When people think of live theatre, they often think of big orchestras and even bigger stages.
But one of the best things about seeing a show is often the costumes.
Costume designers are the brains behind making sure all the actors look their best on stage.
Video: Calgary Journal reporter Abiola Famakinwa takes us backstage for a look at the magic of making actors look great on stage
Vanessa Taylor has been a costume designer for two years and says one of her favourite parts of the job is tailoring the pieces to the actor.
Taylor has worked for different companies, from the Canmore Theatre Festival to theatres in Calgary. Taylor said that upcycling is something anyone can do.
“You can get into upcycling. We have so many resources nowadays,” she said. “All you need is a few dollars. Go to Value Village or Goodwill, wherever you like.”
While costumes can be created or upcycled, there are other ways to get costumes for a show.
Katie Klingvall, the head of wardrobe and wardrobe rentals at Theatre Calgary, explained that costume rentals are great because they help extend the life of pieces beyond their original company.
“It’s nice that when you can rinse things to be able to reuse again and so then it’s just better value and longevity of an outfit instead of one and done,” said Klingvall.
Maghann Venus is a retail supervisor at 17th Avenue Thrift, and they said that thrifting is something that everyone should do.
“I mean, I think everyone should thrift. If you can find something second-hand I think that’s incredible and that’s amazing and, you’re saving money for yourself,” Venus said.