Read Online A Midsummer Eve's Nightmare by Donna Fletcher Crow - Free Book Online
Authors: Donna Fletcher Crow
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the costume as it became a final work of art through the finishing stages with first hands and seamstresses. “I’m just a seamstress since it’s my first year, but I’d love to work all the way up to designer.”
Elizabeth longed to ask if Tori was sure about making a long-range commitment to the theatre, but she knew the query wouldn’t be welcomed. So she just listened as the lecture continued. “This season we built costumes for 257 characters. Here, let me show you Prospero’s cape.” She led into the wardrobe where several of the running crew were checking costumes for rips or stains. The cape she held out to them was stunning: metallic gold and copper weave, over-painted in a black, red and green swirling pattern. Then the paint was embossed with metallic embroidery threat. “I worked on this for three days—about 18 hours a day.” With a final look of pride she hung the glittering masterpiece back on its rack.
Next was the hairdressers’ and wigmakers’ department where the theatre’s stock of 200 wigs were maintained and special effects created for each character. “Every actor does his own makeup—it’s supposed to be an important part of getting into character. Some do their own beards and mustaches, too, but this department does the rest of it.”
And finally the armory. “We order our swords, halbreds and battle-axes from Spain. But do our own ‘metalworking’ for shields, armor, crowns and such here.”
Richard picked up a massive gold crown. “It’s so light.”
“That’s mouage , a molding plastic. With metallic paint and antiquing it looks more like metal under the lights than real metal—and it’s pounds lighter for the actors. Lots fewer headaches that way.” Full plate armor, chain mail, leather armor—indeed, enough to equip a small army was arranged at one end of the room.
“Oh, I said this was last. I forgot about props.” Tori led to another area immediately behind the Elizabethan stage where a long-haired young woman in jeans and a cotton blouse was carefully arranging a handful of letters on a table strewn with goblets, fans and assorted items that looked as if they would have done very well at a garage sale.
“Hi, Hilary,” Tori greeted the woman, then turned back to her tourees. “Our props crew is amazing. They can make absolutely anything out of a box of ping pong balls, Styrofoam cups, a few feet of wooden doweling and some chicken wire. I think they must be the most creative people in the whole company.”
Elizabeth turned to Hilary who was checking every item on the table against a list on her clipboard. “Do you do props for all the plays?”
“There are seven in our crew. We work together making everything, but once the plays are in production we have specific assignments. Mine is to arrange props for every performance of Twelfth Night and Othello .”
Bingo! That was exactly what Elizabeth wanted. She went straight to her point. “The goblet Desdemona drinks from, do you wash it after every performance?”
“Always the next morning, yes. Both goblets and carafe. Trevor wants them shiny under the lights. The apple juice residue would get disgusting.”
“So the one from two nights ago has been done?”
“Oh, yes. I cleared my things out as soon as the police let us get in, and Juju set up for Henry . That’s the way we always do it.”
Elizabeth nodded. That was what she expected. At least she had persuaded Richard to call Dr. Hilliard before they left the Bard’s Haven. Richard had been reluctant to seem interfering by telling the authorities how to do their job, but the medical examiner was happy to talk about her work since there was no official murder investigation underway. No, she had reported, sodium chloride levels were sometimes tested to establish time of death—although it wasn’t a very reliable method—but since several hundred people had apparently witnessed the death there didn’t seem to be any question about the
Elizabeth longed to ask if Tori was sure about making a long-range commitment to the theatre, but she knew the query wouldn’t be welcomed. So she just listened as the lecture continued. “This season we built costumes for 257 characters. Here, let me show you Prospero’s cape.” She led into the wardrobe where several of the running crew were checking costumes for rips or stains. The cape she held out to them was stunning: metallic gold and copper weave, over-painted in a black, red and green swirling pattern. Then the paint was embossed with metallic embroidery threat. “I worked on this for three days—about 18 hours a day.” With a final look of pride she hung the glittering masterpiece back on its rack.
Next was the hairdressers’ and wigmakers’ department where the theatre’s stock of 200 wigs were maintained and special effects created for each character. “Every actor does his own makeup—it’s supposed to be an important part of getting into character. Some do their own beards and mustaches, too, but this department does the rest of it.”
And finally the armory. “We order our swords, halbreds and battle-axes from Spain. But do our own ‘metalworking’ for shields, armor, crowns and such here.”
Richard picked up a massive gold crown. “It’s so light.”
“That’s mouage , a molding plastic. With metallic paint and antiquing it looks more like metal under the lights than real metal—and it’s pounds lighter for the actors. Lots fewer headaches that way.” Full plate armor, chain mail, leather armor—indeed, enough to equip a small army was arranged at one end of the room.
“Oh, I said this was last. I forgot about props.” Tori led to another area immediately behind the Elizabethan stage where a long-haired young woman in jeans and a cotton blouse was carefully arranging a handful of letters on a table strewn with goblets, fans and assorted items that looked as if they would have done very well at a garage sale.
“Hi, Hilary,” Tori greeted the woman, then turned back to her tourees. “Our props crew is amazing. They can make absolutely anything out of a box of ping pong balls, Styrofoam cups, a few feet of wooden doweling and some chicken wire. I think they must be the most creative people in the whole company.”
Elizabeth turned to Hilary who was checking every item on the table against a list on her clipboard. “Do you do props for all the plays?”
“There are seven in our crew. We work together making everything, but once the plays are in production we have specific assignments. Mine is to arrange props for every performance of Twelfth Night and Othello .”
Bingo! That was exactly what Elizabeth wanted. She went straight to her point. “The goblet Desdemona drinks from, do you wash it after every performance?”
“Always the next morning, yes. Both goblets and carafe. Trevor wants them shiny under the lights. The apple juice residue would get disgusting.”
“So the one from two nights ago has been done?”
“Oh, yes. I cleared my things out as soon as the police let us get in, and Juju set up for Henry . That’s the way we always do it.”
Elizabeth nodded. That was what she expected. At least she had persuaded Richard to call Dr. Hilliard before they left the Bard’s Haven. Richard had been reluctant to seem interfering by telling the authorities how to do their job, but the medical examiner was happy to talk about her work since there was no official murder investigation underway. No, she had reported, sodium chloride levels were sometimes tested to establish time of death—although it wasn’t a very reliable method—but since several hundred people had apparently witnessed the death there didn’t seem to be any question about the
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