The Little Mermaid
Stagecrafters, 2016. Costume coordinator, wardrobe run crew. Design by Buddy VanLoon
I love stylized and creative costuming. That’s my style. It’s what inspires and excites me.
Even so, I dreaded when our theater scheduled The Little Mermaid…it’s too big, everything needs to be imagined, created and fabricated. A whole world of magic, in scene after scene! It’s a LOT for a volunteer community theater. But I knew that my friend, Buddy VanLoon, needed my help to realize his fantastic designs. We collaborated on his design. Buddy worked his magic with the EVA foam sculptures. I directed the costume shop volunteers for all of the garments.
I also created the tentacles for Ursula the sea witch, with the added complication of working around a flight harness.
Ursula design concept, by Buddy VanLoon
Ursula the Sea Witch
EVA foam chest & abdomen, gauntlets and head piece by Buddy VanLoon; I designed and built the tentacles and support engineered the whole costume to allow for flight harness.
tentacles fabricated by honey-comb stitching circles of felt together into an expanding column, then trimming to form scallop points.
tentacles mounted onto bent metal arms, built onto a very sturdy belt. This clips through the dress, to a sturdy steel boned corset. All of this mounted to allow for a flight harness.
Even with all of this mechanism and flight harness, the tentacles moved with great life and realistic animation driven by hip movements.
Flotsam & Jetsam, the Eels
Colors followed each ensemble actress through the show. Mer-sister > Maid > Princess. Each actress had a signature color.
Colors followed each ensemble actress through the show. Mer-sister > Maid > Princess. Each actress had a signature color.
Colors followed each ensemble actress through the show. Mer-sister > Maid > Princess. Each actress had a signature color.
Under-Sea creatures: EVA foam sculpted headpieces and shoulder pads by Buddy VanLoon. Zentai suits embellished with ruffled organza, feathers, custom made corsets, etc.
Kiss the Girl creatures - Custom dyed rayon garments. sculpted headpieces
Kiss the Girl butterflies - Custom dyed rayon garments, glove puppets
Sebastian: custom made suit, pieced brocade panels
Flounder: embellished garments and EVA craft foam headpiece.
Seagulls: Altered ragamuffin clothes, feather boa wings, long shirt-tail tails, striped tights, custom painted boots.
Eels Flotsam & Jetsam - Design Concept
Jelly Fish - Design Concept
Lion Fish - Design Concept
Skuttle & Sea Gulls - Design Concept
Sea Horses - Design Concept
Sebastian Crab - Design Concept
Squid - Design Concept