...with Costume Designer Maury Drummond

An Ideal Husband is considered a large production for the Festival to produce. The scenery and costumes must reflect the style and quality of the English aristocrat of the 1870s. This production has a cast of 9 actors wearing a total of 27 costumes, which means that Maury Drummond and the costume department have a lot of work to do!

Maury is happy to be joining the team at Chemainus Theatre Festival. She holds a Masters Degree in Theatre Design, a Bachelor of Education and a Diploma in Fine Arts. Her involvement in costuming ranges from film to television commercials, dance works and large scale musical productions. Maury has taught Costume Design at the University of Regina and was Head of Wardrobe at the Globe Theatre in Regina. Vancouver Island past credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream (Set Design) and Colours in the Storm (Costume and Set Design) at the University of Victoria's Phoenix Theatre. The use of non-traditional materials in costuming is of particular interest to Maury. Her on going area of research is in the History and Sociology of Men's Wear.

The Process
All of the scenery, lighting and costume design concepts are carefully developed under the guidance of the Festival's Artistic Director Jeremy Tow, with discussions taking place often over a year in advance.

The AD (artistic director) in conjunction with the rest of the artistic team look for a combination of all of the design elements that will flow together to produce a whole picture that has a harmonious and beautiful end result! Everything must work together so all details are carefully chosen - one component cannot overpower another.

Before Maury proceeds with her job, the production manager Stephen Lewis steps in to peruse the plans - just to ensure that the everything will fall into the company's production timelines, budget and resources.

The Budget
The budget for An Ideal Husband is $3,600 just for the materials; $800 is set aside for hair, wigs & makeup, and another $3,600 for labour. Maury will have the assistance of CTF's Wardrobe Supervisor Norma Bowen, and CTF Apprentice Kendra Cooper as the Acting Wardrobe Supervisor, for An Ideal Husband.

Question and Answer

Q: What are the challenges in producing the costumes for An Ideal Husband?

A: "The challenge is to create a visual entry to the world of Oscar Wilde which is the essence of 1870s upper class style, privilege and manner, and to establish a silhouette and a characteristic look that is consistent through out the play. The costuming for this show requires not only the appearance of luxurious fabrics, but clothing that is exquisite in detail and does not exceed the budget."
- Costume Designer Maury Drummon

Let's take a look at what is involved in building one costume!
The ingénue of the show - Mable makes her entrance in Act 1 in a white dress. This piece has been constructed with 3 layers of silk: 1 layer is Dupionne raw silk, 2 overlays of sheer China silk; with a train and a bustle of layered silk that has been hand painted and decorated with handmade roses, and embroidery.

Costume Renderings

A fundamental component of the costume design process is the completion of a set of Costume Renderings, which are usually hand drawn and painted by the designer. After a design concept has been established, the Artistic Director is presented with line drawings for each costume - these images are accompanied by descriptions of proposed techniques and finishing treatments and may include swatches of suggested fabrics. Revised and final sketches represent the research, exploration and collaboration experienced by the Artistic Director and the Design Team. The final costume boards communicate detailed information. They convey form, colour, character analysis, and history, indicating to the actor, what they will wear and to the audience what they will see.

Sketches are embellished to include back views, profiles, technical drawings, sources, treatments, accessories and specific detail as required. They become shop tools and therefore the goal is to produce a simple and direct representation that is true to the original design concept. Ideally, costume renderings are practical, aesthetically pleasing and at the same time convey meaning and give definition to the entire design concept.

Tricks of the Trade
While the costumes for An Ideal Husband are designed from the 1870s - the version that you will see on stage is altered slightly for the modern audience. This adapted style gives the flavour of another place and time; radiant of beauty, wealth and untold opportunity. Designs are developed to match contemporary aesthetics. Adaptations are also made in consideration of the actors, as they live in their costumes, in this case, for over 50 performances! Meticulous care is taken with each costume, as they have to be cleaned and cared for throughout the run of the show.