Tara Maginnis, Ph.D. 

COSTUME DESIGNER-TEACHER  

(907) 474-7630 
email: Tara@costumes.org   
web site: http://costumes.org   

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. in Theatre, University of Georgia, Dissertation: Fashion Shows, Strip Shows, and Beauty Pageants: The Theatre of the Feminine Ideal, 1991.  

M.A. in Theatre, California State University, Fresno. Thesis: Costume Crafts Instruction Manual, 1985.  

B.A. in History, San Francisco State University, Magna Cum Laude, 1981. Work done also at College of Marin `76-78, AGS Honor Society.  

Certified Online Instructor, Walden Institute, Certificate 2000.

California Community College Lifetime Credential  

TEACHING:

Associate Professor, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, 1997-Present, Assistant Professor 1990-97: Theatre Department  Head 1992-93, 2000-2002. Teach two courses per semester among Costume Design and Construction, Theatre Make-up, Advanced Costume Design and Construction, Theatre Costume History, History of Fashion and Dress, Russian Costume History, Theatre History II , Theatre Appreciation, Art/Music/Theatre Aesthetic Appreciation.   Most semesters I’ve also taken on Independent studies such as Advanced Theatre Make-up, Dyeing and Painting for the Theatre, Millinery, American Theatre History, and Native American Skin Sewing, I am also Supervisor/Teacher of the Theatre Practicum students in the Costume area. Faculty Adviser, Student Drama Association, 1991-2, 1993-4, 1995-6, 1996-2000, 2002. Served as Alaskan coordinator for UAF's American Russian Theatre (ART) program in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Assistant to the Russian Coordinator while in Russia during the summers of 1992-1993. On leave at Theatre Terra Mobile, Russia, 1994-5. Faculty Senate 1993, 1996-7. Chair, Faculty Appeals and Oversight Committee 1999-2000, Vice chair of same 1998-1999, Scholarly Affairs Committee, 1992-93. Core Curriculum Review Committee 1996-98, Faculty Service Committee 1996-97, Faculty Development Committee 1996-97. UA-AAUP/AFT Representative Assembly Member 1999-2001. UA-AAUP/AFT Communications Committee member 2001-present.  

Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, 1988-89: Costume Design and Construction, and Theatre Costume History. Hired as Costume designer and Costume shop manager (now two separate jobs) for a four show season, plus teaching two classes.

Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Georgia, 1985-87: Fall 1986: two sections of 30 students, Winter 1987: two sections of 30 students, and Spring 1987: one section of 30 students, all of Appreciation of World Drama, also assisted Costume Shop Manager during 1985-86 in supervising work of Theatre Practicum lab students.  

Graduate Teaching Assistant, California State University, Fresno, 1983-85: Assisted in the teaching of Costume History, Advanced Costume Crafts, and Introduction to Technical Theatre, wrote the Lab Manual for Advanced Costume Crafts class as M.A. Project.  

WRITING:

Shaman Costumes encyclopedia entry in upcoming  Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture, 2004

The Importance of Being Artificial:  Style as Substance in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnestin Theatre Design and Technology, Summer 2002  

Assistant Editor and Quarterly Computer Columnist for The Costume Research Journal:

Costume Sites on the WWW #1:  Favorites, Fall 2000

Costume Sites on the WWW #2:  Costume Supplies, Winter 2000-2001

Costume Sites on the WWW #3:  Fetish Costuming, Spring 2001

Costume Sites on the WWW #4:  Period Pattern Research and Commercial Patterns, Summer 2001

Costume Sites on the WWW #5:  WWII Resources, Fall 2001

Making a Web Site for Your Costume Program #1: Planning and Preparation, Fall 2001

Making a Web Site for Your Costume Program #2: Development,Winter 2001-2002

Costume Sites on the WWW #6:  Masks, Fursuits and Puppet Making,  Spring 2002

Costume Sites on the WWW #7:  Teaching about Costumes, Summer 2002

eCRJ Links to Related Topics, (web page links column which supplements the new online PDF version of the Journal ) Fall 2002  

UAF in house pamphlets:  “Sucking Students into Your Web Site” and “Faculty Web Page Tips” 2000.  

Faking Fortuny “Delphos” Pleats (with Lorraine Pettit) in Crossthreads Fiber Works Guild Nov. 1998  

Published Abstract: “You’ve Got To Have a Gimmick”; Strip Show Costumes and Performer Individuality Costume Society of America Region V Symposium Show Costumes; Dressing and Undressing for the Stage, Las Vegas, October 1996.

Putting Personality into Portfolios and Resumes in Theatre Design and Technology. Winter 1996.  

