By Kathy L. Collins
The Howard W. Blake School of the Arts’ Costume Design Department will present its 2013 Fashion Show on Wednesday, February 6 and Thursday, February 7 at 7 p.m. Blake High School located in Tampa. This year’s theme is Costume Cabaret. The audience will enter through the backstage and sit on the stage in a cabaret setting.
Costume Design major designed the costumes and wrote the script. The musical production will feature favorite cabaret music with a Cirque du Soleil flair.
According to Jared Porter, Costume Design and Stagecraft Instructor at Blake, “Blake High School is pioneering the field of Costume and Fashion Design on the high school level. We costume several full scale productions each year. We get one special show each year to highlight just us.”
Porter added, “Each piece that is in the show has been originally designed by our students and hand crafted to suit the design. We wrote the script based on the designs by the students.”
Many students from the greater Brandon area attend Blake High School including Taylor Burke, a tenth grade student from Brandon. Burke said, “I made two capes and helped with cutting the fabric for the Master of Ceremonies and the Villain. I also sewed the dress for one of the Stitch Sisters. The show will be great, and a very good showing of what we can accomplish in the Costume Department.”
Similarly, Gabriela Campbell of Riverview, a ninth grade student said, “I’m in the show. I play a flashback character of a clown that lives at Blake High School known as ‘Granny.” I made my own costume and the one for the older “Granny.’ ” Campbell added, “I’m looking forward to seeing how people react to seeing my costume on myself as well as the others. I really enjoyed learning all of these new skills.”
This event is a fundraiser for the Costume Department. Porter said, “We are currently trying to raise funds for more sewing machines. We also need notions of all kinds to continue the program as well as donations of materials.”
Tickets to this one of a kind event are $10 for students and $15 for Adults. For more information on this one of a kind show and to get tickets, please visit www.blaketheatre.com.
