Something familiar, something peculiar
Thursday: Final Dress Rehearsal
Nini loved dress rehearsal- the set, the costumes, the singing and dancing- though she understood very little of the plot. It was delightful when she got the joke of "Maid": that they just kept adding one more guy to the line, until all four were singing.
She has something of a little crush on Dr. Mike, who plays Miles Gloriosus, who is dazzling handsome in his gold armor. After seeing that night, I decided not to add any black up around the shoulders. "The light reflecting off your breastplate is really effective. It gives you kind of a god-like glow." He was all for that.
Bob came to pick her up, so Sis didn't have to load up a sleeping Bubs. I demanded that since he's not coming to see the show, he had to at least see the set. He said she was asleep in mid-sentence by the time they were half-way home.
I had brought along the latest and, I swore to him, final incarnation of Hysterium's costume. He now has a shirt under a tunic, like Pseudolus and his sleeve tassels got a special mention, which was nice. I had Pseudolus's with me, but didn't have a chance to attach them til opening night.
We're having lipstick issues with Hysterium's imposture of a dead virgin. Our AD ran out to the CVS to pick up some non-smear variety- not the 16-hr type. He did have to go to work on Friday without moist raspberry lips. It worked slightly better, especially once we realized that he needed to be reminded to blot. Something that he doesn't do instinctively, because he's, oh, not a girl.
Our best solution is two veils and constant laundering.
Added bands at the hem and sleeves of the "tunic with the tassels" and re-hemmed and trimmed Philia's overdress. But some things just didn't get done: couldn't figure out how to add the new fabric to Erronius and Lycus didn't get gold around the hem. These things happen.
(to be continued)

Forum, again

If you arrive on Picture Night to discover that you've taken in the lead's costume so much that he's stuffed into like a bolster, the evening can only improve.

And, when you find that there's no way to let it out so that it looks good and you must start over from scratch, using some random turquoise fabric you just happened to have picked up for no good reason and some $2 a yard matching material from the Wal-mart, you can call it a "happy accident". Especially when it's going to look much better than the original. For which, the director and crew will forgive you for giving a problematic principal something else to be pissy about, along with his bizarre unauthorized prop introductions being vetoed and nobody getting the dance right in "Maid". I am sorry for the bother and anxiety to him, though. So he's getting tassels.
Of course, now I have to re-dye his and Hysterium's leggings. It's a domino thing.

Our little Philia, 17, is the wonderful surprise of the cast. She has a surprising comedic bent, to be so young. The goofy self-satisfaction she brings to a line like: 'I cost five hundred minae." or "I would show you mine, but they are sold" is priceless.
She comes in to visit with me occasionally while I sew. Last time, she told me that our Hero had announced his choice of underpinnings to her:
"He said, 'I think I'll just wear a dance belt' and I was thinking, like "Ewww, eww! Don't tell me that! I have to sit on your lap and now I don't want to! TMI! TMI' "

Miles's excessive goldness has been toned down with a black leather (vinyl, really) skirt. I lined the panels with felt to give it some heft. It has antique bronze conchos from the bead department at Hobby Lobby on it for decor. It is fabulous, if I do say so. Sometimes I surprise myself. But now he needs some black on top.

Time to check on the blueness of pants.