Fairy Tale Costumes

It’s the eve of opening night for the College of the Arts’ production of “Hansel and Gretel,” and the costume shop in the Clayes Performing Arts Center is buzzing with activity. The costume construction crew of students, alumni and staff members is at work on pieces for a variety of spring productions, including “Little Women” and Spring Dance Theatre, opening April 20 and May 3, respectively.

Composer Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera “Hansel & Gretel” is based on the well-known Grimm fairy tale and requires fairy tale costumes, of course. Costume designer Rachael Lorenzetti, a graduate student in the M.F.A program and alumna (B.A. theatre arts '09)‚ created gowns and other garments incorporating leaves and flowers for the forest creatures, along with crowns made of twine and multifaceted gems to reflect the light.

Caption: Rachael Lorenzetti glues gems onto a crown for “Hansel and Gretel.” Download Photo

Overcoming burnt fingers while hot-gluing and pin pricks while sewing, the crew listens to classical music and hip hop while at work in the Lois M. Brockett Costume Shop.

Lorenzetti talks about the process of using “found objects” to enhance the costumes in this video posted on the College of the Arts website. She and others associated with the production — a collaboration between the Music and Theatre and Dance departments — discuss their work together behind the scenes.

“Hansel and Gretel” is staged April 13-22 in the Little Theatre of the Clayes Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available online.