Next to Normal

The Designer's Sketchbook

If clothes make the man, then the costume designer is a key component in creating the characters of a show.  With the responsibility of giving the audience the first impression of who the character is, as well as establishing the time and location, the costume designer works with the actor to help give birth to the characters.

Below are some sketches from Next To Normal costume designer Jeff Mahshie's original concept for the show.  Pictures from Second Stage's original production (photos by Joan Marcus) show how the idea was transformed from his sketchbook to reality.