Marin Shakes Costume Designer Mentors SF Art Institute Interns

Each summer costume designer and Art Institute of California of San Francisco instructor, Abra Berman of Novato, designs and builds a collection of costumes for the Marin Shakespeare Company's outdoor summer festival.

This summer she pulled out all the stops for the MSC pirate adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew" and is currently building costumes for "Antony and Cleopatra."

Art Institute of California in San Francisco design students, Dallas Coulter and Sarah Baker worked full time with Berman, interning at her Novato workshop to help her create the lavishly detailed and extremely complicated 18th Century "Shrew" costumes.

"They are highly motivated, reliable, enthusiastic and creative," said Berman.

"Dallas has just won a design competition sponsored by the Museum of Performance and Design. Both Dallas and Sarah have communicated a desire to learn more about costume design. They come from very different backgrounds and perspectives, yet they work well together both in the classroom and outside," said Berman.

"In addition to receiving program credit, they also have something for their design portfolios, their resumes and thanks to Marin Shakespeare Company, some pay for all their hard work."

"They attended several MSC production meetings, met with me in school to discuss the designs and schedule and came to my studio five days a week over their summer break. They also assisted with fittings. Each assistant was responsible for one-third of the total builds for the show," said Berman.

"There is a great tradition in theater for apprentices and these assistants value the experience. Now that production photos have been taken, they will be able to incorporate their work on these costumes into their portfolios which will be on view at their graduation show. Professional industry experts go to these graduation shows to assess their work and potentially hire them," said Berman.

Currently Berman is working with a new crew of design interns from the Art Institute of California of San Francisco, building costumes for Marin Shakespeare Company's "Antony and Cleopatra," opening on Aug. 28.

IF YOU GO:

Marin Shakespeare Company 2010 Season

Travesties
By Tom Stoppard / Directed by Robert Currier
Through Aug. 15, 2010

The Taming of the Shrew
By William Shakespeare / Directed by Robert Currier
Through Sept. 26, 2010

Antony & Cleopatra
By William Shakespeare / Directed by Lesley Schisgall Currier
Opening Aug. 28 to Sept. 25, 2010

WHERE: Forest Meadows Amphitheatre
1475 Grand Avenue, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, Calif.

TICKETS: $20 to $35

BOX OFFICE: 415-499-4488

WEBSITE: www.marinshakespeare.org

SEASON VIDEO: http://animoto.com/play/y71QY4O00wbAdDsPiqm1YA

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