Russia: Living on $500 a Month in Transitions Abroad, 1995-1996 Educational Travel Planner and Resource Guide Issue, Jul/Aug 1995.  

Kiosk Man, (1994): a comedy without words performed jointly by Terra Mobile Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Perpetual Motion Theatre, London, UK, (two professional "Fringe" theatres) in 1995-96, work previewed in St. Petersburg July 1995, opened in London in November 1995 and subsequently toured in England.  

The Omnigarment: Putting Design into the Hands of the Actor in Theatre Design & Technology, Spring 1994.  

Costume Crafts at 50 Below: The Fairbanks Non Toxic Crafts Cookbook in TD&T, Fall 1994.  

A Student's Guide to Budget Travel Planning in College Monthly February 1994.  

Perfumes for the Period Scent in The Lady's Gallery, July 1994  

Freelance Author, October 1994-1995, for The St.Petersburg Press misc. articles: Old and New Rituals at Play; "When The Sun Was God" (theatre review), The Coldest Theatre Event in the World, Fashion A-Z at the House of Fashion, The Empress' Old Clothes and Other Costumes, also, non-professional related articles: Practical Petersburg, Where Cats are Tsars, and Mushroom Magic: Mushroom Hunting at a Russian Dacha, etc. English language newspaper.  

The OmniCostume: 32 Ways to a Period Silhouette in USITT Theatre Technology Exhibit 1993 Catalog, catalog for a juried exhibition at USITT.  

Native Alaskan Costume Bibliography in The Northwest Drama Journal Spring 1993, Editor and Co-author.  

"She Saves Who Sews for Victory"; Home Sewing on the American Home Front  in Costume the Journal of the Costume Society (UK), 1992. Juried, international publication, only accepts 7-10 articles yearly from around the world.  

Co-editor and contributing author: Connections: The Russian American Theatre Journal Summer '92, journal for now defunct UAF program.  

Quicker Corsetry in Theatre Crafts, October 1990.  

Stereographs as a Resource in Costume History in TD&T, Spring 1987.  

Library Costume Resources: A Supplement in USITT Newsletter, April 1987  

CONFERENCE PAPERS:

Putting Your Costume Program on the WWW (Multimedia Presentation) The United States Institute for Theatre Technology Annual Conference, Long Beach, March 2001

The History of Fashion and Dress Online (Poster Presentation) at USITT, Long Beach, March 2001  

Costume Sites on the WWW  (Served on a Panel) Costume College June 2000, Van Nuys.

Multimedia in Theatre Education (with Kade Mendelowitz) at The United States Institute for Theatre Technology Annual Conference, March 2000, Denver.

Seven Steps to Putting your Costume Shop Online (Poster Presentation) at The United States Institute for Theatre Technology Annual Conference, March 2000, Denver.  

Magic Garments; Costumes for Ritual, Onstage and Off International Costumer’s Guild Conference, Costume Con 15, Baltimore, May 1997. Also, workshop demonstrating Construction of Hats of the 1920’s, and leader of panel of professional/academic costumer’s on Designing a Work Environment That Induces Artistic Creativity.  

Tara’s Cheap Tricks for Faculty Web Page Design a web based presentation done for the Second Annual TCC-L Online Conference , 1997. For more on this, see web page design.  

You’ve Got To Have a Gimmick”; Strip Show Costumes and Performer Individuality Costume Society of America Region V Symposium Show Costumes; Dressing and Undressing for the Stage, Las Vegas, October 1996.

Fabric Painting for Theatre Design, and Convertible Costumes, Costume Con 14, Seattle, May 1996. Also appeared in the panel Writing for Publication.  

Transformation: The Stripper as Sexual Ideal, UCLA Burlesque Conference, March 14, 1993, Los Angeles, CA. Also, panel member: Representations of Women in Burlesque. First national conference on the subject, invited as paid presenter.

Theatre Education in the USA: The Liberal Arts Model, White Hall Seminars on Artistic Administration, 1992, The White Hall, Committee on Culture, St. Petersburg, Russian Republic.  

Tuma: Adapting Alaska Native Costume for the Stage, and Resumes, Portfolios, and Job Hunting in a Free Market Theatre, and Theatre UAF: University Theatre in the USA, The Russian American Theatre Conference, 1992, St.Petersburg, Russian Republic.  

The Non-Toxic Costume Shop, Northwest Drama Conference, Moscow, Idaho, 1992.  

Alaska Native Costume and Why Actors Hate Costumers and Vice Versa NWDC, 1991, La Grande, Oregon.  

