“By his cockle hat and staff,
And his sandal shoon”
-Ophelia, Hamlet
Spotlight on our resident costume designer and frequent collaborator, Brooke Jennings!
The costumes in a show are not only an integral part of the audience’s experience but also of the actors. They shape the character from the inside out! Hear from Brooke about her experience working with We and check out her note in the Undiscovered Country program about the special We Players paisley!
What was your first show with We?
Ondine at Sutro, in 2015
How would you describe working with We in 4 words?
Expansive, Detailed, Grounded
Describe your favorite We Players memory.
Sharing the We experience with a new audience member always leads to my most cherished moments. So in that vein, I’ll share an extra special moment with you all.
My partner, Cole, and I first started dating during Romeo and Juliet at Petaluma Adobe. He had yet to see a We Players Show at this point (I know!), so naturally he was my date on opening night. The show begins in the usual We flurry; gun shots, leather clad rancheros, and the audience looking on with our canteens of wine and napsacks of cheese and crackers. The bells ring in the distance and it’s time for the Ball! We are all given black lace masks; I help Cole tie his and he helps me with mine. To the sound of trumpets, we dance in the middle of the courtyard in the beautiful hills of Petaluma with the actors, staff, fellow audience members, and each other. We laughed, fumbled, and sealed our small moment with a kiss just before Romeo and Juliet lock eyes for the first time.
What is your favorite thing about working on Undiscovered Country?
The expansive quality of We shows usually requires my work to draw and hold audiences attention against roaring cliff sides, sweltering trails, and dense forests. No easy feat given the stunning natural beauty of our performance sites! And while I am deeply grateful for the gift of nature in our shows, this production feels much more distilled. It is a concentrated version of We shows, allowing me to explore detail and precision in the work.
What has been surprising about this process?
The Paisley Research! It’s so satisfying when you stumble onto a treasure chest like this one. The history and story fits so well into our aesthetic for this piece and I learned so much delicious information about a subject I hadn’t really considered before. [Read more about the paisleys in the Undiscovered Country program guide]
Also, pocket soup! Look up a recipe, it’s a real cowboy treat!
Don’t miss Brooke’s costumes in Undiscovered Country- the final four performances are here, so get your ticket today!
