Valerie L. Cavooris

I served as the head costume designer for this production of Woman And Scarecrow.  This project became my Master's thesis, followed by an oral defense.  My first endeavor as head costume designer taught me the ins-and-outs of decision-making, collaborating with a production team, problem solving, and improvisation in a pinch.  I designed the hair and make-up for Scarecrow, and assisted with creating a make-up look for woman to make her look gaunt and pallid.  I have to give credit to my mentors Janus Stefanowicz and Cloe Wind, without whom I would know next to nothing about costume design.  Both are brilliant in the field, and I am better at what I do because of them.

Woman And Scarecrow is a modern Irish drama, which centers around Woman, who is dying in her bed.  Woman is visited by Him, her unfaithful husband, and her late mother's sister Auntie Ah.  Her nearly constant companion is the existensial part of herself, Scarecrow.  Scarecrow protects Woman from Death, who lurks in her wardrobe.  Similar to the description of the Thing in the Wardrobe, Scarecrow's appearance is reminiscent of a crow.  Scarecrow becomes darker and more crow-like until she steps out of the wardrobe as an avian herald of death.  Scarecrow's eccentric appearance contrasts with the simple every-day look of Woman's other visitors.  Woman and Scarecrow are in white and black (respectively), so I utilized solid saturated colors, each with a simple pattern, for Him and Auntie Ah.

The costumes for this show were nominated for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.  Unfortunately, I was unable to attend due to relocation.