Melanie S. Mortimore
 
Costume Designer and Technical Artist

 I am a freelance costume designer and costume technical artist/creator in Oxford, OH and the resident costume designer for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's outreach educational series.  I am also in my fourth year as Drama Director for Talawanda High School, and an adjunct professor at Miami University where I teach the History of Western Dress. 

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I have been designing costumes for the last 25 years for a variety of organizations including FIO (Festival of International Opera), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ohio Northern University, Miami University, Richmond Shakespeare Festival (Richmond, IN), Ball State University,  Red Orchid Theatre, Muncie Civic Theatre, the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Hendrix College, Cincinnati Opera, the University of Tennessee, Birmingham Summerfest, Birmingham Opera, and Birmingham Children's Theatre.  Designs include works in musicals, drama, children's theatre, opera, and dance.  I have experience teaching a variety of costume related courses (including design, makeup, construction, history, etc.) at the college level for 20 years with various institutions, many of which are listed above. 

Along with designing, I have extensive experience as a costume construction artisan as well.  My technical work has been seen with many of the above organizations, as well as with  El Cascanueces Ballet, Costa Rica,  Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Utah Shakespearean Festival, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Utah Festival Opera, the Alabama Ballet. Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. and Florida Atlantic University.   I have worked for many years in the areas of costume shop management, draping and pattern development, costume construction, textile painting and dyeing, costume crafts and millinery. In addition, I have experience with puppetry, including the patterning and construction of a full set of puppets for Avenue Q for Miami University, and various puppets for Hendrix College's production of The Tempest, along with others.  I have a particular interest in period millinery as well. 

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As a high school drama director, I have experience with producing and directing productions as well as designing sets and working with props (and on occasion, performing). In addition, I have adapted two scripts which were performed by our students: The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.  If interested in securing the rights to either of these script adaptations, please reach out to me for more information. Or, if you might be interested in having me adapt a work, I would be interested in speaking with you as well.

Finally, I have been collecting costumes for several years and have a modest collection. If you are in need of something for your upcoming production, please feel free to reach out and I'll see if I have anything that could work for you. I have a great deal of men's suiting, items for Oklahoma, Fiddler on the Roof, and a variety of other 20th Century items.

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