Make Art: Jane Alois Stein, Artist at Home
Jane Alois Stein is a freelance Costume Designer, who has been teaching Costume Design at Virginia Tech since 2006.
I have known since I was a junior in high school that I wanted to go into Theatre and be a Costume Designer. My original plan had been to go to NYC to Art School. That was dashed when my high school art club went to NYC to see “Hair” (the original); from that moment I knew what I wanted. I was lucky to have two wonderful parents who encouraged me to pursue my passion. I went to college and studied my craft. Upon graduating I started working in the business, and haven’t looked back since. Some 40 years later I still find myself happiest when I am designing a show. Costume design gives one a unique opportunity to help tell the story of the characters in a play. Through the work of all the designers involved in a production the characters come to life in a world that is theirs, giving the audience an opportunity to escape the reality of their lives for an hour or two.
It is wonderful to watch an actor put on the costume you have designed, giving them that last thing to help become the character they are playing. I have had a few actors in my time come for a fitting, put on their costume, look in the mirror, and say, “Now I know who my character is”. That is one of the nicest compliments, it means we are in sync and the collaboration worked.
People upon hearing that I am a costume designer, often say, “Oh that must be fun”. It can be, but it takes many hours of work, starting with analyzing the script and characters, sitting in design meetings with the director and other designers, sketching preliminary and final renderings, shopping, pulling from the costume stock, fitting the actors, being on hand to answer questions the costume shop has, and sitting through technical rehearsals, until opening night when you get to sit in a dark theatre as the lights go up to reveal the cohesive world of the play through scenery, lighting, sound, and costumes surrounded by an audience.
I have often been asked what is my favorite show. My answer is always the same – the show I am working on at the moment. Though I will say that I do have a few that stand out in my memory, but all for different reasons. There are also some that were real stinkers, and better left unremembered. A few that stick out are a production of “Tartuffe” where each character’s inspiration was that of a bird (from emperor penguin to the little chicken hawk from Loony Tunes); “Bill W. and Dr. Bob” that started in Massachusetts and went to off-Broadway; and a recent production in New Hampshire of “Morning’s at Seven” that I won the NH Best Costume Design Award last January.
Unfortunately, I am currently without a production due to the pandemic, I was suppose to be heading to NH to design a show, but like all my fellow theatre folk, no one is working. I do try to keep my hands busy sketching and doodling.
I have been fortunate to work in theatres from east coast to west coast, having designed over 200 shows, meeting and becoming friends with some incredible people along the way. I cannot image doing anything else. Not bad for a girl from a small town in Maryland where the majority of people had no idea what “theatre” was.
Jane is a proud member of the United Scenic Artists design union. You can find more at her website janealoisstein.com.