My Wardrobe Philosophy
When I entered college, I initially planned to focus on costume technology with wardrobe as a secondary interest. However, my apprenticeship at Santa Fe Opera solidified my passion for wardrobe and wardrobe supervision. I view wardrobe as a vital support position within the context of the show, and this perspective shapes my approach to working with performers.
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My goal backstage is to be a calm, level-headed presence. Actors have plenty to worry about, and if I can reduce their anxiety by consistently and professionally executing quick changes, answering questions, and repairing costumes, then I feel I am contributing to the broader production.
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With my background in stitching, I possess the technical skills (techne) essential for the on-the-fly problem solving (phronesis) that I believe wardrobe supervisors should possess. To me, knowing how to perform repairs the "right" way provides a strong foundation for making "quick and dirty" repairs that live theatre inevitably demands.
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Wardrobe Resources
At the 2024 USITT Conference in Seattle, I presented a poster project titled "Making Wardrobe at Educational Institutions More Accessible to Trans and Nonbinary Students". Below is the Google Drive Folder Containing the referenced documents.
They include:
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"Universal Measurement Sheet Template" - adapted by Lara Berich for Niagara University from the Santa Fe Opera
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"Dressing Room Sign Up Template" - a signup template for a private dressing space
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"Wardrobe Survey Template" - a template for the survey I send out to casts to get a sense of their dressing room needs and preferences.
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Wardrobe Paperwork
The Seagull French Scene Breakdown
Niagara University Theatre
Featured Much Ado About Nothing Costume Lookbooks
Niagara University Theatre
Rent Wardrobe Track Example
​One of my favorite elements of wardrobe is creating tracks for dressers. As a dresser, I love clear, detailed tracks that I can follow like a checklist. At Niagara, I regularly worked with crew who had no wardrobe experience, so I tried to make each track as specific and clear as possible to minimize confusion and errors.
Rent Actor Change Breakdowns
​For performers with multiple quick or complicated changes, I like to write a breakdown of each change. I have found that both I and the actor benefit from having a posted pre-established list of where/when changes occurred and what garments were dealt with in which order. After hanging change breakdowns in the areas where the changes occur, I saw an increase in the speed and consistency of changes.
