Saturday, 28th January, 2023
Friends' Meeting House, York
"COSTUME FROM PAGE TO STAGE"
"Page to Stage" was a block buster meeting for our return to York.
Our two speakers excelled with presentations covering the design, development and making costumes, Janet Hull from York Theatre Royal, and Anna Kestevan, also a York resident, who makes costumes and props for a wide range of leading theatre productions.
Janet explained the local history of theatre from the drama school at Sherriff Hutton Hall a hundred years ago through to the present day theatre. Her knowledge, skills and range of items is amazing. She talked of the considerations needed for design (plot, period,likely movements, need for changes on and off stage) as well as coordination with actors, dancers, directors, choreographers etc.
Anna told us how she "trashes" what Janet has made! She has developed the skills of distressing items to make them look worn and aged to ensure realism. Many items are actually engineered to be robust and adaptable for action scenes. Things may appear stiff and solid but are actually made of compliant materials to enable them to bend and be forgiving such as in battle scenes. Anna uses a wide range of tools, materials and substances to creat effect and comfort, often using considerable amounts of chamios leather for internal use such as in masks, especially for masks for child actors.
Altogether a very interesting day, for which many thanks to Janet and Anna.
It was also most gratifying to welcome many new members, making the hard work of the committee all worth while.
Here's hoping we will have a good turnout for our next meeting in Wakefield on 22nd April, and subsequent meetings on 30th September and 18th November both in York.
Lynn Beech
