Dressing the story: the art and craft of the UL Lafayette Costume Studio

The Fletcher Hall Gallery opens the Spring Semester with Dressing the story: the art and craft of the UL Lafayette costume studio. The exhibition features student and faculty costume designs that were produced from the UL Lafayette Costume studio, which is part of the School of Performing

Arts.The costume studio is located in Burke Hawthorne Hall and is centered around the dedicated performance space of Burke Theatre. Each semester the costume studio and costuming classes produce full slate of costumes and accessories, which are built for student performances in the School of Performing Arts Program, along with Dance and Music performances. Additionally, the costume studio oversees an archive of costumes that tells the history of performances that have been produced at UL Lafyette.

The exhibition offers another opportunity for viewers to experience these costumes up close and personal. Giving visitors a full understanding of the complexity and craftsmanship that is devoted towards this discipline. Costumes included in the exhibition come from the following past performances, The Bard on Broadway, As You Like It, The House That Will Not Stand, and A Masked Ball.

The costume program is led by Assistant Professor Trent Pcenicni, with Samantha Abbott acting as the costume studio manager.  They work each semester with a group of devoted and talented Performing Arts students. Prof. Pcenicni is a Costume, Wig, and Makeup Designer whose work has been seen all over the US and the world including Avenue Q (Off-Broadway), The Phantom of the Opera (International tour), Barrington Stage Company, The Geffen Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, Triad Stage, Open Space Café Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, City Arts Drama Center, The Wick Theatre, Twin City Stage, and Greensboro Opera. He has an extensive Film and Video resume, including projects for the History Channel, Showtime Television Network, NYU School of Film, and Soomo Publishing. He designed the costumes and hair for the Emmy award-winning short "Bad Romance: Women’s Suffrage". His research in non-western theatre has taken him to Dubai, China, Thailand, and Indonesia, where he was able to interview and collaborate with theatre artist from around the globe.

A closing reception is scheduled for Thursday February 10, from 6-8:00 pm in the Fletcher Hall Gallery.

Contact: For more information or Michael Eble, Curator of the Fletcher Hall Gallery at (337) 482-5318 or michael.eble@louisiana.edu.