December 02, 2008

Christina Wright, costume designer

From a Native Voices at the Autry e-mail:

Spotlight on Christina Wright, Costume DesignerChristina Wright is a much sought after costume designer who has been costuming for theater, film and television for over 27 years. She started costuming for Native Voices back in 2001 with the world premiere of Diane Glancy's Jump Kiss at the Autry National Center and since then she has collaborated with Artistic Director Randy Reinholz ten times. "Chris' talent and expertise as a costume designer are only out shinned by her research, enthusiasm, and creativity" says Reinholz who directed many of those plays including Jump Kiss, Please Do Not Touch the Indians, The Buz'Gem Blues, Stone Heart, The Berlin Blues, and The Red Road. Native Voices has been lucky to be able to work with Chris on every production they've done.

Reinholz went on to say "I knew we were going to have a beautiful working relationship when she designed a work jacket for the character of Father in Jump Kiss--it was a simple grey-green work jacket on the outside, but she lined it in red satin and embroidered the Cherokee alphabet inside--so he'd have his Native heritage close to his heart. At the end of the play, after he's died, his daughter finds the jacket and turns it inside out...it was a stunningly beautiful and haunting moment. All of Chris' designs, for each character and each play, are carefully thought out and connected to the action (and lives) on stage. When we worked together on Stone Heart (another Glancy play) she created a small piece of fabric that turned into a shawl, a tent, a blanket and Sacajawea's baby! That play was full of Chris' brilliance as she transformed the characters right before our eyes to imagine the two and a half year journey of Lewis and Clark.
Comment:  As you may recall, Wright won a FAITA award this year. I'm pretty sure she's not Native.

For more on the subject, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.

Below:  Wright's costumes in The Berlin Blues.

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