Peter and the Starcatcher
Stitcher
Theatrical Production | YPAS | Spring 2019
One of the many YPAS productions I worked on was Peter and the Starcatcher, a theatrical retelling of the Peter Pan story. I worked several hours each day in the costume shop as a stitcher building costumes. A major outfit I worked on for this play was the female lead Molly's dress. It is worn by her throughout the show and we had to make duplicates for the two actresses sharing the role. It involved gathering, ruffles, ribbon, and lace around the cuffs, below the neck, and above the hem. When working with trims, delicate fabric, and many layers you have to work carefully so everything lays out smoothly. I stitched a button and cameo on the neckline. I worked closely with the costume designer to make sure the outfit fit her design. Following the pattern and doing fittings and ensured the costume fit the actresses perfectly.
I also created leaf skirts and head crowns for the Mollusks. They are the native tribe of Neverland so they are wearing part of the vegetation on the island. The skirt and head crowns make for quick and easy costume changes for the actors when they change character from sailors to Mollusks. Most headpieces were head crowns while one was a hat with leaves on it. This was worn by the chief of the tribe, who also had a large leaf necklace to represent his status. I hand sewed fake flowers and strand of leaves together around of a band for the head crown. For the skirts they stings of leaves hanged vertically from a band, swinging when the actor moved. I did a lot of hand sewing to make sure all the leaves were secure.
Another project I worked on for this show were the crowns for the mermaids. I painted them vibrant colors and then went over with a layer of glitter. I was careful with my brushstrokes as not to make a mess. Each crown was matched with a wig of complementary color. The paint colors and shimmer really made them pop onstage. The foam and other materials of the head pieces were comfortable for the actors but with paint I gave them a more shiny and mermaid like texture.
