Costumer Notes – Montford Park Players

A Costumer’s Notes

Since 1973 when our founder Hazel Robinson presented As You Like It in a park, costumes have been part of bringing exceptional, dramatic entertainment for enrichment, education and enjoyment. Hazel and the community she created built costumes out of what could be found mostly for free. (Some of it is truly like wearing a sofa cover) That community of costumers and the costumes we build, have continued to grow and both provide for theatre all over Western NC.

Hazel Robinson adjusting actor’s costume – photo by Mary Jo Brezny – *

The Robinsons looking over plans with beginnings of stage behind them.

The Robinsons looking over plans for what will become Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre *

These costumes are part of our folio. These bits of cloth and thread, labor and imagination are how we, the costumers, and the actors who wear them exercise our freedom of expression through our art. The costumer’s art helps build the characters and allows for that moment or hour of empathy and understanding of someone else – real or fictional. Costumers dress imaginary people and those people help us to be the best real people we can be. It is our community folio.

Book of Will

ink well shirts

The shirts worn by the inkwell have been worn over many productions and seasons. Worn, torn, grass and blood (both real and fake) stained, they have carried the sweat of a couple of generations of actors. They now have been mended and dyed to represent the ink of that first printing of plays that makes all the rest possible.

Merchant of Venice 2013

Robinhood 2019

All the costumes on stage for Book of Will have been on stages before- this stage, the Shakespeare Festival, HART, Magnetic, Sublime, high school stages all around, and many other stages. (Rentals go through our costume mistress Trinity – Contact her at [email protected] .) They have been mended, dyed, retrimmed and altered many times. They have been build for and worn by some of the greats of this stage that have left us. Maybe you have worn one or several. Maybe someone who taught you has or someone that loves you. How many pictured here did you see in Book of Will. Please share your part of this history with us on Insta and Facebook. #IsawitonMPPstage or #IworeitonMPP stage. We’d love to see your pictures.

Come back for updates, more historical pictures and maybe your pictures.

* Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Public Library

Costume rentals go through our costume mistress Trinity – Contact her at [email protected] .)