an interview with
Jennifer Miller
Costumer for The Rainbow Fish
Q: When you first heard the plan for Rainbow Fish - where did your design inspiration come from? A: I remember reading the book when I was in elementary school so I immediately found it online to reread. It's a wonderful book and the visuals are stunning! I wanted to design a show that represents the original as Rainbow Fish is a well-known and well-loved character. Q: What was it like building puppets for this show? What were some challenges you faced and what were your solutions? A: This is the best challenge I have ever taken on as I have never made a puppet before! To design and build puppets is completely different from clothing. There are mechanics involved and every element has to work together to create a successful puppet. For Rainbow Fish, we wanted his mouth to open and fins to move so a frame had to be built first with working parts before he could be covered with fabric and completed. Q: How many fish will you end up with at the end of the build? A: There are 9 characters in the show but we're also adding a few ‘background’ characters. For example, a giant purple jellyfish! Q: How many hours have you put into this build? A: I work on the show every day and have been for the past few weeks! I’m measuring actors, designing costumes, creating and sewing costumes, fitting actors, and working hard to make this a fantastic performance. Q: What are some of the challenges of outdoor shows and double casting in terms of costuming? A: I personally love outdoor performances, I think they're the perfect summertime activity. For costuming, you have to be aware of the weather during performances so you can costume actors appropriately. (You don’t want your actor to
be onstage in a winter coat when it's 100 degrees out!) Double casting means some of our costumes will need to be made in multiples. Luckily, I’ve designed the fish costumes where it will fit both actors playing that role. Q: In terms of costuming, how is MHT keeping the actors safe? A: The costume department is taking COVID-19 safety very seriously. I made ditty bags (a hangable bag with lots of pockets) for each actor so they have a clean, safe place backstage to store their personal belongings. Shared costumes will also be sanitized between each performance so actors won’t have to worry about germs. Q: What was your favorite part of building Rainbow Fish? A: All the puppets and fabulous fabrics and sparkle and, well, just about everything! Q: Tell us a little about you - how long you’ve been at MHT, some of your other experience, etc. A: I’ve been working at Market House Theatre a little over a year. I moved from Philadelphia where I was working at the Walnut Street Theatre. Before that I was in Bournemouth, England getting my bachelor's degree in Costume and Performance Design! I’m very excited to be part of the MHT family and work in my dream field. Q: Anything else you want to tell us about costuming at MHT? What’s your favorite part? A: I love all the wonderful people who I have met since moving to Paducah! This is the best decision I have ever made and I hope to work with MHT for many years to come. It truly is a community theatre and now more than ever we need the community's help. Both to keep theatre alive and to continue to thrive after this pandemic is over. I’m so excited for performances to start back up!
