Dancing with Design: Cell Block Tango

Following crew work on several school productions, I was selected as lead designer for our spring musical, Chicago. By far this was the largest project I have ever done.

Leading a team of underclassmen with little to no sewing experience, I costumed a cast of 47 actors with multiple changes and oversaw all aspects of wardrobe during the production run. Examples of my costume tracks, action plots and quick-change cue sheets can be found in the resources section of the production page.

In this article, I am focusing on my individual “Cell Block” designs.

Cell Block Design Concept:

From the very beginning, I had a specific vision/concept in mind for the cell block chorus.

If the murderesses created their own “look” from prison issued uniforms, what would they wear?

Straying from traditional staged versions of the show, I created a “fantasy sequence” where each inmate and actor showcased their personality through their choice in clothing. New inmate “Roxy” appears in a traditional oversized, prison-issued uniform while the six “Merry Murderesses” and a backing cell block ensemble of 10 dancers take on signature looks that appear to have been fashioned from their original inmate garb.

Finally seeing these costumes in motion for the first time on video months after our closing was both emotional and affirming of the work that I want to do.