in and out of quickly but they still need to appear like the real article on stage. Captain Von Trapp, played by BHS senior Tim Peterson has as many as 4 costume changes; and the seven Von Trapp children have just as many. Baroness Elsa Schraeder, played by BHS Senior Sara Gardner, has at least 3 different costumes as well.  When you take in to account a cast of more than 100 and add in multiple costumes for many of the characters you begin to image the magnitude of the task these costume volunteers have undertaken. When you come to the show and are enjoying the beautiful music, perhaps you’ll also notice just how good all of the performers look, this in part, is due to the hard work behind the scenes of Polly Stott and Kathy Pettit, two very talented women.

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Performances are

Thursday, March 20th @ 7:00pm

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Friday, March 21st @ 7:00pm

Saturday, March 22nd @ 1pm (special children’s matinee)

Saturday, March 22 @ 7:30pm

Sunday, March 23 @ 1:00pm 

Saturday ‘s afternoon performance is a special children’s matinee. Seating is limited. Tickets for all performances are now on sale through the web site: www.bhsChorusAndDrama.com and at the door. 

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