Design: Hardware Store to Theatre Space

Winter, 2008

Costume and Set Design
Extremities, Surface Underground Theatre

Toronto, ON


The hardware store during construction.


The final set, a quaint country cottage.

The Project: Peter Pasyk, a fellow Ryerson Alumni, called me up one day and presented this very bold idea he'd been working on for his theatre company, Surface Underground. A friend of his had bought a 60 year-old hardware store and was planning to turn it into an art gallery. However, before the major renovation, he had convinced her to turn it into a theatre and put on a production. This was where I came in. My mission, if I had the guts to accept it, was to convert this unconventional space into a theatre, with a functioning set and seating for 60 guests. I intern responded: "Sounds like a great challenge to me!"

The Play: Extremities by William Mastrosimone, focuses around three young women that live together in a quaint country house, converted from a old barn. While home alone, Marjorie is attacked by Raul, a rapist who'd been stalking her for years, but manages to escape and lock him in the fireplace. Her roommates come home and discover a distraught Marjorie and Raul bound in the fireplace. Through the course of the play Raul manipulates the three women to turn against each other, in order to escape his prison.

The Problems and The Plan: Due to the narrowness of the space, I decided to place the audience on either side of the stage. The play has an intimacy and realism that can be incredibly uncomfortable for the audience. For this reason I wanted the audience to be as close to the space and the actors as possible. As if they are there in the living room, seeing what's happening, but unable to act or help the victims. The fireplace, Raul's prison, is an instrumental piece to the play. The positioning of the audience on either side meant that the fireplace had to be as 3D as possible for the actor to be seen inside. By adding the metal grates and positioning the bike in a vertical manor, the actor was able to move more freely in his cell and be seen through the bars at multiple angles. AND when Raul banged on his metal cage, screaming away, it was pretty scary!

Twelfth Night - Costume Design

Summer, 2008
Resurgence Theatre Company, Newmarket ON


Director: Lee Wilson

The Design: The play has no specific time period. The imaginary island of Ilyria doesn't exist in a place that we recognize. The style of the show has a Victorian influence mixed with modern clothing elements. I wanted to capture the confined feeling of the Victorian period without being too strict to the era. As characters evolve they acquire more elements of colour and loosen restrictive costume pieces.

There is a strong contrast between light and dark, male and female.




Christine Horne (The Stone Angel), as Viola/Cesario. The play opens with a violent shipwreck and Viola is dragged from the water by the Captain onto the stage. I wanted Viola to first appear in white as she arrives on the island, in contrast with all the other character in Ilyria who are dressed in black and dark colours.


Sir Toby, the drunk, and Maria plotting against Malvolio.



Malvolio, the puritan. My interpretation of the famous yellow-garters.


Feste, the clown, dressed as a 60's beat poet. The most modern character in the entire play, speaking often directly to the audience.

*All the corsets constructed by me. The white corset and dress on Viola and pink bodice on Maria.

The Secret Garden - Costume Design

Summer, 2008
Resurgence Theatre Company, Newmarket ON
Director: Ashlie Cocoran


The Cast


Mary, young girl dressed in black, after her parents die and leave her an orphan. Mrs. Medlock comes to collect her at the train station to take her to live with her hunchback uncle, Mr. Craven, in England.


The women playing Mary was actually 24-years old. I had to do everything I could to make her look like a child without making her look like an adult dressing up like a kid. It needed to be believable.


Mary, Dickon and Colin in the secret garden.


The Finale, Colin has grown well and learns to walk with the help of Mary and Dickon. Mr. Craven discovers the children in the garden, overcoming his grief and finally reconciling with his son.


Ben, the gardener, introduced Mary to the Robin who lives in the garden.