Beyond the Stage
Jazz Age Style
Come visit Seattle Rep for Pearl Cleage's stirring drama Blues for an Alabama Sky, set in Harlem in 1930, and check out a display of costumes from past productions that evoke the glamour and grit of that era in American fashion. All of these vintage-style pieces were crafted by the skilled artisans in Seattle Rep's on-site costume shop.
Much Ado About Nothing (1990)
Designer: Catherine Zuber
This 1920s-era dress was based on drawings by Erté, a famed Russian-born French designer known as “the father of Art Deco.”
Originally it was crafted with a longer, fuller skirt designed to flow over padded hip structures—a lesser-known Jazz Age design trend called the robe de style. The dress was later altered into the more common “flapper” look and repurposed for Seattle Rep’s 2006 production of The Great Gatsby.
Anna in the Tropics (2004)
Designer: Deb Trout
Built for: Romi Dias (Conchita)
Designed for a show set in 1929, this dress depicts a moment of fashion transition, crafted in a predominantly 1920s style with features that would become more prominent in the 1930s, like the flounce collar.
Tanya Perez, Romi Dias, Maria Elena Ramirez, and Bryant Mason in Anna in the Tropics (2004). Photo by Chris Bennion.
Designer Deb Trout's swatch card for costumes to be worn by the character of Conchita.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2005)
Designer: Linda Ross
Built for: Charlie Parker (Dussie Mae)
Another example of late 1920s fashion, this dress features a drop waist with a sash, a signature design element of the era that was echoed later in fashion trends of the 1960s and 1990s.
Cynthia Jones and Charlie Parker in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2005). Photo by Chris Bennion.
Designer Linda Ross's rendering for the character of Dussie Mae.
The Great Gatsby (2006)
Designer: Jane Greenwood
Built for: Kathryn Van Meter (Myrtle)
The Great Gatsby was a co-production that began at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and then came to Seattle Rep. As we do with most partner projects, our costume shop had to build additional costumes to fill in gaps and accommodate cast changes from one city to the next.
Shirring was a common design detail in the 1920s. In this dress, the shirring up the center front of the dress causes the fabric to gather and drape over the body for more visual interest.
Kathryn Van Meter (center) and the cast of The Great Gatsby (2006). Photo by Chris Bennion.
Three Tall Women (2010)
Designer: Melanie Taylor Burgess
Built for: Alexandra Tavares (C)
Created for a contemporary play populated with characters from different eras, this dress with a classic drop-waist silhouette helps audiences locate its wearer in the 1920s.
Designed by the same costume designer as Blues for an Alabama Sky, Melanie Taylor Burgess, this piece shares many design elements with the blue dress worn by Angel in that current production. It is built from a silk twill fabric and features a full, knife-pleated skirt.
Alexandra Tavares, Suzanne Bouchard, and Megan Cole in Three Tall Women (2010). Photo by Chris Bennion.
Designer Melanie Taylor Burgess's rendering and swatches for this costume.
Want to see these incredible costumes up close and in person? Get your ticket to Blues for an Alabama Sky, playing on our Bagley Wright stage from January 30–February 23, 2025, and visit our lobby Rotunda before the show closes!