Melanie S. Mortimore
 
Costume Designer and Technical Artist

 I am currently a freelance costume designer in Oxford, OH and the resident costume designer for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's outreach educational series.  I have been designing costumes for the last 25 years for a variety of organizations including Ohio Northern University, Miami University, Richmond Shakespeare Festival, Ball State University,  Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, Muncie Civic Theatre, the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Hendrix College, Cincinnati Opera, the University of Tennessee, Birmingham Summerfest, Birmingham Opera, and Birmingham Children's Theatre.  Designs include works in musicals, drama, children's theatre, opera, and dance.  I taught costume design at the college level for 20 years with various institutions, many of which are listed above. 

Along with designing, I have extensive experience as a costume construction artisan as well.  My technical work has been seen with many of the above organizations, as well as with El Cascanueces Ballet, Costa Rica,  Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Utah Shakespearean Festival, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Utah Festival Opera, the Alabama Ballet. Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. and Florida Atlantic University.   I have worked for many years in the areas of costume shop management, draping and pattern development, costume construction, textile painting and dyeing, costume crafts and millinery. In addition, I have experience with puppetry, including the patterning and construction of a full set of puppets for Avenue Q for Miami University, and various puppets for Hendrix College's production of The Tempest, along with others.  I have a particular interest in period millinery as well. 

Along with the above, I am interested in costume rental and have collected a small amount of pieces to rent out.  As I design more shows, I would like to build up my stock for future rental options. In order to do this, I am interested in particular projects that I can build at a reduced rate allowing items to grow my own stock for future rental potential.  My design work and my rental projects must be kept separate in order to allow a sustainable income, however, so each project therefore needs a delineation between contractual obligations for each.  The rental side of my business is Petticoat Dramas. I will be building this part of my site over the coming weeks, and will continue to add pieces to it as I acquire them.