 Costin. Credit: Adrienne Holierhoek
Theatre grad Kate Costin has designs on NYC
By Adrienne Holierhoek
Kate Costin didn’t realize she wanted to be a costume designer when she arrived at UVic from Toronto. It was her motivation to get out of the city that brought her to the West Coast.
“UVic’s theatre department has such a great reputation across Canada, if it wasn’t Toronto, it was going to be here.”
Ironically, now she’s on her way to the much bigger New York City to study in the Fashion Studies program at prestigious Parsons: The New School of Design, which also serves as the location of the very popular television program “Project Runway” and the school of international fashion designer, Tim Gunn.
Unlike most of her fellow students, Costin was not interested in acting. It wasn’t until second year that her love of fashion merged with her love of theatre through a costume design class with professor Mary Kerr. “This was everything I was interested, all rolled into one.”
She credits the support she received from her professor. “Mary was amazing–very patient–and encouraged me to push myself creatively.” She offered Kate the opportunity to work with her as the assistant designer on Richard III, responsible for designing the costumes for all the large ensemble characters. “Working closely with Mary on this play, understanding her overall vision, but having the chance to develop my own, was better than any classroom.”
Since this first show, Kate has been the assistant stage manager for Tyrants, stage manager for The Street of Crocodiles and Wind in the Willows and the costume designer for The School for Scandal. The experience has prepared her for her role this summer as the costume designer for the Victoria Shakespeare Society’s productions of Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest and the stage manager and costume manager for Out of the Box’s Sound in Silence.
Between courses, production roles and winning the President’s Scholarship for academic excellence, Kate also found time to work for ArtsREACH, a Victoria organization that offers arts workshops to kids from lower income families, and as a Campus Tour Guide. “I love showing off this campus. Everywhere you look people are enjoying the beauty of this place, playing Frisbee, music or just hanging out. . . . New York will definitely be a change from the West Coast.”
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