Behind the Scenes

Ananda Keator

Name: Ananda Keator

Occupation: Costume Designer

City of birth: Gainesville

City of residence: Miami

Credits
This season? So far, No Dogs Allowed for Actors' Playhouse, Moonlight and Magnolias for Actor’s Playhouse, Fahrenheit 451 for GableStage and Two Rooms for Promethean Theater. Three seasons designing TYA for Actors', two seasons with Promethean, this is my third show with GableStage and my first for grown-ups with Actor’s Playhouse.

Awards
None yet.

How long have you been working in South Florida Theatre?
Since I moved here in 2001.

What inspired you to become a costume designer?
I can't really point to any moment in particular, it's kinda something I've wanted to do all my life.

How long have you been a costume designer?
Professionally? About four years

How much of what you design is indicated in the script
and how much is your own imagination?
That depends on the script and environs. For example, the next show I'm doing is Madeliene's Christmas for Actor’s Playhouse, there isn't much costume direction in the script but the images of the girls and Miss Clavell are presented in a series of books, so I take my cues from those books. A lot of it is talking with the director and seeing where they want to take the show, a comedy will be costumed differently than a tragedy will be different than mystery.

You now have three shows running: Moonlight and Magnolias at Actor’s Playhouse, Fahrenheit 451 at GableStage and Two Rooms at Promethean. 
What were the unique challenges in each of those shows?
These are three very different shows with very different challenges. With Fahrenheit 451 it's set in the future, what do people wear then? How does their environment affect their clothing?  With Moonlight the actors are portraying real people, what did they wear? What would they be wearing at the time of day this play begins? With Two Rooms, I was trying to show the passage of time without having the main actress or actor change clothes.

What are some of the things you have to take into account when designing costumes for a production?
Over how long does this play take place, when does it take place, who are the actors, is there a precedent for these costumes, if so do I like it, what input does the director have at the outset.

How do you research period costumes?
If it's a historic period, i.e. pre-1900, I mostly use books of fashion history and, I have to admit, movies portraying that period. If it's more modern, I try to find photographs from the time. With Moonlight and Magnolias, I was able to find on-set pictures of Victor Fleming and David O. Selznick, which was wonderful.

What are the challenges involved in costuming contemporary plays?
The main challenge with contemporary plays is trying to figure out what you want the clothing to say about a person and their attitude towards the play's subject matter.

In designing costumes, what is your main inspiration?
It's different for every play. Sometimes it's a single word, sometimes it's the whole world.

What production has offered you the most challenges?
At the moment I would have to say Fahrenheit 451, but each play is unique with it's own set of difficulties.

What have been your favorite productions to design?
Actually, The Klemperer's New Clothes; it was the Children's Theater Festival Winner for last season. It was a new take on the classic story, The Emperor's New Clothes, so I got to go completely outlandish and off the wall. Towards the end of the show, there is a promenade of women in circa 1860 undergarments and I love making historic under things.

What would you ultimately like to do in your career?
As much as possible for as long as possible as long as it's still fun.

What’s the best thing about working in South Florida theatre?
Probably the people. I'm not sure. I've not done any out-of-college work anywhere else.

Have there ever been any wardrobe malfunctions on stage?
Nothing as bad as the Janet/Justin debacle but there have been a few.

Do you make some of your own clothes as well?
If there's something specific that I really want  I'll make it myself, but on the whole, no.

Upcoming Productions:
Madeliene's Christmas for Actor's Playhouse.