A Look Behind the Seams, with Costume Director Shelby Joiner

Costuming is much more than simply sewing fabric together. Like many art forms, it begins with an idea. Then a sketch. Then application. However, it doesn't stop once an artist is dressed. "Once the costumes are created, fit, and ready for performances, we still have to inventory, maintain, repair, and launder each piece on a regular basis," says Costume Director Shelby Joiner. She goes on to explain that in many ways, the creation of the costume is "just the beginning."

As an accomplished painter/dyer and First Hand, the primary assistant to the Cutter/Draper, Shelby has turned a moment of whimsy into a career. After seeing The Lion King on Broadway with her mother as a 22nd birthday gift, Shelby said, "when those life-size animal puppets started walking down the aisles past us to the rhythm of the live orchestra, tears ran down my face. That was the moment for me." As her career progressed, Shelby shifted her focus from being a creator to becoming a Costume Director, working closely with designers facilitating the builds and beginning a liaison between designers, vendors, makers, assistants, as well as the opera company itself. Most importantly, the job includes her favorite part of the process: shopping.