Dressed to Kill

As many of you know my fascination with all things mid-1980s is exhaustive and at times quite boring. Not quite as boring as my rants about how good Columbo was with its use of washed up movie and tv stars with younger versions of now washed up movie and tv stars. But when I pick up the news paper and read that Molly "16 Candles" Ringwald is going to be touring with Sweet Charity, well my jaw just hits the floor and dust bunnies start to roll in my mouth. Her mix of dorky charm and impeccable comedic timing has always made this blogger go yum. Its too soon to know if Ms. Ringwald will be coming to DC, but I personally would be willing to drive as far away as Baltimore to see her.

Sorry went away for a minute. What was I talking about again? Oh Molly Ringwald! She's cool and all. Don't want to seem desperate but you know its no big deal we all have crushes right? I mean she's no Ally Sheedy, but you got to admit that hair and that over bite just make you want to rescue her from Blaine and take her home to Mom. Am I right guys?

Sorry, happened again. Must move on. Control is key. Slow even breaths. . . There I am better now. . .

MOLLY CALL ME!!!!!

Back to the topic at hand, meeting your good friends here at Rorschach. Today we have someone who I consider very special. I mean the lovely and talented Ms. Deborah Kim Sivigny.

I have a lovely recount of my first encounter with Deb on another web site, so I won't go into the details here, but if you are interested, go here. Deb has been a part of Rorschach as a designer for quite a while now. Last November you may remember she was asked a rather personal question by Randy Baker in front of a packed house during curtain call for The Beard of Avon. To which she responded in the affirmative, so we all got a big old party to go to.

Deb first designed costumes for The Illusion and has been playing in our yard ever since. She helped with the set design for Ubu Roi, costumes and puppets for After the Flood, and costumes for The Scarlet Letter and Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards.

I think what makes Deb's design work so wonderful is the research she does and then how she takes a style and tweaks it just enough so it no longer is stuffy and old, but modern yet classic. She has worked for around town at big houses and small but she calls Rorschach home. Enjoy!

1. Place of birth?

Seoul, South Korea--adopted at 5 months and transplanted to Connecticut...that's in the USofA.

2. First experience in theatre?

In Kindergarten, I was a Tigger in some classroom sharing show for the parents. I bounced around a lot with twenty kids dressed as Tiggers. In first grade I was an orphan in Annie--which meant chanelling my former life as a baby--a type of method acting. In fourth grade, I made the caterpillar costume for James and the Giant Peach and was hooked.

3. Where you went to school?

I'm a Middlebury graduate, specifically known as a "Feb." I began and ended my college career in February. I have an MFA from the University of Maryland in costume design, which means I survived the teachings of Prof. Helen Huang for 3+ years

4. What do you do?

I'm a designer.

5. What was your first experience with Rorschach?

Officially, I was the costume designer for The Illusion, but unofficially, I sewed drapes for God of Vengeance from 11 to 2 in the morning.

6. Company member you would most like to be if you were not yourself?

I would be Yasmin--my doppelganger. I'm halfway there already...

7. Some story about working on a Rorschach play that either made you laugh or touched you deeply?

Before designing After the Flood, Randy Baker and I travelled to Malaysia together on vacation. I took pictures, people watched, studied the crafts and villages and drank a lot of Tiger beer. To see the first hand on-site research manifest itself on-stage in the characters was truly magical for me.

8. Where do you think Rorschach will be in the next ten years?

I hope that we become the most well-known ambassadors for young, visceral, thought-provoking theatre--in a space of our own design, working on an international scale and challenging the populace with the work that we do.

9. What is your favorite Rorschach show that you were not in?

Family Stories

10. Scott McCormick harmless adolecent or world conquering super villain?

World-conquering-harmless adolescent-super villian.