“I’m going to eat that dress,” said SF State student Ann Morin.

Morin, a student in Theatre Arts (TH A) 611: Period Patternmaking and Tailoring for the Stage, is gawking at classmate Claire Calderwood’s creation. An 18th century-style dress that will be worn on stage for the upcoming SF State play "Les Liaisons Dangereuses."

Long before auditions and rehearsals, costume designer Ruth Trimbull and director Todd Roerhman began the costume process for "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." The costume-making process for this production has been particularly unique.

It has been over two decades since SF State has done an 18th century period piece. In most instances, costumes have been made from existing garments; for Liaisons the costumes have been made from scratch, explained Trimbull.

The process did not begin with material or sewing machines; it did not even begin with a pencil and a sketch pad. At the beginning of the calendar year Trimbull began researching 18th century clothing. Trimbull and Roerhman traveled to New York to visit the Metropolitan New York Museum’s exhibit featuring clothing from that period.

Trimbull, who is a graduate student, has worked as assistant costume designer on two other productions at SF State, and she is a teacher’s assistant for TH A 611, the course most of the students working late on this evening are enrolled in.

Trimbull’s sketches of the Liaisons' 12 characters are displayed on the wall behind a row of sewing machines. Each character was assigned to a student in the 611 course and they were responsible for their costume from start to finish.

During the lengthy process some of the students constructing the costumes got attached to the characters.

Trimbull said the costume student Rebecca Ingree was working on was for one of Count Valmont’s love interests but Ingree clarified: “Well, she’s the only one who qualifies as a love interest, the others would be lust interests. She’s the sweet religious one that he’s trying to corrupt.”

The very elaborate costumes with all of their lace, linings, trims, and rich colors are the result of work done by not only the TH A 611 students but also TH A 312 Costuming and Make-Up Laboratory and Crew, students.
Sabrina Fiore and Tori Hendrix are enrolled in TH A 312 and have assisted in the costume making process.

Fiore and Hendrix said the work has been tedious and the pieces they have worked on will not be visible on stage, but the experience has been rewarding because they know all of the work they have put into the costumes.

“The costume is a bunch of pieces that come together,” said Hendrix.

“It’s concrete. Even working with little things, you see where it’s going,” said Fiore.

The costume crew said they plan on having all the finishing touches done by opening night. "Les Liaisons Dangereuses", a tale of lust and seduction, will open at SF State on Thursday, Nov. 18.