JULI BOUNDS SHOP MANAGER FIRST HAND

Summary

In this Utah Shakespeare Festival interview, Julie, a shop manager and first hand at Dickinson College, shares her theater journey. Starting in costume shops during college, she now manages student workers, teaches costuming, and collaborates on productions. Julie discusses her roles, from managing schedules and paperwork to hands-on sewing and fittings. She highlights the joy of working with talented teams and the high standards of craftsmanship in theater, emphasizing the importance of life skills like sewing and the creative outlet it provides for students.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Julie is a first hand and shop manager at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Dickinson College, where she manages costume shops and student workers.
• 👗 Julie's theater career began in college, working in the costume shop at the University of Pittsburgh, and she continued to develop her skills at Dickinson College.
• 📚 She has a supportive faculty member at Dickinson who created a position for her, allowing her to contribute to the theater department with her expertise.
• 🧵 Julie teaches costuming skills to student workers and also instructs an introductory sewing class, highlighting her role as an educator in addition to a manager.
• 📋 As a shop manager, Julie is responsible for organizational tasks such as scheduling, hiring paperwork, and managing dressing paperwork for the designer.
• 👗 She also assists in fittings, taking notes, and assigning tasks to stitchers and workers, showcasing her hands-on involvement in the costume creation process.
• 📏 At the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Julie's role as a first hand involves cutting out fabric according to patterns made by a draper and working closely with stitchers.
• 🎨 The festival operates at a high standard, which allows Julie to focus on the quality of her sewing and finishing work, different from her role at Dickinson.
• 🤝 Julie values the collaborative environment at the festival, mentioning the importance of teamwork with other departments like props for creating costumes.
• 🌟 She has worked at other companies, such as the Berkshire Theatre Group and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, gaining diverse experience in theater and ballet production.
• 🏞️ The setting of the Utah Shakespeare Festival and the talented people she works with are the main reasons Julie returns each year, emphasizing the value of the experience.

Q & A

What is Julie's role at the Utah Shakespeare Festival?

Julie is a first hand at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, responsible for cutting out all the fabric, marking it, and working with stitchers to instruct them on how things go together.

What does Julie's job as a shop manager at Dickinson College involve?

As a shop manager at Dickinson College, Julie is in charge of scheduling student workers, handling hiring paperwork, managing dressing paperwork, and assigning tasks to stitchers and workers. She also teaches costuming skills and an intro to theater technology sewing class.

How did Julie's theater career begin?

Julie's theater career started in college where she worked in the costume shop at the University of Pittsburgh for all four years. She was then hired at Dickinson College in an overhire position, eventually becoming a shop manager.

What is the significance of having a supportive faculty member at Dickinson College for Julie?

A supportive faculty member at Dickinson College helped create a position for Julie, allowing her to have a role where she could advocate for the positions needed in the theater department.

How many student workers does Julie manage at Dickinson College?

Julie manages between eight and ten student workers at Dickinson College who are interested in sewing and costuming.

What is unique about the student workers that Julie works with at Dickinson College?

The student workers Julie works with are not all theater students but come from various majors, with a common interest in sewing and costuming, providing them a creative outlet outside their primary studies.

What is the difference between Julie's role as a first hand at the Utah Shakespeare Festival compared to her role at Dickinson College?

At the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Julie is more focused on the technical aspects of sewing and working with a high standard of finishing work, whereas at Dickinson College, she has a broader role including management and teaching.

Why does Julie continue to return to the Utah Shakespeare Festival?

Julie returns to the Utah Shakespeare Festival due to the love for the setting, the opportunity to work in a different environment than Pennsylvania, and most importantly, the talented people and friends she has made over the years.

What is the process of collaboration with the props team like for Julie at the Utah Shakespeare Festival?

Julie's collaboration with the props team involves receiving instructions for what is needed for the show, such as creating a dummy robe for a dead body dummy, but she does not work closely with them; the designer and the shop manager handle most of the communication.

How does Julie's experience at the Utah Shakespeare Festival differ from her experience at other theaters?

At the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Julie works with drapers' patterns and does not use commercial patterns, unlike at Dickinson College where commercial patterns are commonly used. The festival also operates at a high standard, which allows her to focus on quality sewing and finishing work.

What other companies has Julie worked for in the past?

