Clint Horne’s designs add enchantment to Stage Door Players’ fairy tale
Next week, Dunwoody’s Stage Door Players will be opening their newest production, Once Upon a Mattress. The play is a fairy tale esque musical with romance, comedy and a whole new view on the classic The Princess and The Pea. Clint Horne, the ever so sought out costume designer to some of Atlanta’s most beautiful adornments, took on the task of designing this retelling of a classic, collaborating for complete looks, and enjoying the fun that comes along with it.
Below, Horne talks about his experience with taking from different eras and influences, and how character and costume meld together.
Q. Once Upon a Mattress is a retelling of the classic The Princess and The Pea. Were there certain things you took from the old telling and then mixed with new age elements when conceiving the design concept?
A. Although the show makes a number of references that ground it in the 1400s medieval era, it’s still a fairy tale and it’s a musical that likes to share a wink with the audience. That gives me a lot of leeway as a designer. I started with references to medieval fashion and classic fairy tale illustrations from the turn of the century, then mixed in elements from other eras like the Renaissance and even 1940s Hollywood femme fatales. It’s all about enhancing the story and meeting the vision of our director.
Q. The costumes seem incredibly elaborate and depict the classic image of the fairy tale world. Was this your first time designing for a show that was set in an era of bustles and corsets?
A. I’ve been at this for quite a few years, so I’ve costumed everything from Shakespearean tragedies to modern who-dunnits. While I enjoy the challenge of specific historical eras, it’s always a lot of fun to break outside the box and be really creative with shows like this.
Q. What was your favorite costume in this production to create?
A. I really love it when all of the costumes come together as a cohesive whole – when little details and colors tie everything together to make it all part of one reality. In this show, the queen dominates everything, so her influence is seen in the other characters’ costumes but she still has to be set apart. I gave her distinctive looks that reflect her edge and attitude, so they are probably my favorites this time around.
Q. Each look really is a head to toe transformation. What was the experience like to work as a team with the wig designer, George Deavours, to make sure that everything fit perfect and the end result was the pictured character?
A. I enjoy the collaboration, especially with such a brilliant wig designer like George Deavours! Taking my cues from the director’s concept, I begin formulating a design scheme and collecting reference materials for research. I then share the design plan and relevant research with George. What he brings back is just amazing and really completes each costume.
Q. Even though the costumes are incredibly serious in detail and design, this play has a lot of fun and whimsy. Did this translate in some of the design aspects as well?
A. Absolutely. This is such a fun show to be a part of that it just has to translate into the design. As I’m creating a costume, I always imagine the character and try to think what the actor might do with that character on stage. The costume is just another tool to help them bring that character to life. So, I might give them something like a sharp collar to twitch into place or a trailing sleeve for languid gestures. Our cast can really have fun with these costumes.
