Latham in her natural habitat, the PMAC costuming room.
Passionate, bold, and independent, Ellie Latham ’18 is the only costuming Arts Concentration student at Choate thus far, responsible for creating the magic in costumes, hair, and makeup in Choate’s fall and spring productions. After Latham’s first time costuming in Alice and Wonderland, she fell in love with costuming and realized one term a year for her was nowhere near enough. She approached Ms. Kalya Yannatos, Choate’s Director of the Arts, and asked if she could do a Directed Study or Theater Tech Arts Con. “But none of that is what I really wanted,” Latham said. “What I really wanted was more time in the costume shop. So, I found a way to combine my love for costuming in a form of study that works best for me.”
Latham’s passion for costuming began when she worked on her first show at Choate during her freshman fall. She loved the small costuming group of only five classmates. “It was two months of talking and paper macheing and having so much fun hanging out in the Green Room crafting. Crafting is definitely my favorite art form,” said Latham.
Although her costuming passion began at Choate, her love for sewing began when her elementary school teacher taught her. Latham recalled that when she was little, she made clothes for her stuffed animals. She added, “Painting and drawing are less fun to me than crafts. Sewing is just really cool because it’s actually something useful. There are so many practical applications! It’s a really great skill to have.”
Latham passionately described her feelings about seeing the pieces that go onstage, “Being backstage but seeing your effort and work go onstage is amazing.” She admits that the lack of recognition the backstage crew receives can be difficult sometimes, but for Latham, “the feeling that you are part of the show, that without something you’ve done a scene wouldn’t have been the same, that the show wouldn’t have been the same, that people’s perception of what’s going on wouldn’t have been the same, is amazing.” She continued, “Literally, the show can’t go on without you. That feeling of being an integral part of the play, even though you are not onstage, is the nice part.”
The Arts Concentration Program in costuming has given Latham a bridge between two artistic disciplines: visuals arts and theater. This also gives Latham two distinct communities to participate in. “The theater kids are wild and outgoing, and the visual arts kids tend to be more quiet,” she said, “but I have found amazing friends and people in both places. It is so awesome to be part of the Arts Con community,” Latham said. Her favorite part of costuming is tech week for the shows. “Even though you are crazy stressed and running on sugar and caffeine, it’s when everything comes together, and you get to see what you’ve worked on stage and on the actors. It’s this group bonding time with everyone backstage that’s just really special.”
After school in the fall and spring, Latham works in the costume shop, and in the winter Latham works in the Visual Arts Studio with the Visual Arts Concentration students. The Costuming Arts Concentration Program requires Latham to take weaving, theater design, and Acting 100. Although Latham loves weaving and theater design, she was reluctant to take Acting 100. She explained, “One of the reasons I work backstage is that I am not an actor. But, I understand that costumes have a lot to do with character development, so it was a good thing for me to do. I feel like I have a strong role in determining the definitive features of some of the actors when I create their costumes.”
Latham’s process of creating a piece, either for herself or for costuming, begins with her sketching the final piece. Next, Latham creates her pattern pieces and then a mock up, which is what she described as “thinking what the pattern pieces should be and using muslin, which is cheap fabric, to put them together and see what adjustments I have to make.” Creating one piece of clothing is a time consuming process. Latham states that the time to create one dress could take an entire week of Arts Concentration in the costume shop.
Costuming is Latham’s main focus, but she also creates her own pieces when she needs to. Latham’s eyes lit up as she described creating her Holiday Ball dress her freshman year. “It was teal. I had borrowed my friend’s embroidering machine, so I embroidered the top of it, and I was so proud. That was the first real dress I had ever made. I really loved it, and it has inspired other pieces since.”
Beyond the PMAC, Latham is involved in Bellacantos, Readers United, Debate, and has a love for the humanities. Ms. Kalya Yannatos, Director of the Arts, has high hopes for Latham. “I am excited to see where she takes it. It’s already getting layered into her focus and concentration, but I would imagine that she will become involved further.”
“It’s been an amazing experience for me,” Latham said. “If there is someone who likes costuming as a much as I do, I hope that they have the opportunity to do so.”
