Exhibit to feature work of Jean Biggs, phenomenal costume designer
Alice in Wonderland’s giant pink flamingos, Pinocchio’s jewel toned patchwork jacket, ingeniously crafted beaks, noses, ears and tails are a few of the artful creations on display in Crowns and Crows and Pinocchio’s Nose: The Artistry of Jean Biggs, Designer for Greenwood Players Children’s Theater scheduled for the Mabel Tainter Center for The Arts Gallery, October 6-31 (details).
The exhibit features a selection from Jean Biggs’ costumes and sets designed for twenty-nine productions by the Greenwood Players Children’s Theater. From 1981-1996 the Greenwoods, a professional company of actors, artists and musicians based in Menomonie, performed original work and led workshops for young audiences at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts and on tour to schools and libraries in Western Wisconsin. Jean's ability to make the invisible visual, and to connect to children’s vivid imaginations made her uniquely gifted to work in theatre design.
The Greenwood Players Children’s Theater created original plays through the improvisational method, beginning with a scenario rather than a script. The small company of actors and musicians often transformed instantly to become new characters, as well as animals, rocks, rivers and fences. In order to meet the spontaneity and flexibility of the company's acting style, Biggs developed a unique approach to theater design. Before rehearsals began Biggs did preliminary research based on the particular story and developed a basic color palate. Then she designed a basic uni-sex garment, that she could enhance with whatever yet unknown accessories, props and additions she would have to create as scenes and characters emerged, while working within the constraints of a modest budget. Once rehearsals began, Biggs, practical as well as imaginative, worked from her home or the homes of her crew, and matched each actor with a seamstress who was often approximately the same size as the actor. Matching actor to “stitcher,” made it possible to arrange for fittings and adjustments without the actor being present. Along with making home visits to her stitchers, Jean would attend rehearsals, in order to keep in touch with new ideas and to design in the same flexible, playful spirit employed by the actors.
A feature of the exhibit will be an insider’s look at how Biggs inventively used inexpensive, easily obtainable materials and a hot glue gun to design a 16th century farthingale for the Red Queen in Alice and Wonderland, a Chinese Emperor’s hat, raccoon mask, frogs' eyes and “star hands.” Children’s art inspired by performances, video clips from Greenwood Players repertoire, and interviews with Jean Biggs and Greenwood Players’ Artistic Director Marion Lang, all edited by Dan Riordan who with former Greenwood company members curated the exhibit, will round out the show.
An opening event to meet with Biggs as well as Greenwood Players actors and crew will be held Saturday October 8th – 5:00 -7:30 PM, Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts Gallery, 205 Main Street East, Menomonie. Jean, Marion Lang, and Dan Riordan will present a panel discussion and interactive tour of the exhibition on Thursday, October 13 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the Mabel Tainter.
