Kathleen Laundy Costume Designer
July 29 Sat: Concept production meeting at Jubilee: chorus in neutrals, sepia toned, or faded, grayed out color palette. Bradyn in pinks, Bill in his own suit, Goolie in purple. Bradyn needs two identical nightgowns, one that we can bloody up for the trial scene. 5-6.
Aug 1 Tues: Went to campus, did some general clean up of costume shop and storage, and pulled some general men's shirts, pants, suits, and women's dresses in various sizes in the right period. Also, started pulling the specialty costumes for bell hop, judge, police, garbage man, etc... 11-3.
Aug. 2: Wed. Rigel and I went to rehearsal at and got 75% of the cast measured. 7-8:30
Aug. 3: Thurs Went to campus and set up racks. Distributed the things I pulled yesterday. 12-3
Aug. 6 Sun: Pulled things for the men, suits, vests, pants 4-6
Aug. 7 Mon: Went back to rehearsal to get more measurements 6-7
Aug. 8 Tues: pulled things for the women dresses, skirts, blouses, jackets, hats 1-5
Aug. 9 Wed: started working through the measurements for the women and distributing the things I pulled with two or three choices per actor per scene. 1-5
Aug. 10 Thurs: Brayden fitting 11-12, started working through the measurements for the men and distributing the things I pulled with two or three choices per actor per scene. 4-5
Aug. 11 Fri: started working through the measurements for the men and distributing the things I pulled with two or three choices per actor per scene 1-5
Aug. 13 Sun: fittings on Alexis, Elaine 4-6
Aug. 14 Mon: Did more fittings on Suzanne, Sam, Anna 1-5, went back to rehearsal to get last cast member measured 6-7
Aug. 15 Tues: Did more fittings Haylee 3-5
Aug. 16 Wed: Did more fittings Kayleigh, Devan, Amanda 1-5
Aug. 17 Thurs: Did more fittings Hannah; Brayden came and loaded up all the costumes that didn't need alterations and that had already been fit. 1-3 and fittings on Danny 4-5.
Aug. 18 Fri: Did more fittings on Ryan K, Allison, Ryan M, and Goolie 1-5
Aug. 19 Sat: Did the alterations 2-5; dropped all those costumes off at Waco Civic at 7.
Aug. 20: Sun: Pulled the rest of the accessories and dropped them off at the theatre for First Dress. 4-5:30
Aug 1 Tues: Went to campus, did some general clean up of costume shop and storage, and pulled some general men's shirts, pants, suits, and women's dresses in various sizes in the right period. Also, started pulling the specialty costumes for bell hop, judge, police, garbage man, etc... 11-3.
Aug. 2: Wed. Rigel and I went to rehearsal at and got 75% of the cast measured. 7-8:30
Aug. 3: Thurs Went to campus and set up racks. Distributed the things I pulled yesterday. 12-3
Aug. 6 Sun: Pulled things for the men, suits, vests, pants 4-6
Aug. 7 Mon: Went back to rehearsal to get more measurements 6-7
Aug. 8 Tues: pulled things for the women dresses, skirts, blouses, jackets, hats 1-5
Aug. 9 Wed: started working through the measurements for the women and distributing the things I pulled with two or three choices per actor per scene. 1-5
Aug. 10 Thurs: Brayden fitting 11-12, started working through the measurements for the men and distributing the things I pulled with two or three choices per actor per scene. 4-5
Aug. 11 Fri: started working through the measurements for the men and distributing the things I pulled with two or three choices per actor per scene 1-5
Aug. 13 Sun: fittings on Alexis, Elaine 4-6
Aug. 14 Mon: Did more fittings on Suzanne, Sam, Anna 1-5, went back to rehearsal to get last cast member measured 6-7
Aug. 15 Tues: Did more fittings Haylee 3-5
Aug. 16 Wed: Did more fittings Kayleigh, Devan, Amanda 1-5
Aug. 17 Thurs: Did more fittings Hannah; Brayden came and loaded up all the costumes that didn't need alterations and that had already been fit. 1-3 and fittings on Danny 4-5.
Aug. 18 Fri: Did more fittings on Ryan K, Allison, Ryan M, and Goolie 1-5
Aug. 19 Sat: Did the alterations 2-5; dropped all those costumes off at Waco Civic at 7.
Aug. 20: Sun: Pulled the rest of the accessories and dropped them off at the theatre for First Dress. 4-5:30
production Photos
Silent House's "Machinal" looks at stress on female murderer WAco Trib
"Machinal"
By Silent House Theatre Company
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Waco Civic Theatre, 1517 Lake Air Drive. Performances interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing are Thursday and Sunday.
Tickets: $18 and $20, available at silenthousetheatre.com.
-Carl Hoover August 24, 2023
Suzy Stewart will make a little Waco stage history this weekend when she performs in Silent House Theatre Company’s drama “Machinal,” but she doesn’t expect to shout about it. She will, however, likely smile broadly and let her hands do the talking. Stewart, 61, considers herself Deaf/hard of hearing and will sign her performance as Mother in American Sign Language, with company actor Alex Blanton onstage signing Stewart’s dialogue. The lack of records for such things makes its hard to prove, but it may be the first time that a signing actor has performed with a speaking company on a Waco stage. If not, it’s rare nonetheless. She plays the mother of “Machinal’s” lead character, Helen Jones (Bradyn Braziel), and although her scene with Braziel is one of the play’s nine scenes, it’s a crucial one and one that Stewart has grown to appreciate. “I’m proud,” she signed in a recent interview interpreted by Blanton, her eyes twinkling along with her signing. “I think this will help the deaf community.”
