It's been a while since I've had the time to write on my blog. I guess that's a good thing, means I've been busy. So far the first 3 months of 2009 have been a blur of Inaugural gowns, costumes for the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company....Country Wife is eligible for a Helen Hayes Award and we're all crossing our fingers for a nomination! Lots of little and not so little jobs and now I'm into Prom season.
I'm working with several girls to create the prom gown of their dreams; and these girls can dream big! The gowns will be gorgeous when completed and I'll try to teach myself how to put photos up here for you to see.
I've been working on items to add to my Etsy store and with Jessica's help, a few of them are now up. Guess what!? My first Etsy sale was to a lovely girl in England! I learned all about customs shipping that one out. And now with my son in Iraq, I get to fill out custom forms a couple of times a month.
Since it's almost 3 in the morning, I guess I'd better go home and get some sleep. I promise not to take so long to write again.
Happy morning!

Theatre Troupes Everywhere Can Take a Lesson from Chesapeake Shakespeare Company...

Tonight I have a meeting with the directors of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company to make some corsets for their next production, The Country Wife, and I just have to state for the record that working with this company has been a breath of fresh air. Too often in community- and regional-based theatre, the level of organization leaves much to be desired (and the level of drama leaves much less to be desired), but CSC is really breaking the mold. I had a script right away, no one changed their mind late in the game, and I felt like a respected member and friend of the company, not a slave girl to stage divas.

I really look forward to continuing a great working relationship with CSC, and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we hope you'll plan on seeing The Country Wife! Check the CSC website (linked above) for details.

A Good Review from the Baltimore Sun!

So, Mary Carole McCauley of the Baltimore Sun may have picked an awful day to take in the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's fantastic (in my opinion) production of "The Comedy of Errors", what with the 100+ degree heat and searing sun, but luckily costumes don't usually wilt in the summertime. She writes in her June 11th column:

"...Well, at least Marilyn Johnson's costumes are worth looking at. She adorns her characters in a fruit-flavored palette of banana, kiwi and tangerine; the fuchsia and lime wigs worn by the two leading ladies are particularly fetching. Johnson also makes clever use of hoop skirts, in particular, to indicate that a slender actress is supposed to be round."

To their credit, the actors were laboring in said 100+ heat, so it's no wonder they were a little flat. However, I'm very glad my costumes made such a good, stand-out impression on Ms. McCauley. Thank you, Baltimore Sun!

The Comedy of Errors

Performances: June 15, 21, 22, 27, 28, and July 6, 10 and 12 at Patapsco Female Institute, 3691 Sarahs Lane, Ellicott City. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m. Sundays. Doubleheader on Saturday, June 28: The Comedy of Errors at 5 p.m., The Tempest at 8 p.m.

Parking: Free in the Howard County Courthouse lot on Court House Drive.

Tickets: 866-811-4111 or www.chesapeake shakespeare.com.

Information: 410-313-8874.