Hairspray Costuming Diaries

Fact: Topeka Public Schools has had one complete week of school since the middle of December.


Thanks to blizzards, professional development, and other general scheduling realities, here we are in February, and I'm still just trying to memorize names in my new classes. Forget any kind of continuity or reinforcement of learning in the classroom.

The snow days have made my life and my many hats at times easier and and at times more difficult to juggle. I spent my two free days last week working on my biggest upcoming project, costumes for our production of the musical Hairspray.

This musical has provided the most entertaining and most challenging aspects of my short costuming career, mainly surrounding the characters Edna and Maybelle, two buxom middle-aged fashionistas, who just happen to be played by two large high school boys. The third challenge is Tracy, the show's main character. The story line revolves around the fact that Tracy is chubby; however, in our production, Tracy's actress is definitely. Not. Chubby.

The following is the first part of a documentation of my Hairspray Costuming journey:

Sun, 1/16
I spent two hours wandering Hancock Fabrics. After walking in circles several times, and assembling a pile of every sequined and feathered embellishment I could find, staring dazed around the store, and settling on only one of many fabrics I would need, I decided I needed to return another day with more focus and specific numbers. I had one of the employees follow me around with scissors, and I left with 5 bits of shiny pink fabric, 2 bits of purple prints, and 6 plus size patterns, which I hoped would fit my 50"-waisted Edna. "Honey," the store manager commented mildly, as I dug for my credit card, "you do realize these patterns are not your size?"

Sun 1/23 Returned to Hancock Fabrics, costume sketches and yardage estimates in hand. Another two hours later, I had settled on the following:
12 yards of airbrushed-look purple rose print.
2 yards of white sequin elastic
4 pink feather boas
6 yards of pink faux-suede
5 huge white buttons
4 yards of pink sequin
2 yards of red sequin
1 yard of white sequin
5 yards of yellow flower print
Watching the pile of future work accumulate on the counter in front of me, I briefly considered a panic attack, but the look on the sales associate's face told me I needed to be strong for both of us. I left Hancocks feeling both very accomplished and very scared.