While cast members have been learning their lines, theatre director Cheryl Painter hand sews costumes for each of her 52 cast members. With every stitch, she brings the characters of “Newsies” to the stage by designing color palettes and researching how to fit the time period of the musical. For months in preparation, Painter spent her free time analyzing the characters’ movements, personalities and demands with intention for each costume.
“We start the costuming process at the same time we start the production process, and it is constant work throughout that entire time period,” Painter said. “For each individual character, you start making a costume clock, where you say ‘this person needs an undershirt, a long-sleeve button-down, a pair of slacks, suspenders,’ and so on for each costume.”
As students gain more experience, leadership roles become increasingly important to the musical’s success. Wardrobe manager senior Natalie Soriano has been a part of the costume crew for three years.
“My main thing is helping newer costume members,” Soriano said. “I teach them how to sew, how to use the sewing machine and where everything is.”
Costumes are sourced and prepared for the show months prior to the performance due to the amount of detail that goes into each one. There are over 100 costumes in the “Newsies” production. Although a lot of costumes were made from scratch, some were altered.
“We size each person and make sure it fits well,” Wardrobe crew member freshman Presleigh Tatum said. “If it doesn’t fit, we resize it by hand and add details needed for the show.”
“Newsies” is set in the Gilded Age, which requires adjustments to be made to the costumes for them to be time period-appropriate.
“Seeing [costumes] come to life on stage is really a big deal because you know that you made that for that person,” Tatum said. “It makes them feel special.”