Editor's note:
Kate studied theater at Indiana University from 1977 - 1981, and had intended to pursue a career in acting. After school, she took various jobs in tech theater and tried temporarily to "go straight" with office work, but when her first child was born in 1987, she began working from home as a designer and seamstress. Over the past 14 years she has built a strong reputation and client base in Chicago.
Some of her more widely seen work includes dinosaur and other creature costumes for The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry, Hades Haunted Houses, and Navy Pier. She has worked for a number of private clients in a spectrum ranging from Morris the Cat to the Pritzger Family and has ongoing relationships with several local children's theaters, including Special Gifts Theatre, a theater company composed of children with special needs and their mentors.
When asked to describe her work, Kate responded: "What I do, specifically, is 'Theatrical Costume Design and Construction' (that's what it says on my business cards). I specialize in one-of-a-kind costumes for live theatrical use. The bulk of my work is in children's theater and live corporate events. I have a regular, part-time job at The Northbrook Park District, where I am responsible for costuming children's theater workshops, and the balance of my work is free-lance. I love my work. My job is fun; it's like getting paid to play. I made some of my first costumes for Beyond Our Control (anyone remember Ming the Merciless's collar?) and I'm still pretty proud of them."
Kate can be contacted at: costumerkate@yahoo.com [Click to E-mail]
