costume design

Theatre & Media Arts Production of “The House of Desires” Opens March 15

Premiering This Thursday, Dec. 8, “Fabularis: Characters of Myth and Legend” is the First Fashion Show Held by the Department of Theatre and Media Arts

BYU Theatre and Media Arts professor Dennis Wright designed over 400 costumes for the 2019 China Spectacular! BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts professor Dennis Wright developed a love for costume design while he was in junior high. What started out as a unique fashion sense and a knack for homemade Halloween costumes has turned into a successful career that has taken Wright all over the world. Mostly recently, costume designing took Wright to China on BYU’s China Spectacular! 40th anniversary tour. Inevitably on the largest tour BYU has ever done, there was a high demand for costumes — over 400. Wright alongside a small team of cutters, drapers and stitchers, was responsible for the costumes worn by 160 student performers in eight performing groups. “At times, the scale of this production was certainly overwhelming,” said Wright. “However, I truly enjoyed bringing the vision and purpose of this show to reality. China Spectacular! was a fantastic experience! Having the opportunity to work with eight different performing groups and their directors was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Read the full story at tma.byu.edu.

Who wore it best? BYU professor is the expert on Bible and Book of Mormon clothing Resident clothing history expert at BYU, theatre and media arts professor Rory Scanlon, has spent more than 15 years pouring through archeological and anthropological records to discover what people dressed like during Bible and Book of Mormon times. He’s used the help of more than 21 research assistants to compile nearly 1000 works into easy-to-use clothing guides. The guides give a clothing history of ancient people. They also contain timelines of the cultures mentioned in the Bible and Book of Mormon and compare them to archeological records. “The common Bible and Book of Mormon representations we see are typically inaccurate,” Scanlon said. “I was disappointed when I found out, so I started doing my own research. That research evolved over 15 years to be the expansive project it is today.” The works in the guides include references to books, articles and videos by both anthropologists and archeologists. The compilation is an effective tool for artists as they research clothing for specific time periods. The guides are broken into two sections, one on the Bible area in Mesopotamia and the other on the Book of Mormon area of Mesoamerica. Since there are many opinions about ancient culture and clothing, Scanlon’s guides direct artists to their own interpretations of how ancient people clothed themselves. There is no definitive way to determine how ancient people dressed, but the guides give artists a good idea of the type of clothing worn by correlating research done by hundreds of experts. Scanlon’s research was used over the course of six years to redesign the clothing and characters in the Hill Cumorah Pageant in New York from 2001 to 2007. Specifically, his work was used to re-do the clothing of all the major characters in the production including Joseph Smith, Moroni and Lehi. “My work on this project was one of the most personal growing experiences of my life,” Scanlon said, “All my professional training would lead me to believe that such a task was impossible. What was produced, however, was a testimony of the power of the Spirit in guiding and directing key projects for the Church.” On Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the North Visitor’s Center is a tribute to both ancient and modern prophets called the Hall of the Prophets. Scanlon’s research was used to redesign some of the most well known prophets such as Moses and Peter. Because there is such a broad application for Scanlon’s research, visual artists who use the guides range in field and medium from clothing designers to traditional oil paint artists to modern animators. “Rory is a fountain of knowledge, and has given me invaluable guidance on several difficult projects,” said Joshua Cotton, a BYU animation student, “One I remember in particular was the costume I completed for the Captain Moroni: the Art of Liberty exhibit. I’m one of many who have benefitted from his work.” Many BYU productions have also profited from Scanlon’s work. In 2003, the Opera Abinidi, in 2006 the play Aida and in 2009 both the play Children of Eden and Macbeth, set in Central America benefited from the expansive research by Scanlon. “My research in the Bible and Book of Mormon has influenced my approach to most productions,” Scanlon said, “I now think more about the historical context of clothing overall.” Currently, Scanlon’s guides are available on request, but his goal is to print them in order to make his work available for artists working on Bible and Book of Mormon projects around the world. Source: BYU News

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel Rory R. Scanlon, professor of theatre and media arts, has been appointed to serve a second term as associate dean in the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Ed Adams, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, made the announcement last week and stated that Scanlon’s responsibilities will include Arts Production and Performing Arts Council. “Rory offers a unique opportunity in this college,” commented Adams. “I’ve got strength in Rory to test ideas of design so we don’t waste our time frittering away on impossible dreams–that we can make things happen and come at the issue in a way where we can actually see that something is deliverable. Scanlon received his MFA in costume design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1984 and has been a member of the BYU faculty for 31 years. His area of focus is design technology. He is the past president of the Rocky Mountain Theatre Association, was the Utah representative to RMTA for four years, sat on the Provo City Arts Council for three years and is a regularly invited presenter for the Utah Theatre Association. His design work in costumes, sets and lights includes work with Disney, Hasbro and university/professional productions throughout the United States. Scanlon was professionally involved in a redesign of the 1500 costumes for the Hill Cumorah Pageant for six summers and has worked with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on several other historical costume recreation projects in Salt Lake City, Mesa and Far West. His first book with Costume Fashion Press in New York, “Costume Design Graphics,” was released in 2001. He has previously served as associate dean of Fine Arts and Communications from 2004-2010, as an associate dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of the BYU Honors Program from 2010-2012, executive producer in the college and associate chair in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. “What I am excited about in this new position,” said Scanlon, “is that I will be doing what I am already doing!” Scanlon replaces outgoing associate dean Randy Boothe who will continue his responsibilities as an associate professor in the Music, Dance, and Theatre program. Boothe is also the artistic director for the world-renowned Young Ambassadors. Many of his former students are now on Broadway and performing with national touring companies, at Disney World, and on various cruise lines.