Once a stay at home mom, Ruth Fulwiler saw her life get busier when she was handed a job for costume designing at her daughter\u2019s high school in Wisconsin. Now in Juneau, with her daughter long since graduated, she has kept designing.<\/p>\n
Most recently, she completed over 60 costumes, from Greek inspired gowns to clown costumes for the Summer Theatre Arts Rendezvous (STAR), Perseverance Theatre\u2019s five-week youth acting program’s theatrical productions.<\/p>\n
The Empire met up with Fulwiler recently to discuss her work with the STAR\u2019s production of \u201cSingin\u2019 in the Rain,\u201d which happened on July 29, and Sophocles\u2019 play \u201cAntigone\u201d on July 30, to get a glimpse of what it\u2019s like to make so many costumes.<\/p>\n
At Fulwiler\u2019s home, which sits upon a hill in Douglas swarming in flowers of every color, she described how she lived in Wisconsin prior to Juneau, and how a small costume job quickly turned into her life.<\/p>\n
She moved to Juneau for her grandchildren, and she continued designing costumes, this time for theater at Floyd Dryden Middle School. Her talent and hard work was soon recognized and she got offered costume-designing work at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, and a class her daughter taught at the Embassy school in Moscow for a Renaissance fair, which took a great deal of research; even Perseverance Theater has used her skills in numerous plays, such as \u201cShakespeare Stars,\u201d \u201cSingin\u2019 in the Rain\u201d and \u201cAntigone.\u201d<\/p>\n
After showing off a hand-stitched quilt with large flowers and a black beaded dress on a mannequin, Fulwiler showed pictures of her costumes from \u201cOliver,\u201d a production by Floyd Dryden, and \u201cSingin\u2019 in the Rain.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cSingin\u2019 in the Rain\u201d costumes were fun to make because they were clown costumes, said Fulwiler; she was allowed to be creative with the costumes, and they did not have to be perfect.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like creating stuff and figuring out how to do a whole chorus of something!\u201d Fulwiler said with a growing smile. The smile stayed on her face as she described working with the talented kids she made costumes for.<\/p>\n
Last spring she helped children from Perseverance Theater design their own costumes for the \u201cShakespeare Stars.\u201d Donnie Gott, a local director for Perseverance, said her daughter Maize was too young to perform in a STAR production but Fulwiler let her knit some costumes and help measure the other kids. Gott added that \u201cRuth was very generous to Maize.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gott said that in some productions people can be reluctant to work costuming kids, especially 20 to 40 kids, but Fulwiler handled it calmly and gracefully.<\/p>\n
The costume designing life is not all that glamorous.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best part is designing. The worst part is sometimes you get a flop,\u201d Fulwiler commented in regards to some costumes that did not work out. She told a story about how she made a dress for one of the leads in \u201cSingin\u2019 in the Rain\u201d and it did not work for the actress, so she stayed up late making a new dress.<\/p>\n
Gott has been working with Fulwiler for the past two years. Fulwiler worked with her last year for the \u201cShakespeare Stars\u201d mashup and again this year for \u201cAntigone.\u201d At the cast party for \u201cAntigone\u201d at Perseverance Theatre, Gott said Fulwiler is knowledgeable and she gets the job done on time. \u201cFrom what I\u2019ve heard, she\u2019s kind of a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gott\u2019s personal favorite of Fulwiler\u2019s work was from \u201cAntigone,\u201d and was Eurydice\u2019s gold dress worn by Tsifira Kiehl.<\/p>\n
. She showed the dress backstage \u2014 it was all gold, with a slippery-shiny fabric and a gold circle headdress.<\/p>\n
\u201cAntigone\u2019s costume is lovely as well, Ismene\u2019s costume is great and all of her costumes are great!\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The costumes from \u201cAntigone\u201d were all hung up and gleamed a variety of different rich, royal colors such as blues, purples and golds. The costumes from \u201cSingin\u2019 in the Rain\u201d contrasted the Greek gowns with bright red and white polka dots and hobo caps.<\/p>\n
After showing off the costumes, Gott said Fulwiler\u2019s job is \u201cnot a job for the weak of heart!\u201d<\/p>\n
Fulwiler said she hopes to continue making costumes for a long time. If someone was to ask her why she sticks with costume designing she would simply say, \u201cBecause it\u2019s fun!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Freelancer Shannon Mason can be reached at shannonreedmason@gmail.com.<\/p>\n
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