Julie has worked at the Berkshire Theatre Group in Massachusetts as a first hand stitcher and briefly at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, contributing to their elaborate ballet productions.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Journey to Theater and Shop Management at Dickinson College

Julie, a firsthand at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and shop manager at Dickinson College, shares her theater journey. Starting in college at the University of Pittsburgh's costume shop, she later became an overhire at Dickinson, eventually taking on a supportive role in the theater department. As a manager, she oversees student workers, manages schedules, and teaches costuming skills. Additionally, she has begun teaching an introductory sewing class, emphasizing the importance of sewing as a life skill.

05:01

📚 Shop Management and Collaborations at Utah Shakespeare Festival

In this paragraph, Julie discusses her role as a firsthand at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, which involves cutting out fabric, assisting stitchers, and taking notes during fittings. She highlights the high standards of the festival and the precision required in costume making, contrasting it with the use of commercial patterns at Dickinson College. Julie also shares an experience of collaborating with the props team to create a dummy robe for a show, showcasing the diverse skills needed in theater production.

10:02

🌟 Experiences at Other Theaters and Returning to Utah Shakes

Julie recounts her experiences working at the Berkshire Theater Group in Massachusetts and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, emphasizing the variety of productions and designers she encountered. She expresses her fondness for returning to the Utah Shakespeare Festival, attributing it to the unique setting, the opportunity to work in a different environment, and most importantly, the talented and supportive community she has come to know over the years.

Keywords

💡Utah Shakespeare Festival

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is an annual event that celebrates the works of William Shakespeare and other classic playwrights. It is a key setting for the video, as it is where Julie, the main subject, works as a 'first hand' during the festival. The festival represents a high standard of theater production, which is a central theme of the video, emphasizing the dedication and skill involved in theater costume design and management.

💡first hand

In the context of the video, a 'first hand' is a person responsible for cutting out fabric according to the patterns made by a draper. This role is crucial in the costume creation process for theater productions. Julie, as a first hand, works closely with the draper and stitchers, marking and cutting fabrics, and ensuring the accuracy of the costume pieces, which is a significant aspect of her contribution to the festival.

💡shop manager

A shop manager in a theater context, as described in the video, is responsible for overseeing the costume shop, managing student workers, and handling administrative tasks related to costume production. Julie's role as a shop manager at Dickinson College involves organizational skills, hiring, and training student workers, which is an essential part of her professional journey and expertise in theater.

💡costume design

Costume design is the process of creating and planning the costumes for theater productions. It is a central theme in the video, as Julie's work involves collaborating with costume designers to bring their vision to life through the creation of costumes. The video highlights the importance of costume design in expressing characters and enhancing the storytelling aspect of theater.

💡Dickinson College

Dickinson College is a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania where Julie works as a shop manager. The college is significant in the video as it provides Julie with an environment to develop her skills in theater costuming and management. It also serves as a place where she can mentor and teach students interested in sewing and costuming.

💡student workers

In the video, student workers are individuals who assist in the costume shop at Dickinson College under Julie's guidance. They come from various academic backgrounds but share an interest in sewing and costuming. Their involvement in the costume shop provides them with practical skills and a creative outlet, which is an important aspect of the educational experience highlighted in the video.

💡theater technology

Theater technology encompasses the technical aspects of theater production, including lighting, sound, and costume creation. In the video, Julie teaches an introductory course on theater technology, specifically the sewing portion, to a class of about 15 people. This course is an example of how technical skills are integrated into theater education and production.

💡management skills

Management skills are essential for organizing and overseeing the operations of a theater's costume shop. Julie demonstrates these skills by scheduling student workers, handling hiring paperwork, and managing the costume production process. The video emphasizes the importance of management skills in coordinating the various aspects of costume creation for theater productions.

💡commercial patterns

Commercial patterns are pre-made templates used in sewing and costume creation. At Dickinson College, Julie and her team use these patterns, which they alter as needed for specific costume designs. The use of commercial patterns is a practical approach in smaller theater programs, as mentioned in the video, and it reflects the resourcefulness required in theater costuming.

💡drapers

Drapers are professionals who create patterns for costumes by draping fabric directly onto a form built to the actor's size. This process ensures a precise fit and detailed finish for the costumes. In the video, the role of drapers is contrasted with the use of commercial patterns, highlighting the difference in costume creation between the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Dickinson College.

💡collaboration

Collaboration is a key aspect of theater production, as seen in the video where Julie works with various teams such as drapers, stitchers, and props teams. The video describes a situation where Julie collaborates with the props team to create a dummy robe for a dead body dummy in a show. This collaboration is essential for the seamless integration of costumes and props in theater productions.

Highlights

Julie's journey in theater began in college, working in the costume shop at the University of Pittsburgh.

