Local Designer Volunteers, Uses her Talent and Skills to Bring Theatre to Life
When you attend a theatrical production at the Hardeman County Arts Council, you see the results of a lot of helping hands, volunteer hands. Olivia Neal is one of many from the community who volunteer their talent and skill to area theatrical companies to help bring their productions to life.
Olivia received her first sewing machine at the age of nine and after that, never stopped sewing.
“I’m ‘98 percentish’ self-taught. My mom showed me how to use the sewing machine, as well as the basics of sewing, and then let me loose on it,” said Neal.
“My very first project in theatre was making tails for the lizard and mice in Cinderella (July 2016) for STAR Inc, in Somerville,” said Neal who has been the costumer for other Star Inc. productions. “I did costumes for Alice in Wonderland (July 2022) and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (March 2023).”
Setting Neal loose not only led her to projects where she made couture clothing for her sisters for special occasions, but also sparked an interest in her designing and creating costumes for theatre companies.
Neal had her first opportunity to work on costumes at the Hardeman County Arts Council (HCAC) in its production of Curse of The Cobra’s Kiss (June 2021) and later that year was the lead costume designer for the HCAC’s production of Fiddler on The Roof JR. (December 2021).
“The biggest project I’ve done so far is Fiddler, where I designed the overall look of the whole production and oversaw creation of the women’s costumes. I was extremely fortunate in that production to have multiple people helping with the actual construction of the costumes,” said Neal who gives special thanks to her mother and grandmother.
Much of what you see in the costumes Neal makes are her own creations. Although she sometimes may use an existing pattern as a template, she tailors each costume specifically to meet the vision of the director.
“I do use some patterns as a template for bigger projects and then alter/adapt them for the needs of the costume. Most of the time, there is no specific pattern for what I need, so I will draft/design a pattern and play around with it until it works,” said Neal who recently designed some of the costumes for the HCAC’s production of The Little Mermaid JR. “All of the costumes I did were created without any preexisting patterns. I did Flotsam and Jetsam (the two eels), as well as parts of Sebastian and Grimsby. Design for the eels was a team effort, my younger sister Susanna is an artist, and she sketched the concept art. I then turned that sketch into a reality.”
Neal enjoys sewing whether it be dress making or costume design. She noted some differences between both that she considers when sewing.
“There are two parts to creating costumes for stage: design and construction. The construction part is pretty much like everyday dressmaking. The only difference is that the costumes must be durable enough to withstand rehearsals and performances, and still look good. Costume design has more elements that you don’t have to consider when you’re making regular clothes. Fabric and color choices must be made, factoring in the effect of stage lights. The process for both is different,” said Neal. “At its core, costume design is storytelling through clothes. It considers the characters’ story and personality as well as the overall story, time period, and culture. It’s also typically a very collaborative process, with the director and their vision for the production, as well as the actors themselves factoring in.”
Although she can express some creative flair with dressmaking, she finds working with costumes for the stage allows her to be a bit more creative and flamboyant to match the stage presence of the character she is dressing.
“A great example of this is Sebastian (The Little Mermaid JR.): the court composer and conductor with a “distinguished career”. When Luke [Ginter] and I were discussing his costume, we decided to lean into the very uptight and proper composer image and go with a Classical inspired look – think Amadeus, 1984. He came up with the red tails and waistcoat, and then I added the gold cravat and ruffled cuffs to complete the look,” said Neal.
Volunteering in the community has been a good experience for Neal. She especially has enjoyed using her talent and skills to enhance the theatrical opportunities in Fayette and Hardeman Counties. Both theatre companies are non-profits that exist because of the efforts of volunteers like Neal who want to give back to the community.
“It’s fun to collaborate and bring a production to life. I can create things that I would not ordinarily have the opportunity to do. I’ve also met so many great people while working on these productions that have become friends,” said Neal.
Read more local news by clicking here.
Stay informed on what’s happening in Hardeman County by following Hatchie Press on Facebook and subscribing to Hatchie Press e-mail updates.
Do you have community news you’d like to share? E-mail us at news@hatchiepress.com.
