SHEA O'NEIL

Barter Players World Premiere

Adapted by Catherine Bush 

Directed by Katy Brown 

Costumes Designed and Made by Shea O'Neil

Set Design by Katy Brown

 

Catherine Bush did a wonderful adaptation of Charles Dicken's Great Expectations. It was specifically crafted, again very much in the Barter Players style, for 6 actors to play various roles. It presented its own challenge of how to do a specific period show on an $800 budget. Katy Brown connected very strongly with research I had found of a bunch of old, dilapidated mansions and run down buildings. She wanted a strongly period show with an almost magical quickness to the changes that happened.  I decided to base everyone in pants and a period shirt, with the exception of the actress who played only women characters and made vests for everyone in colors that corresponded with their characters personalities. For some of the female characters I made skirts that closed with magnets and had shawls that were evocative of the silhouette of the time period but didnt interfere with the ability to change quickly.