OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
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I
theater
SEPTEMBER 16, 2011
and the resident costume designer at PCS,
which means he deals with both the busi
ness and creative sides o f costume design.
The costume shop has a staff o f six and the
team can only build six complete costumes
from scratch. That includes everything—
corset, petticoat, dress, chaps, etc. Once he
determines what the costume shop staff can
create, he calculates the rest o f the labor
needs. “I t’s all different. I t’s like a constantly
changing big puzzle,” Cone explains.
He is quick to point out that he does not
exist in a vacuum. “There are so many people
working on the show. W ithout the support
of my staff and Portland Center Stage, we
couldn’t ‘solve the problem,’” he says.
Cone’s research portfolio for Oklahoma! in
cludes photos of period homesteads, cowboys
Jeff Cone’s costume renderings for the
and even a madame and her girls at Kansas
upcoming production of Oklahoma!
City Junction. The working ladies served as
inspiration for the play’s “postcard girls.”
“ [Some] musicals are a heightened
Most women in the play will sport two
sense of reality— a glossy, height
outfits. Cone calls the first a “traveling cos
tume.” Comprised o f a long dark skirt and a
ened reality. My goal is that the
light blouse, “it was the jeans and.T-shirt of
clothes look like real clothes... as if
the day,” he says. The second is a “wrapper
you were to take a photograph” of
dress,” popular at the time, which the ladies
will wear for the story’s box social, dhe
real people at that time.
dresses are made of calico, a preferred f abric
- J E F F C O N E , COSTUME DESIGNER
because it was cheap but came in a wide va
graduate student in art, Cone took a few riety of colors and prints, Cone adds.
elective courses in design for the theater.The
The men will wear “one and a h alf” cos
head of the theater and speech department tumes, meaning a working outfit they can
suggested he pursue a master’s, and Cone dress up, for example with a vest, to attend
became the first MFA student in costume the box social. “They’re working guys,” Cone
design at University o f South Carolina.
notes.
According to Cone, being outed the way
His job demands a lot of time and energy
he was profoundly impacted his views of his and is not the most lucrative out there, but
own capabilities. He never thought of him Cone considers himself lucky. “I’m never gonna
self as worthy and he “never pursued any own a house because 1 don’t make enough
thing,” he shares. “[The experience] changed money ... hut I enjoy my job and I don’t dread
the course o f my life in many ways that 1 coming to work,” he says. “It’s the reality of life
couldn’t see at the tim e.”
in the arts but, like I say, that’s the trade-off—I
Loss of self-esteem prevented him from like my job. J*]
going after opportunities, but some things
fell into place for him. Despite the early O k l a h o m a ; runs Tues., Sept. 20-Sun., Oct. 30,
setback, the designer has enjoyed a long and Tues.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun. matinees at 2, Sat.
successful career. “I’ve been employed in the and Ihurs. matinees vary at the Gerding Theater
arts for lo these 30 years, but I’ve never ap at the Armory, Main Stage, 12S N W 11th
plied for a job,” he says.
Ave. Tickets, $39 and up, are available by calling
Cone is both the costume shop manager 503-445-3700 or visitingpcs.org.
37
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