Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2018 - 44

Chukhina experienced the stigma
against cosplay first hand when applying
for graduate school. The cosplay work in
her portfolio was not taken seriously during her reviews. Some theatre practitioners believe "cosplayers take too long to
work on a project and can't work within
a theatre deadline," she asserts. "With a
proper education, those are skills that
can be learned. Cosplayers don't just hot
glue costumes together. I have met some
amazing individuals who use couture
methods of construction."
Theatre artists who cosplay should
prepare to support their work and highlight the interesting elements of the
project, just as one would for a theatre
production in their portfolio, advises
Chukhina. Some interviews may require an explanation of the similarities
between cosplay and theatre costuming.
Hofmann noticed that when she explains
"the amazing crafting techniques, the
vibrancy of the cosplay community, and
the feelings of joy imparted to those witnessing the costumes," that she usually
changes the interviewer's preconceived
notions of cosplay. If a theatre artist feels
confident in his or her demonstration of
skills and knowledge of materials in a
cosplay project, then it should be considered for inclusion in the portfolio, just as
projects for film, television, commercials,
or theme parks would be considered.
Cosplayers and theatre technicians
find networking opportunities when
cosplaying for pleasure leads to professional contacts. Popular cosplayers are
hired for commissions, appearances
in costume, and as guest bloggers on
popular cosplay websites. There are famous cosplayers with their own line of
patterns and publishing books. Theatre
technicians who also cosplay sell handmade cosplay costumes on Etsy as a side
business. They sell ready-made cosplay
costumes and take custom orders. Some
shops focus on accessories and others
sell the costume as a whole. This is a
welcome change for theatre technicians
who cosplay because they can create
their own hours and work at their own
pace in between theatre productions
and employment contracts. These online
shops find business from not only fellow
cosplayers, but from the general public
seeking costumes for events.
The quality of costume construction
sold at Chukhina's Skeleton Key Cosplay

44 |

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

WINTER 2018

Lady Loki inspired by Loki
from Thor-Crossplay by
Amanda Fehlner. Photo by
The Portrait Dude - Cosplay
Photography.

Etsy shop, is reflective of her training
and expertise developed in a theatrical costume shop. These online shops
are also a way for theatres to contract
theatre artisans or cosplayers to create
specialty pieces for a production without
hiring the person directly on staff. Instead of being hired by theatres on staff,
these online shops create a new market
to earn money while also networking for
future employment.

Showtime and Costume Play

No matter the venue, costumes and characters can bring people together. There
is a satisfying feeling when a costume is
finished and sent off to dress rehearsal.
Watching your costume come to life on
stage by an actor is a shared moment
for theatre designers and technicians.
In cosplay, the experience for the technician continues past the costume shop as
they wear the costume themselves and
personally role-play the character they
have spent months researching and re-

creating. The cosplayer experiences the
process in a more personal way from
conception to final product. Cosplayers
play the role of the actor, perfecting the
poses and movements of the character.
The ultimate finale to a cosplay is sharing it at a cosplay convention or event
with their community.
Cosplay offers a theatre technician
the opportunity to connect with an audience in a more interactive and immediate way. "When I go to a convention and
wear the costume I made, it is so much
fun connecting to others who really enjoy the character I am dressed as," says
Chukhina. "Ultimately it is a way for me
to connect easily with others because
they immediately see what we are both
interested in and you don't have to break
the ice-you can just jump into conversation and make new friends." This type of
interaction is more immediate than theatre, when the behind-the-scenes artists
can actually answer questions and share
costuming tips with their audience. Sat-

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2018