New Costume Collective Now Serving the Houston Theatre Scene

Thanks to a Jamail Innovation Grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston now has a centralized theater costume storage and rental facility, the Costume Connection.

"This project has been a dream of mine for many years," says Main Street Theater Founder and Executive Artistic Director Rebecca Greene Udden. "I am a costumer myself from time to time and know what resources are available around the city, if only we had easy access to them."

The small to mid-sized theater companies in Houston employ many of the same costume designers, and all of the companies borrow from each other regularly. Few of the mid-sized and none of the small organizations have full-time wardrobe managers or adequate, convenient storage for their costume stock. The ability to store everyone's costumes in the same place would eliminate the need for designers to run from theater to theater and would give all the companies access to a wider inventory.

Inspired by The Costume Collection, a program of the Theatre Development Fund in New York City, Udden took the lead and applied for the grant. Once funding was awarded, Udden formed a cohort consisting of Janette Cosley, Executive Director of The Ensemble Theatre, Sharon Williams, former Executive Director of Bayou City Concert Musicals, longtime Houston costume designers Donna Southern Schmidt and Deborah Anderson, community volunteer, journalist, and costume expert Cynthia Lescalleet, and Main Street Theater's Business Manager Peggy Villarreal. They met regularly for many months, overseeing the creation and implementation of this new venture. Officially named the Costume Connection, the organization has applied for a 501(c)(3) non-profit and rents a warehouse near Hwy 59 and Chimney Rock. The formal board is comprised of Ms. Cosley, Ms. Schmidt, Ms. Lescalleet, and Ms. Udden, and by-laws have been written and approved.

Main Street Theater's costume stock was the first to move in, followed by the considerable inventory from Bayou City Concert Musicals after its closing. The Ensemble has now added their costumes, too. Currently the facility is managed by Ms. Schmidt.

Individuals and organizations can become members of the organization, and dues are based on their operating budget and size of inventory. Membership provides free rentals from the Connection. Those interested in membership should contact Rebecca Udden at rudden@mainstreettheater.com. Individuals and organizations can also rent costumes without joining. Those interested in rentals should contact Ms. Udden as well.

"The Houston theater scene is experiencing such exciting growth and expansion," says Udden. "It is our hope that the Costume Connection will serve as a vital part of the theater eco-system and support the extraordinary work being done in our city."

About Main Street Theater

Main Street Theater provides theater experiences for all ages. Founded in 1975, our MainStage produces professional, intimate, literary plays for adults and operates under an Actors' Equity Association union contract; our Theater for Youth produces professional, engaging productions based on children's literature for families and school groups, both in-house and on tour around Texas; and we offer Education and Outreach programs on-site and at satellite locations around the Greater Houston area for youth aged 4 - high school. We work out of 2 facilities: our Rice Village home on Times. Blvd., and as part of the MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston) on Main Street. Main Street Theater is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

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