Victorian-style men’s clothing and long blond wigs, I thought, were the least of my concerns.
During one of the Bryony pre-shoot days at the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History, museum director Pat Magosky showed me a closet full of clothes, but at my first, untrained eye, they resembled 60’s leisure suits, certainly not the appropriate garments for John Simons. Still, I was not worried.
Since the one costume shop in town had closed its doors, I called the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet, figuring they’d have what I needed, but they steered me right back to the Magosky mansion and to another costume shop miles away. Since one of the fellows I was fitting lived out of town, I didn’t want to take chances on renting a costume that might not fit.
So, I poured out my request on Facebook and contacted Joliet Junior College. The forthcoming suggestions from Facebook were impractical. However, JJC offered to help if I ever needed Victorian women’s clothing. I was about to contact the two local universities on my list when my publicist called to see if I had assembled all props. I poured out my sad tale. She listened somewhat patiently (Dulcinea is patient and kind), and then reminded me Seth had participated in Civil War reenactments.
“There are Victorian clothes in that mansion,” Dulcinea said. “You just have to find them.”
“Maybe,” I hedged, “but I wish Heather could help. I can’t put it together so it looks right.”
Heather Frelichowski of Crafty Mom Inc., who’s making me two Victorian walking suits and a ball gown, is an expert on sewing and fashion, but Heather was sick and couldn’t help.
“What about the wig?” Dulcinea asked.
“Nothing.” LARGE sigh.
Dulcinea, in conjunction with Relentless Iota Productions (a company that specializes in custom set design and fabrication of costumes and props) is experienced in costuming, etc. I don’t have a clue (I only know what I like), so I REALLY needed her help with this.
So, Dulcinea, because she is kind, too, rearranged her schedule and met me at the Magosky mansion the next day. That time, Andrea Magosky, the education coordinator, had laid out an array of Victorian and pseudo-Victorian themed coats, shirts and ties, as well as three top hats. They had probably been in that closet the entire time. So much for 60s leisure suits (Say that three times fast).
Quickly, Dulcinea rejected some items and arranged combinations of others on hangers while my fifteen-year-old son Daniel amused himself by trying on some of them. Photos of Daniel’s experiment here: http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2011/04/wigtraption-is-now-word.html
The clothing worry was gone. All we needed was a wig for John Simons’ long hair.
We parted ways, I to re-record an audio interview for Bryony and rescue a hypoglysemic attack with fast food, and Dulcinea for some uneventful wig shopping. Apparently, long blonde hair is not a popular wig item, but Dulcinea had other venues she would hit tomorrow. I wasn’t worried. When Dulcinea needs something, she gets it.
That night, Dulcinea called, pleased with herself. In the past, she had created wigs from human hair and had some blonde remnants. Not knowing the size of “John Simons'” head, she was stitching these to an adjustable headband our actor could wear under a top hat. We were saved!
Well, not quite.
At midnight, fifteen hours before show time, an exasperated and out of patience Dulcinea called again. The wig was shedding on her as fast as she was stitching it. Enough was enough. Tomorrow, no matter what, she was buying a wig.
During one of the Bryony pre-shoot days at the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History, museum director Pat Magosky showed me a closet full of clothes, but at my first, untrained eye, they resembled 60’s leisure suits, certainly not the appropriate garments for John Simons. Still, I was not worried.
Since the one costume shop in town had closed its doors, I called the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet, figuring they’d have what I needed, but they steered me right back to the Magosky mansion and to another costume shop miles away. Since one of the fellows I was fitting lived out of town, I didn’t want to take chances on renting a costume that might not fit.
So, I poured out my request on Facebook and contacted Joliet Junior College. The forthcoming suggestions from Facebook were impractical. However, JJC offered to help if I ever needed Victorian women’s clothing. I was about to contact the two local universities on my list when my publicist called to see if I had assembled all props. I poured out my sad tale. She listened somewhat patiently (Dulcinea is patient and kind), and then reminded me Seth had participated in Civil War reenactments.
“There are Victorian clothes in that mansion,” Dulcinea said. “You just have to find them.”
“Maybe,” I hedged, “but I wish Heather could help. I can’t put it together so it looks right.”
Heather Frelichowski of Crafty Mom Inc., who’s making me two Victorian walking suits and a ball gown, is an expert on sewing and fashion, but Heather was sick and couldn’t help.
“What about the wig?” Dulcinea asked.
“Nothing.” LARGE sigh.
Dulcinea, in conjunction with Relentless Iota Productions (a company that specializes in custom set design and fabrication of costumes and props) is experienced in costuming, etc. I don’t have a clue (I only know what I like), so I REALLY needed her help with this.
So, Dulcinea, because she is kind, too, rearranged her schedule and met me at the Magosky mansion the next day. That time, Andrea Magosky, the education coordinator, had laid out an array of Victorian and pseudo-Victorian themed coats, shirts and ties, as well as three top hats. They had probably been in that closet the entire time. So much for 60s leisure suits (Say that three times fast).
Quickly, Dulcinea rejected some items and arranged combinations of others on hangers while my fifteen-year-old son Daniel amused himself by trying on some of them. Photos of Daniel’s experiment here: http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2011/04/wigtraption-is-now-word.html
The clothing worry was gone. All we needed was a wig for John Simons’ long hair.
We parted ways, I to re-record an audio interview for Bryony and rescue a hypoglysemic attack with fast food, and Dulcinea for some uneventful wig shopping. Apparently, long blonde hair is not a popular wig item, but Dulcinea had other venues she would hit tomorrow. I wasn’t worried. When Dulcinea needs something, she gets it.
That night, Dulcinea called, pleased with herself. In the past, she had created wigs from human hair and had some blonde remnants. Not knowing the size of “John Simons'” head, she was stitching these to an adjustable headband our actor could wear under a top hat. We were saved!
Well, not quite.
At midnight, fifteen hours before show time, an exasperated and out of patience Dulcinea called again. The wig was shedding on her as fast as she was stitching it. Enough was enough. Tomorrow, no matter what, she was buying a wig.
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