Ella Davis and Joel Whitesell pose in the "new" costumes
When directors Dale Dye and Karen Stoll chose “Something Rotten Jr.” as Christian Family Theater’s fall 2024 show, Dale’s wife Denise knew she had a big undertaking.
Mrs. Dye does all of the costumes for the theater’s shows, on top of working as the chief program officer for Journey Health Foundation. She’s amassed a collection of over 2,000 costume pieces since 2015, but “Something Rotten Jr.” takes place in an era not common in musical theater: the Renaissance.
Faced with outfitting 35 children aged 8-18 in Renaissance apparel, Mrs. Dye started researching the types of fabrics she would need. “I found brocades are very expensive, from $17 to $25 a yard,” she said. “I knew that was outside my limit for our budget.”
Her solution?
The Dyes, along with daughter Suzi (the choreographer for the show), scoured thrift stores across the area, purchasing curtains, tablecloths, runners, and sheets. Many mimic the patterns worn in the Renaissance and these offered a frugal and eco-friendly choice for the non-profit.
Tiktok has made popular designers like PoppyLu Clothing, those who take thrifted tablecloths, blankets, and more, and turn them into wearable fashions, trying to keep these fabrics out of the landfill. Mrs. Dye saw one such creator making circle skirts out of round tablecloths and found her inspiration.
She spent the summer making 21 skirts, 11 vests, 13 corsets, 17 pairs of pants, a jacket, and two dresses - all from curtains! For months, she sewed 6-7 hours a night after working all day.
Skirts that have to conceal a Renaissance farthingale were another obstacle - but using curtains actually made this easier. The top of the curtain panel became the waistband, and Mrs. Dye used the section that would hold a curtain rod to instead put in a drawstring. Thus the skirts are fully adjustable and easy to cinch around the farthingale.
With the show coming soon, Mrs. Dye now has a few parent helpers assisting her in the finer details.
Mr. Dye said of his wife, “She’s always been very creative with her costuming for every show and they’ve always been fabulous, but this is above and beyond anything she’s ever done before. It’s amazing that these costumes were curtains!”
You can see these amazing upcycled garments in “Something Rotten! Jr.,” which will be performed Oct. 25-27 at Wesley Memorial Methodist Church at 6314 East Brainerd Road. For ticket details and performance times, visit cftchattanooga.com/tickets.
Costumes for Something Rotten! Jr.