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The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Instructor utilizes costume design skills for stage, film

    New theater instructor Mignon Charvet has used her experience with design and attention to detail to create costume masterpieces for both films and stage productions. Charvet has settled into her place at Southeastern this semester by not only teaching but also utilizing her costume design skills for two productions.
    “The Theater and the Fine and Performing Arts Departments at Southeastern have been overwhelmingly welcoming and supportive,” said Charvet. “Already I’ve been able to collaborate with the Opera program on their recent production, ‘It’s Only Life.’ I was also allowed to bring my Introduction to Theater class to a final rehearsal of the dance programs’ recent production ‘Let It Be.’ “
    In addition, Charvet was the head costume designer for Southeastern Theatre production of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” last month. She started the design process by reading and analyzing the script. Then she sat down with the director, Chad Winters, to discuss the concept of the production. Charvet said that Winters had a clear vision for the looks of some characters, such as Krogstad, but left her to develop the looks of other characters.
    “I spent a lot of time researching the time period for appropriate clothing for special occasions as well as various other details and costume construction techniques,” said Charvet. “Chad was able to communicate with me in design terms, which makes for a wonderful working relationship. Overall, I’m really pleased with the final product. I feel like Ibsen plays are hard to produce for today’s audience, but the ambitious design team and careful direction in conjunctions with hard-working and talented students made for a successful production that exceeded my expectations.”
    Charvet first gained an interest in costume design when she was in high school. She attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts for theater design after her regular high school courses. As a part of the NOCCA program, Charvet was introduced to sewing and costuming for the first time, but she quickly developed a passion for period costume and sewing technologies.
    Since her start in costuming, Charvet has exercised her skills for plays, films and more. She has the most experience in theatrical costuming; however, she has recently been pursuing work in the thriving film industry in south Louisiana.  
    “Before accepting my position with Southeastern, I had been working for months in Baton Rouge on the upcoming film ‘The Maze Runner,'” said Charvet. “I was responsible for constructing and working very closely with the costume designer on the design for all the leather pieces for the film. The pieces included handmade harnesses, holsters, arm guards, knee and shin guards, knife and spear holsters for a community of boys in a post-apocalyptic world.”
    Having studied fashion accessory design and leather-working extensively as part of her undergraduate training, Charvet was thrilled that she was sought out for those specialized skills. She studied fashion and accessory design as an undergraduate and refined her fine-tailoring and period costume construction skills in graduate school.  
    Charvet’s design skills do not end with theater and films. She works with Ilaine Hartman in New Orleans building Mardi Gras royalty costumes for the Krewes of Rex, Hermes, Mystic, Comus and others. Their costumes can run between $20,000 and $40,000. She also receives requests for various contract work.
    Charvet is currently working on multiple projects. She is creating giant sails for a pirate ship float as part of a parade for Universal Studios. Charvet will soon begin working on the costume design for Tennessee Williams’s play “The Night of the Iguana” as part of the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival in March. In addition, she is working with Southeastern Theatre again on two upcoming shows.
    “Currently, we’re preparing for our upcoming productions ‘An Evening of One Acts’ opening this month, and ‘On the Verge’ in the spring,” said Charvet. “I’m mentoring a student designer for both these productions. I’m excited about doing the make-up design for ‘On the Verge’ in the spring. The show requires some exciting special effect make-up challenges, such as a yeti and a mystic psychic.”
    Students interested in learning more about costume design and stage make-up are encouraged to take theater courses. This semester Charvet is teaching a stage make-up course, and next semester she will be teaching Theater 337, which will explore the various areas of design, rendering and costume crafts such as millinery and leather-crafting.
    Charvet’s latest work can be seen in “An Evening of One Acts” on Nov. 19 through 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Vonnie Borden Theatre and also in “The Maze Runner” coming to theaters on Sept. 19, 2014.

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