Costuming a lifelong passion for local designer

Friday, February 10, 2012

Costume designer Mary Selvoski, of Bedford, on vacation with her late husband Joe.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Mary Selvoski smiles before starting her acceptance speech after being awarded The Francis Grover Cleveland Award for Lifetime Achievement during Friday night's New Hampshire Theatre Awards.

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Costume designer Mary Selvoski, of Bedford, on vacation with her late husband Joe.

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If you’ve ever been involved in a theatrical production in Bedford (or anywhere else in the state, for that matter), chances are you’ve met Mary Selvoski, costume designer extraordinaire.

Over the years, Selvoski has costumed the middle school’s musicals and productions for Bedford Youth Performing Company and Bedford Off Broadway, in addition to creating individual costumes for town residents.

Fresh from winning the Francis Grover Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the NH Theatre Awards (see our cover story for details), Selvoski took the time to answer our questions about how long it takes to create a costume, her most challenging assignment and the family nature of her Manchester-based business, Mary’s Closet.

Here’s part of the conversation:

Q: How did you get your start in costuming?

A: My children were taking dance classes with a local dance studio, and I started to make their costumes and was hired to make the other children’s costumes.

Q: When did you start Mary’s Closet?

A: I began sewing costumes in the ’80s at the Palace Theatre for some theater groups and just continued designing and costuming for the next 20 or so years. I had built up such a large collection by then that it was time to seek a place to keep the garments. The millyard at that time had a lot of empty space, so we were able to open our first shop and rent to the theater groups. This was the beginning of Mary’s Closet.

Q: It sounds like Mary’s Closet has been a family endeavor, with you and your late husband, Joe, having run it together. Are there other family members involved with the business?

A: My son Jim still takes care of all the maintenance, and his wife, Val, is a lawyer, so she takes care of the legal issues. My daughter, Mary Jo Smith, works with me as a costumer and a designer. One of my daughters, Dawna Johonnett, does the bookkeeping and billing. I have a granddaughter, Becca, who also creates and sews part-time for me. The rest of the family is there when it comes time to deliver or pick up costumes after a large show. They are now involved trying to pack up and help with the moving and downsizing.

Q: How many costumes do you have on hand? How many costumes do you rent/make each year?

A: I actually have about 14,000 garments, with maybe one-third being actual costumes designed and created. The largest rentals are the ’20s and ’70s styles. I rent to about 30 local theater groups and to most of the middle schools, high schools and colleges. The museums and local advertising companies also rent. Most groups will rent about 30-40 garments for a show. I am busy seven days a week with one of these organizations.

Q: What’s one of the most challenging costumes you’ve created?

A: I would say it was “Beauty and the Beast.” The costumes had to look like a piece of furniture and then had to look like the same character when coming back as a real person. This was my biggest challenge, and we were very happy with the results. It took almost six months to complete that show.

Q: What was one of your favorite productions to costume?

A: I really don’t have one favorite over another. I loved costuming “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” because it was such an authentic piece of art. I tried to make his dreamcoat colors in the same pattern as the song. “My Fair Lady” would be another great show, created with the huge hats and all the women in elegant black-and-white gowns.

Q: Does Mary’s Closet only costume theatrical productions?

A: I have costumed for a lot of advertising firms. Mary Jo has created many mascots for local businesses. She has built a black ink spot for Printers Ink and two huge green androids and a large tooth for a dentist display. I designed the gown used at the hair show extravaganza at the Verizon arena, while Mary Jo costumed the dancing crew of 15.

Q: About how long does it take to construct a costume?

A: Costuming is so different than making a garment being used for everyday wear. I can build a garment in two days at my own pace. If it is a rush, I can build it in a full day. Most of the time, I am making more than one garment, so I can be working on four or five at a time. A lot of garments are taken apart and remade to fit the period. In my summer at Tamworth, the Barnstormers produce eight different shows in eight weeks, so I costume a new cast and new show every seven days. There are two assistants that help with this project.