From Deseret News archives:

'Dream' job — Costumer brings fresh look to play

Published: Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008 12:21 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Costume designer Susan Branch and director Paul Barnes worked together previously on a production of "Midsummer Night's Dream." Ten years ago, they collaborated in Virginia.

Barnes is a founder of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minn. He has directed at the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City and at Pioneer Theatre Company, where he and Branch worked together on both productions of "Beauty and the Beast."

Because they've collaborated before, Branch knew she would be able to catch Barnes' vision, even before she knew what he wanted for the upcoming "Midsummer Night's Dream." When he called her to talk about costumes, Branch recalls, he wanted to set the play in an era that was favorable to underwear.

So, Branch started thinking Victorian and Edwardian. She started thinking of women running through the trees clad in petticoats and bloomers. She started thinking, "beautiful and graceful."

Branch is in Utah now. By the time she returns to her home in Austin, Texas, she will have spent a month here. She spends at least half of every year on the road, she explains.

Story continues below
Austin doesn't have a theater like Pioneer, Branch explains. With no first-class regional theater in her hometown, Branch has to find work in places such as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and New York City. Her previous work at Pioneer includes designing costumes for "Chicago" and "Julius Caesar." She always enjoys working with a large professional staff, she says. And she enjoys returning home to her family and her fiance.

The plot of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is all about love, of course. The play tells of a couple from the world of humans who run to the forest to escape the people who would prevent their wedding. Her spurned lover follows. Then the spurned lover's discarded girlfriend follows him into the forest.

The fairies who live in the woods, meanwhile, have their own problems with love. The king and queen of the fairies are in a fight and the wild creatures are being caught in the crossfire.

If it is difficult to bring a fresh look to one of Shakespeare's most well-known comedies, Branch doesn't notice the obstacles. She says she saw endless possibilities in translating the supernatural world on to the stage.

Branch told her he envisioned a Puck who had a bit of an edge to him. And Oberon, too, the king of the fairies and Puck's master, Barnes saw him as edgy. Not scary exactly, but not sweet and easy-going, either.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image

Christopher Gerson as Puck and Don Durroughs as Oberon in Pioneer Theatre Company's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

previousnext

Latest comments

I laughed at the names that were given to the snakes, such clever names. I...

Harpring's NBA career is over

I used you to really hope you were always kidding with your political posts....

RE: Anon @ 5:47 There is a BIG difference between freedom of and freedom...

Schanze shuts down 'Awesome Computers'

The only ones that are disturbed are the liberal media that hates guns so bad...

Matt it has been awesome to have you here as a player and role model. I hope...

I'm a USU grad, and saw a great shirt about US not you! "DEE GLEN SMITH...

Hey look, Jazz Cop and CL are agreeing with each other on back-to-back...

Hey, the papers are going bankrupt because of their inability to adjust their...

Harpring's NBA career is over

Matt, you will be truly missed. Thanks for showing us what playing with real...

2A All-State teams

Good job to all the ladies this season. Hard work and determination has it's...

Advertisements