She was hired at Dickinson College as an overhire position, eventually becoming a shop manager.

Julie manages between eight and ten student workers at Dickinson, teaching them costuming skills.

She also teaches an introductory sewing portion of a theater technology class at Dickinson.

Julie's role as a shop manager involves significant organizational skills, including scheduling and paperwork.

At the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Julie serves as a first hand, working closely with the draper and stitchers.

Her responsibilities include cutting out fabric, marking patterns, and assisting in fittings.

Julie appreciates the high standard of work at the festival, allowing her to focus on quality sewing and finishing.

Dickinson College uses commercial patterns for costuming, unlike the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

The festival creates patterns from scratch, ensuring precision and fit for actors.

Julie's first hand role involves being the primary fabric handler and pattern cutter.

She has also collaborated with the props team to create costumes for non-actor characters.

Julie has worked at the Berkshire Theatre Group in Massachusetts, gaining experience as a first hand stitcher.

Her brief experience at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet introduced her to the world of ballet costuming.

The Utah Shakespeare Festival's setting and the talented people she works with keep Julie coming back each year.

Julie's passion for theater and creativity is evident in her work and her commitment to the festival.

Transcripts

hello students and welcome back to the

Utah Shakespeare Festival today we are

going to be talking with Julie Julie is

one of our first hands at the Utah

Shakespeare Festival Julie why don't you

tell us about your journey in theater

where you started and how you ended up

here at the Utah Shakespeare Festival

great hi um like Rosa said I'm Julie I'm

a firsthand here and I'm also a shop

manager at Dickinson College um a small

liberal arts school School in

Pennsylvania um my

theater career started mostly in college

I started working in the costume shop um

at the University of Pittsburgh and I

worked there all four years of college

um and then I was lucky enough to be

hired at Dickinson as an overhire

position um for a couple years um

working as sort of a shop manager

Stitcher

firsthand

whatever was needed um and then I was

lucky enough to have a supportive

faculty member

who made a position for me at Dickinson

which is great um to have someone who

can advocate for the positions that are

needed in a theater Department um so I'm

a shop manager there now and we have

between eight and 10 student workers who

work with us um who who are all sort of

students at Dickinson they're not all

theater students but they're all

interested in sewing and costuming um so

I work with them and teach them sort of

costuming skills that they need and I

have recently started teaching our intro

to theater technology sewing portion of

um the class so I teach intro sewing

skills to a class of about 15 people and

every fall semester so that is sort of a

very basic overview of what I do at

Dickinson so I think I brought you on

this one um I specifically said about

shop management so at Dickinson um we've

talked with a lot of costume designers

we've talked with some Drapers tell us

exactly what you do as shop manager like

how much management skills go into yeah

yeah it's definitely a lot of

organizational skills which I think I'm

pretty good at um I have have to

schedule all of our student workers so

at the beginning of the semester they

send me their schedule and availability

and I schedule them I'm in charge of

like doing all the hiring paperwork um

I do a lot of that kind of stuff I'm

also mostly do the sort of dressing

paperwork cuz we don't have a wardrobe

manager position in a way that can get

that done so I do a lot of the paperwork

for our designer um we have a resident

faculty designer who designs basically

all of our shows um unless she's like on

sabatical

or has a load that doesn't support a

show so we sometimes do hire in um

designers that I'll sort of help through

the process of like what we can do and

how we work in our shop um I am also in

most of the fittings taking notes um so

I do all of that kind of

management um I also am like assigning

the our stitchers and workers sort of

what they're going to be working

on um and I do also just like cut and

sew things also we don't have a draper

position so we're such a small shop and

a small program that we don't have sort

of the time or the skill the expertise

so we mostly work with commercial

patterns that we alter and you know do

what we need with um but it's you know

sort of enough for what we need um when

we're doing it so this is a theater

appreciation class so we have students

from all over the campus who aren't

necessarily theater Majors you said that

some of your student workers aren't

necessarily theater Majors do you get

fashion design or where are these yeah

so we are a since we're just a very

small school we we don't have a fashion

program at all we have um a visual arts

major that some of our students come

from who are just sort of interested in

the skill of sewing but we also have a

lot of um just like I'm a biology major

but my grandma taught me to sew and I

really like sewing so can I come work

for you um so we have a lot of students

who are sort of just like the aspect of

sewing and want to get involved in that

way and it's a nice way to have a

creative Outlet especially if you're

doing sort of very scientific or

like read a lot of reading or whatever