Machinal, a 1928 play written by Sophie Treadwell, follows the plight of Helen Jones, who, snapping under the strain of a loveless marriage to her boss that her mother forced her into, murders her husband and is put on trial. Highly stylized, it features one of Silent House’s largest casts. The Waco company has included a signed performance for the deaf and hard of hearing in all its productions — all of which Stewart attended as an audience member after moving to Waco from Michigan two years ago with her husband Craig. Blanton encouraged Stewart to audition for the role of Jones’ mother and while she first shook off the idea, she eventually decided to give it a shot. “I’ll try it,” she signed.
The surprise and mild shock at being chosen for the part was compounded later when Stewart saw her part in the script expand from two to nine pages, much of which contained in the mother-daughter scene. Her husband Craig, retired as is his wife, pitched in to help run lines three times a day until she learned the script, she recalled.
It wasn’t a matter of memorizing lines, either. Stewart chose to sign in American Sign Language, which, because much of its communication is conceptual than a literal translation of English, has its own grammar and way of expression. There was theater language to learn, such as cues, blocking a scene or striking the set. And director Collin Selman’s habit of hiding his mouth while speaking or walking quickly made lip-reading difficult sometimes, she signed. Being Deaf/hard of hearing — she can’t hear out of one ear and has limited hearing in the other — caused other challenges as well. Cues from another actor’s lines that she couldn’t lip-read had to be signaled in another way, such as the actor hitting the table or stamping a foot. Backstage, cues normally whispered in the dark had to be turned into a tap on the arm or shoulder.
While Blanton will sign Braziel’s dialogue to Stewart onstage, another actor, Kami Yasko, will speak Stewart’s dialogue from offstage.
Stewart’s quick to share her appreciation for her fellow actors. “Everyone here has been so accommodating and friendly. I don’t feel strange or weird,” Stewart signed.
The play’s Thursday and Sunday performances will be signed for the deaf and hard of hearing, and Stewart is looking forward to performing for those audiences. Her character, she noted, is rude, temperamental, angry and loud —- with her hands — but Stewart assures her interviewer and audiences that it’s acting. “It’s the opposite of me,” she signed with a laugh.
Here is the link to original article with video of interview with Suzanne
Suzy Stewart will make a little Waco stage history this weekend when she performs in Silent House Theatre Company’s drama “Machinal,” but she doesn’t expect to shout about it. She will, however, likely smile broadly and let her hands do the talking. Stewart, 61, considers herself Deaf/hard of hearing and will sign her performance as Mother in American Sign Language, with company actor Alex Blanton onstage signing Stewart’s dialogue. The lack of records for such things makes its hard to prove, but it may be the first time that a signing actor has performed with a speaking company on a Waco stage. If not, it’s rare nonetheless. She plays the mother of “Machinal’s” lead character, Helen Jones (Bradyn Braziel), and although her scene with Braziel is one of the play’s nine scenes, it’s a crucial one and one that Stewart has grown to appreciate. “I’m proud,” she signed in a recent interview interpreted by Blanton, her eyes twinkling along with her signing. “I think this will help the deaf community.”
Machinal, a 1928 play written by Sophie Treadwell, follows the plight of Helen Jones, who, snapping under the strain of a loveless marriage to her boss that her mother forced her into, murders her husband and is put on trial. Highly stylized, it features one of Silent House’s largest casts. The Waco company has included a signed performance for the deaf and hard of hearing in all its productions — all of which Stewart attended as an audience member after moving to Waco from Michigan two years ago with her husband Craig. Blanton encouraged Stewart to audition for the role of Jones’ mother and while she first shook off the idea, she eventually decided to give it a shot. “I’ll try it,” she signed.
The surprise and mild shock at being chosen for the part was compounded later when Stewart saw her part in the script expand from two to nine pages, much of which contained in the mother-daughter scene. Her husband Craig, retired as is his wife, pitched in to help run lines three times a day until she learned the script, she recalled.
It wasn’t a matter of memorizing lines, either. Stewart chose to sign in American Sign Language, which, because much of its communication is conceptual than a literal translation of English, has its own grammar and way of expression. There was theater language to learn, such as cues, blocking a scene or striking the set. And director Collin Selman’s habit of hiding his mouth while speaking or walking quickly made lip-reading difficult sometimes, she signed. Being Deaf/hard of hearing — she can’t hear out of one ear and has limited hearing in the other — caused other challenges as well. Cues from another actor’s lines that she couldn’t lip-read had to be signaled in another way, such as the actor hitting the table or stamping a foot. Backstage, cues normally whispered in the dark had to be turned into a tap on the arm or shoulder.
While Blanton will sign Braziel’s dialogue to Stewart onstage, another actor, Kami Yasko, will speak Stewart’s dialogue from offstage.
Stewart’s quick to share her appreciation for her fellow actors. “Everyone here has been so accommodating and friendly. I don’t feel strange or weird,” Stewart signed.
The play’s Thursday and Sunday performances will be signed for the deaf and hard of hearing, and Stewart is looking forward to performing for those audiences. Her character, she noted, is rude, temperamental, angry and loud —- with her hands — but Stewart assures her interviewer and audiences that it’s acting. “It’s the opposite of me,” she signed with a laugh.
Here is the link to original article with video of interview with Suzanne
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