OCR Text |
Show -IS i ' ) A.i "'. i V . - ) , ; Three-penny spectacle By Kim Foltz "Working with Pioneer Memorial Theatre is a challenge," said Larry Schultz, costume designer for "Camelot." "They challenge you to create spectacles with next to no money. It's good for me, because when I do get any money to work with, there won't be anything I can't do." Larry Schultz is one of dozens of backstage workers who make any stage production possible. Unlike the "stars," they receive no applause, they take no bows. They are the ones who create the mood of the play through the costumes and scenery they design and construct. "I chose design because it was the best way to combine my major (theater) and my minor (art) into a viable profession," Mr. Schultz said. He received his B.S. in theater at Eastern New Mexico University and is working towards his M.F.A. at the University. "My acting experience has helped me," he said. "If you've been on the stage, then it's much easier to work with the director and m costumes because you bow, they need and want, to atfe. certain effect on stage." "The economy of PMT h e me to stretch my creativity as li -will go," he said. "I'm a saver te' motto is: don't throw anything, might be able to use it again sorr Who knows, with a little glue, r paint, a touch of this and that 4 : ' . -V f " ''jf V urii'"'' cTStt'e' trthur'S Wife' Psed a costuming problem be-caZ be-caZ L ! WasLdoube "St. Two of each of the intricate costumes had to be made. All of the female costumes ad- forevS Z P? ' ano,her " have trains which go on V r lit- Merlin, King Arthur's eyes into the future is living his life .. from the end to the beginning. He led young Arthur to the throne of England and he helped to keep him there, until he r. was spellbound by a witch. f : , ( !i '"' ? v; -f I lit (y. . - U I -3 Mi , . ::VV ' ; . A - . : A - . ! iV' ,Vi- " 1 4 " ' 1 V si r v J i 1 ! t i U ,5'' 7 ) v 1 'V;.. . v- -n ' ', : ; . . 1 V ; - ; , 1 1 , ' I j 1 run ; n - -1 ' ' ' 'i x Wated something. All of the crowns r Lamelot" were made out of paint "W glue, nothing more." With only $1,100 to work with, he as created over 127 costumes. All of anHkStUmeS are made out of cotton ""e spray painted many of them to achve different effects. Putting the costumes in period was rea' thriller," he said, "because - "Camelot" really doesn't have a period, it probably never existed. We set it in the 14th century to begin with. Then, received a call this summer and they told me to change it to the 8th century. It was impossible to design costumes for that period, because the Celtics were still painting themselves blue and wearing furs. The costumes are really a combination or invention of various periods." "There was no way to period the head pieces, so there entirely a product of my imagination," he said. Trying to be lavish on a small budget was the greatest problem he had to conquer. The armour was made of felt dipped in glue and covered with dip and drape, a starched linen miracle worker. "All you have to do is dip the stuff in water and you can mold it into ; -mil ' i v "' v Arthur and Guinevere live in peaceful bliss, invent the round tab e and "might for right" and are slated to live happily ev-eratter ev-eratter until the appearance of the loyal Sir Lancelot, who Guinevere falls in love with straight away. Things get sticky and the happily everafter is canceled. 1 I costumes for Camelot since last May and he is using it as his masters project. He is also designing the costumes for two other PMT productions: "Romeo and Juliet" and "Androcles and the Lion;" and for two student directors projects; "Dames at Sea" and "Sweet Charity." After graduation in August, he plans to make his stab at the big time in New York. "Why not," he said and he went back to dipping and draping. Magazine anything," he said. "Weve made horses, dragons, you name it. I couldn't live without it." Mr. Schultz likes the impressionistic approach to costume designing, using wood shavings, swatches of color, drops of glue and lots of paint things like feathers for fur. With the distance tetween the stage and the audience, a blur is created and it appears to be the teal thing. After graduation in August, he plans to go to New York and try his luck. Sure.there are a lot of good people in line, but if my imagination holds up, I tan make it," he said. "I'm already used to poverty poor, poor, oh, I'm poor. Money doesn't matter, I've got to be working where it's happening, that's all that counts," he said. Last year, he received the Department Depart-ment of Theater's award of best costume designer for his costumes in the "Cherry Orchard." For the last three summers, he has worked in the costume shop of the Santa Fe Opera Co. He didn't get to do any designing, but he learned. "The most important and the most enjoyable part of learning lear-ning is to be where the actual work is happening. In fact, it's the only way to learn." Mr. Schultz has been working on the |