it's a good um break for some students

to get use their hands and do something

creative that's great yeah I think um

sewing is one of those life skills that

people forget about and I've I've told

my students when they take sewing

classes there are popups all over New

York and Chicago where you'll pay 20

bucks to come into a bar and learn for

an hour how to sew a button yeah and

here you do you just offer those

things yeah you're just honing life

skills left and right um tell me a

little bit about your job as a firsthand

here at Utah Shakespeare Festival and

how that differs from being an actual

shop manager

you're yeah it's I was lucky to get

connected with Jeff 7 years ago so I've

been here um 7 years and I've always

been a firsthand here here which is sort

of interesting that I haven't really

seen been in other positions but I

really like being a firstand um I am in

charge of cutting out all of the fabric

so we have a draper who makes the

patterns and then I um will Mark all the

fabric and cut it all out and then I'll

help work with the stitchers to instruct

them on sort of how things go together

um I also am in fittings so similar to

my shop maner management role um at

Dickinson I take a lot of notes for

fittings and make sure I assign you know

who's doing what alterations and things

um so I keep organized with

that um I do like that I'm not the

person in charge when I'm the firsthand

I it's a little more like I just get to

do the sewing work that I really like um

so it's just a different thing I think

also I love working here at the festival

because we're just working at such a

high standard that it's um really like

fun to really just be sewing really well

and like the finishing work we do is

beautiful and just getting to do all

that fun sewing stuff that I don't

always get to do at Dickinson now you

said at Dickinson you guys use a lot of

commercial patterns which I know a lot

of universities do use commer commercial

patterns do you use a lot of commercial

patterns here at UT no we don't yeah we

I think did use one commercial pattern

this year to make a dummy

robe that wasn't even going on an actor

um but pretty much here unless it's

something super simple and easy we'll

have a draper make every pattern so

everything we made and everything pretty

much I've ever made here has been from a

Drapers pattern okay

and and we've talked with Drapers so we

know that the Draper actually drapes

fabric onto a form that's been built up

to the actor's size so they get precise

finny um tell me a little bit

about the idea of collaborating with

like props to make these dummy CS you

were like it's not even for yeah yeah we

I this was maybe my first time having to

do something like that so we have in our

show um a dead body dummy that has to be

dressed the same way as um the actor so

we had to make a completely second robe

um and figure out the clothes that were

going to be on the dummy and I didn't

actually work too close to the props I

think our designer mostly did the

communication and Sarah our shop manager

here um was communicating with our props

team but we did sort of get the

instructions that that was what was

needed for the show so um they call you

a firstand what does that actually

entail like is that are you the first

one to touch the Fabrics in like what

what do you do yeah I guess what does

that indicate when when they say here's

our first hand that's like such a good

question which is like maybe a history I

don't totally know um but yeah I mean

basically so yeah the Draper makes the

pattern and then it's handed off to me

um so I guess I'm like the assistant to

the Draper the firstand to the Draper I

don't really know um but yeah I

definitely am in charge of all of the

fabric and marking the fabric with all

the patterns and cutting and sort of

keeping track of the real Fabric and

also mockups and if we do alterations

and stuff I'll pretty much touch every

garment yeah that is quite amazing

thanks yeah if there's a piece missing

guess who's follow yeah you got to you

have to be organized definitely

definitely um tell me have you worked at

other companies other than Utah

shakespare Festival Where Have You Been

yeah so I um have worked at the

Burkshire theater group in Massachusetts

um I worked there for two years as sort

of a firsthand Stitcher um position it's

a much smaller shop so I was more like

doing everything um but that was you

know a fun place to be they do a lot of

really great Productions um and have a

lot of great designers coming up from

New York you get to work with so that

was fun I've also worked very briefly at

the central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet

which is a ballet school um in

Pennsylania that does pretty elaborate

ballet Productions so I've I've done a

little ballet yeah lovely um we know

that you're going to go back to your

school again tell us what keeps you

coming back to the Utah shakes yeah it's

definitely I love the setting of where

we are it's a it's a chance to sort of

get out of Pennsylvania and be somewhere

different but probably the most is the

people I get to work with I have really

great friends who I've made over the

years and everyone is super talented

everyone is like working at such a high

level that it's just really fun to get

to be here and and play and and be

creative and make things for theater and

I just I love theater and it's fun to be

here yeah well we are absolutely

delighted that you come back every year

and your talents are amazing Julie um

thank you so much for your time for your

education your Insight today oh amazing

thank you have a good day bye