Painting Dyeing and Distressing Indoors in Alaska: Non-Toxic Costume Crafts Processes for Unventilated Spaces, and The Costumer and Kinko's: Uses for Xeroxing and Other Media Services in Costume Design, Construction, and Research, NWDC, 1989, Anchorage, Alaska.  

Fashion Films: Fashion Newsreels 1905-1987, Costume Society of America, Region IV Annual Conference, 1987, Palm Beach, Florida.  

Use of Tailoring Manuals to Date Men's Garments, and Writing a Research Paper in Costume History, guest lectures in the Textile Merchandising and Interiors Department, UGA, 1986.  

Hoopskirts as a Liberating Influence on Women in the 19th Century, guest lecture in the Humanities Department, SFSU, 1981.  

COSTUME DESIGNS:

The University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1988-Present: The Magic Flute, The Mikado, 12th Night, The Importance of Being Earnest, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Lysistrata, Alice in Wonderland, (once with a student, once without), The Three Sisters, The Stronger, Miss Julie (with student), Fish in a Tree, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Grand Tarot, The Threepenny Opera, The Bacchae, The Island, Reckless, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Comedy of Errors, The Glass Menagerie, Cabaret, The Velveteen Rabbit, Jesus Christ Superstar, Noises Off, You Can't Take It With You, The Inspector General, AK, Treasure Island, Much Ado About Nothing, Woyzeck, 70 Scenes of Halloween, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Grease (co-designed with 5 students), Ubu Roi, Russian Christmas Tale, Frankenstein, Touch, Marat/Sade, Of Mice And Men, As You Like It, Curse of the Starving Class (co-designed with student), Mud, The Successful Life of 3, Hamlet Dreams, Yahoo Nation.

KlonDykes, Queens & Company, 1997 & 1999: The Second Coming (Drag show, co-designed with student and shop manager) 1999, We Three Queens, (Drag show, co-designed with cast) 1999.  

Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre, 1995-97: Gypsy, Guys and Dolls.  

UAF/Tuma Theatre Co. (Alaska Native Theatre), 1991-1996: Qayaq: The Magical Man, Naam ("I Don't Know"), The Eagle's Gift.  

UAF Opera Workshop, 1991-1996: The Stoned Guest, The 614th Commandment, The Old Maid and the Thief, The Bridge, The Abduction of Europa, Opera Scenes, Ariadne Abandoned, and The Liberation of Theseus.  

The Fairbanks Drama Association, 1995: Fighting Over Beverly, (costume coordination only).  

Theatre "Parijh", St.Petersburg, 1995-97: Pflluft: The Little Ghost, and Kolokochik Prostotak (The Bell That Rang For Itself), children's musical theatre, in Russian.  

Theatre Terra Mobile, St.Petersburg, 1995, co-design with Mila Krajda-Kalen: Iz tuimi Veshei (Out of Darkness), performance art/movement theatre.  

The State Theatre Inst., St.Petersburg, Interstudio, 1994: Chaika (The Seagull), Noch (Night).  

The Russian American Theatre, St. Petersburg, 1992: The Actor's Nightmare, Russian-English Dual Language Production, with American students and Russian professionals.  

University of Georgia, 1987: Comedy of Errors  

The Georgia Resident Acting Company, 1985-86: The Marriage Proposal, Lord Byron's Love Letter, and The Romancers.  

Portable Dance Troupe, Fresno, 1984-1985: Forms of Heaven, and Behind the Painted Grin, Modern Dance.  

California State University, Fresno, 1984-85: West Side Story (co-designed), True West.  

Joaquin Miller Theatre, Oakland, 1983: Paint Your Wagon, and Little Me!  

Ross Valley Players, Ross, 1982: The Real Inspector Hound, and The Marriage Proposal.  

Attic Theatre of San Francisco, 1981: Ten Little Indians.  

Cobb Elementary School, 1978-81, set and costume designs: Cinderella, The Little Nut Tree, The Twelve Dancing Princesses,  Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, and The Dressmaker and the Queen, school plays.  

WEB PAGE DESIGN:

The Costumer’s Manifesto (www.costumes.org) Costume Mega site, now gets 10,000 unique visitors a day with 30-70 thousand page views a day, History of Fashion and Dress Online Class, Costume History Time Line How-To and advice pages, online designs, links, and museum images

eCRJ I was an adviser to the USITT Costume Commission about web (html) alternatives to the old print format of the Costume Research Journal, and  developed  an online prototype for presentation to the membership.  I also developed an alternative that uses an html links page “eCRJ” that connected with a downloadable PDF version of the Journal, which was used for the the final issues of CRJ, before USITT decided it was no longer going to continue the publication.

