When the curtain rises and the lights hit the stage, it’s not just the actors who bring the story to life—it’s the costumes.
Assistant Director Juli Sleper has played a vital role in the musical costume department ever since the 2021 musical ‘Into the Woods’ after Duane and Michelle Philgreen asked for her help.
Sleper spent months creating unique, intricate costumes to perfectly fit the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ cast. From sketching designs to managing last-minute alterations, Sleper’s visions and dedication helped each actor step into their roles with confidence and style.
Costumes take Sleper months to complete.
“With ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ I started making costumes in July, working a few hours a day,” Sleper said. “Since September, I have put in 6 to 20 hours daily because this show has a ton of costumes.”
Costumes had to be well-thought-out, measured, and made to fit each actor. Every costume consisted of different fabrics, colors, and materials, but varied from character to character.
“It depends on the costume,” Sleper said. “There is always an overall color scheme and time period for how the costumes should look. Usually, I come up with an idea and figure out what materials I need to make them, and then just go for it.”
Creating almost the entirety of every costume, she made Lumiere’s candle hands, and everything for Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Madame De La Grande Bouche, and Belle. She used a variety of materials such as fabric, foam, PVC pipes, duct tape, and hot glue.
Construction of the costumes took plenty of time and effort, which brought challenges and setbacks for the costume department.
“You just try and try again,” Sleper said. “Sometimes it works out, but construction is a process as you consider all the requirements needed for each actor.”
Sleper had multiple systems set in place to ensure every costume fit each actor.
“I had them try their costume on in each major step,” Sleper said. “When I had a piece that needed fitting, I brought it in for them to try on and then took it home to finish it.”
While purchasing costumes was an option, the music department chose to save quite a bit of money.
“Costumes for this musical can run $10,000,” Sleper said. “We saved a ton of money and I’ve had a ton of fun making them.”
While she spent months perfecting costumes on her own time, Sleper enlisted help from Lisa Hough, Karena Washington, Angie Zehr, and Jenn Lamb for many pieces.
Regardless of the challenges she faced, being able to bring the characters to life through costumes was a huge reward for Sleper.
“When they see their costume for the first time, or when they wear one they feel good in, it makes me happy,” Sleper said. “Their happiness is my reward.”
