Looking back on the 2023 theater season in Oak Park, some of the most memorable productions were “Heathers” at Madison Street Theater and “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” at Oak Park and River Forest High School.
These shows stood out not only because of the performances but also for costumes that left quite an impression on the audience. Whether it was the stunning color-coordinated outfits of the Heathers or the form-fitting 1970s style suit worn by actress Lucy Siegel in “Bluefish Cove,” designs by OPRF senior Jules Weir were notable not only for their brilliant execution but their out-of-the-box style.
Weir has been interested in the world of theater ever since her days at Gwen- dolyn Brooks Middle School, where she performed in shows with Bravo, the per- forming arts program there. “Well, I was a theater kid in middle school,” said Weir. “So I just was onstage and I wasn’t really involved in the behind the scenes aspect.”
Although her background in theater from Brooks got her initially interested in the world of costume design, she has always had a penchant for sewing.“My mom was a big seamstress, and my grand- ma was a big seamstress,” said Weir. “And we had this tradition in my house where we always made handmade costumes, and it just became what Halloween meant to me as a kid.”
When she was a freshman, Weir realized that she could combine her love for theater and fashion as she got her start in OPRF theater as a make-up artist for the 2022 spring musical “Sister Act.”
From there she started in the world of costume design, with her first show being the spring 2023 production of “Heathers” at the Madison Street Theater. The show was produced by Encore, a program for high school students at Ovation Academy for the Performing Arts.
“First I read the script or familiarize myself with the show in some way,” Weir said about her design process. “Then I decide the time period and sort of the general aesthetic of the show and what the director wants it to look like, or what some of my ideas are for it.”
Once the ideas were outlined, Weir had to be resourceful to come up with costumes on a budget. She “asked people to bring in specific articles of clothing from their closet, borrowed from the Bravo costume shop, and thrifted other items,” according to 2023 OPRF graduate Tori Hutson, who directed “Heathers” alongside fellow graduate Ellie Medina.
After gathering materials Weir began to sew costumes for the main characters of the show, “I…feel our vision for the show was reflected by the costumes; they really tied the show together,” said Hutson.
After her success with Heathers, Weir went on to design for this season’s second quarter Studio 200 show, “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.” Set in the 1970s, the play certainly presented a challenge for Weir. However, each costume was ultimately executed according to the director’s vision and appropriately for the era.
“It was perfect. Like I definitely don’t think the costumes would have turned out nearly as era appropriate or as nice looking if Jules hadn’t designed them,” said senior Mia Wetzler, director of “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.” “And she was able to get really specific trends from the era and incorporate them into the costumes, which I thought was cool.”
Weir further honed her design skills in her Clothing Construction 2 class. “She came in confident and she deserves to. She knows her stuff; she is incredibly talented. She has so much experience working with musicals and costume design. and when she’s behind a machine she’s in her element. You know, having a pair of shears and a pen in her hands that’s just her space.” said Natalie Hornik, Weir’s Clothing Construction 2 teacher.
Weir is currently hoping to continue her collaboration with Madison Street theater in its upcoming season. So when purchasing tickets for one of their shows, be sure to keep an eye out for Weir’s innovative designs.