College of Liberal Arts UAF  Site for the CLA Dean’s office at UAF

United Academics-AAUP/AFT Page (1996-1997) Since replaced by professional web designer.

UAF Summer Fine Arts Camp (1997-1999) Revised by students at later date.

UAF Film Club (1997-1998) Revised by students at later date.

Tara’s Cheap Tricks (for Faculty Web Page Design), a site commissioned for the Second Annual TCC-L Online Conference, 1997.  Still online.  

PATTERNING AND CUTTING:

[In addition to patterning and cutting many of my own shows, I have also cut the following shows by other designers.]

Directing two Independent Study courses in Pattern Drafting/Draping, 2000-2002.  For a student of Fashion design wishing to prepare a portfolio for entry to FIT.  

University of Georgia, 1986: The Pirates of Penzance, A Doll's House, Six Characters in Search of an Author.  

California State University, Fresno, 1983-84: Ring 'Round The Moon, Picnic, The Iceman Cometh.  

Santa Barbara Repertory Theatre, 1984: Man of La Mancha, The Island (Not Fugard's, but a big Greek thing).  

Dominican College, San Rafael, 1983: The Barber of Seville, hired in on Opera.  

COSTUME CRAFTS:

[In addition to doing crafts on my own shows, I began my costume career as a crafts worker on the shows of others.]  

Directed an Independent Study in Native American Skin Sewing, 1996: for a Native American Student who wished to learn traditional skin sewing to make a graduation dress.  

UAF/Tuma Theatre, 1992-94: Agayu, Utetmun, and The Child From the Sea, (masks).  

Directed an Independent Study in Millinery, 1993: for seven people (!!!), at UAF.  

University of Georgia, 1985: As You Like It.  

Houston Children's Theatre Festival, 1985: Fat Pig (animal and fruit costumes), Jack and the Beanstalk (hats and shoes).  

Houston Shakespeare Festival, 1985: Richard III (armor, crowns and misc.), Measure for Measure (hats, ruffs and shoes).  

California State University, Fresno, 1983-1984: Medea (belts and goddess cape), The Rose Tattoo (accessories), Taming of the Shrew (plastic jewelry, accessories and hats), White Chicks (accessories).  

Contra Costa College, 1983: The Wiz (Tin Man), hired in as crafts expert.  

Dominican College of San Rafael, 1981-1982: A Midsummer Night's Dream (hats, shoes and props), Beauty and the Beast (hats), Pippin (helmets and crown), hired in as crafts expert.  

Lucasfilm Ltd., 1981: Return of the Jedi, lowly crafts flunky on Major Motion Picture.  

Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, 1981: Cymbeline, (hot glue & misc.).  

College of Marin, 1976-1977: Dracula, The Marriage of Figaro, Hotel Paradiso, The Merry Wives of Windsor (opera), Romeo And Juliet, Threepenny Opera, Peter Pan, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, The Mikado (just about everything in crafts).  

PAINTING AND DYEING:

Directed an Independent Study course in Dyeing and Painting for the Theatre, 1991: for two students, at UAF.  

UA-Fairbanks & Tuma Theatre 1989-1994: Jesus Christ Superstar (spray-dye), As You Like It (dye resist, marbling), Russian Christmas Tale (distressing), Woyzeck (spatter-paint and spray-dye), Much Ado (squiggle paint, spraydye, and tie-dye), Qayaq, Agayu, Child From the Sea, Utetmun, The Eagle's Gift, The Mikado (hand painting).  

University of Georgia, 1986: The Boyfriend (vat dyeing).  

CSU-Fresno/Portable Dance Troupe, 1984-1985: Forms of Heaven (airbrushing), Medea (puffpaint).  

Dominican College of San Rafael, 1982: Beauty and The Beast (stenciling).  

MUSEUM & DISPLAY WORK:

Costumes at Theatre UAF 1988-2001 (exhibited fall 2001) display held in conjunction with the exhibition of materials on display for the UAF University-Wide Assessment.  

Theatre UAF Costume History Collection, 1995-Present: Presently working on the project of collecting, organizing and safely storing a 200+ piece collection of historic costumes 1850-1990 for study purposes in the costume department.  

Rassmussen Library "UAF Theatre Arts Collection" 1993-Present: Starting in `93, I began digging up, labeling, and donating items relating to the history of Theatre at UAF; renderings, photographs, posters, tapes, etc. I now typically donate a full packet of the above for each new show we produce at UAF, these donations have become so many that the Library archives have now declared this the "UAF Theatre Arts Collection".  

