I was sitting with my friend Karin, when the call from Anna Schneiderman, Director of Ragged Wing, came through the airwaves. Anna was looking for help creating costumes for the stage for her upcoming performance, Inana's Descent. When Karin told Anna that she had a "plastic expert" sitting next to her, she handed me the phone and we had a lively conversation about how I could make a dress for their main character, Erishkigal, played by Celia Palmtag. Within a few days, I received the design, via email, and got to work. In fact, I had been making dresses out of plastic, but none of my creations were made for long-wearing on a stage, with 4 performances per day! So, that was the challenge of a lifetime for me, and I had to make the dress 3 times. Finally, I woke up one morning, and while thinking about how a woman would have to be able to move and BREATHE in plastic, I found the perfect solution. I used an old cotton sheet I found in the FREE BOX on my friend's dock in Sausalito to make the lining for the garment, then stapled the red and white bags to the garment. A simple gathering in the waist with elastic made the dress "one-size-fits-all", however, I had to fit the top to Cecelia's slender form. Working with a live model was a thrilling experience for me! I look forward to future opportunities to work with people on the stage and the runway!
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