Russian American Theatre Conference, 1992: Designed and installed a display of costume and puppet designs by Galina Metelichenko and Almira Ebrigramova in the Baltic House Theatre Center, St. Petersburg, Russia.  

UGA College of Home Economics, 1986: Photographed and cataloged all the men's clothing items in the Costume Collection.  

Meux Home Museum, Fresno, California, 1985: Designed and installed an exhibit of antique Edwardian costumes.  

Various Costumes on Display, 1991-92: In Fairbanks Art Association Wearable Art Fashion Show, 1991 & 1992, in UAF Museum exhibit Art To Wear, 1991, in Ghosts, Phantoms and Other Critters, juried exhibit, at the Artlink Gallery, Illinois, 1992, at Juried exhibit at the USITT Convention in 1993, and at the NWDC 1992  

Fine Arts Museums* of San Francisco, 1980: Co-cataloged the entire costume collection of the Museums* with another volunteer, about 150 items at the time, included dating and photographing most costumes. (*M.H. De Young Memorial Museum/Palace of the Legion of Honor).  

Flood Mansion*, 1980: Co-designed and installed an exhibit of 1905-15 costumes from the Fine Arts Museums' collection, with another volunteer. (*Convent of the Sacred Heart).  

AWARDS:

Marquis Who’s Who, 1999

Who’s Who in the West, 1997.

Who's Who Among America’s Teachers, 1996.

30 assorted web design awards, 1996-2002, including the prestigious Angel of Fashion Award, all for The Costumer’s Manifesto web site.

Northwest Drama Conference/KC-ACTF, Special Achievement Award, 1992: For Costume Design for Qayaq, UAF, 1991.

Gold Key National Scholar 1985

College of Marin, 1977: Annual Drama Department Drama Banquet Costume Award.  

Curriculum Development

2001-present: Building new online versions of the courses Costume Design and Construction and Theatre Makeup  

1999-2001: Created first online costume course, The History of Fashion and Dress now offered each spring.  

Curriculum Development, UAF, 1992-93: Authored and successfully submitted 7 courses for UAF's American-Russian Theatre program, improved curriculum and catalog descriptions on 4 existing UAF courses.  

MISCELLANEOUS:

Mobile Theatre, co-wrote successful Technology Fund grant proposal 2001.  

Organized, Directed and Performed as M.C., 1994, for The Lee Salisbury Theatre Renaming Gala, a full evening fund-raiser variety show using 26 student and community performing groups, including a female barbershop quartet, two feminist performance artists, five full chorus musical numbers and two ballets.  

Performed as Tristan Tzara, 1993: 1993 UAF Dead Writers Conference, reading from his Dada Manifesto 1918, and at Open Stage, read his How to Write a Dada Poem, also guest lectured on Dada for Frank Soos' class in English.  

Professional Stitcher, 1981-83: Wedding dress cutter and stitcher, for store selling replica Edwardian wedding gowns out of antique materials.  

Costume stitcher, American Conservatory Theatre, The Admirable Crichton, Marin Opera Company, La Cenderillion, Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, Julius Caesar, Taming of The Shrew, The Lamplighters, Utopia, Ltd., Ruddigore, and for Delights and Designs Costume Rentals.  

Public Service Assistance to Fairbanks Community, 1990-Present: Regular bi-weekly work providing advice, costume coordination and lending services to Fairbanks community theatres, schools, church theatres, and UAF Faculty and student groups. The costume shop regularly lends out about 1000 items to about 100 groups a year, all selection of which is my direct responsibility. When freight costs are prepaid by the receiver, I have even shipped entire shows, selected by me, to community theatres in Bethel, and Unakleet.  

Public Service Workshops: I also regularly give free public/school workshops on costume and makeup both at UAF and at local schools. In the past this has included operating a fundraising Makeup Booth for KSUA at the State Fair, giving a series of four costume and makeup workshops prior to Halloween, (one at Value Village), and making a presentation on the history of costume in the Ancient World for the entire 5th grade of Ladd School.  

HOBBIES:

Available-light photography, creative writing, computer art, stereo (3-D) photography, video, mycology (mushroom hunting), acrylic painting, beginning conversational Russian. I also have trained my cat to jump through a hoop.  

SPECIAL SKILLS:

Web site authoring, (familiar with Microsoft Front Page, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Macromedia Director, Netscape, Microsoft Word, GIF Construction Set, Microsoft Publisher, Winsock FTP, Windows, and Photo Works software), draping, flat-patterning, sewing, millinery, foam sculpting, dyeing, distressing, painting, leatherwork, latex casting, acrylic casting, fan covering, muslin and paper mache Celastic and Hexalite sculpting, crude bird taxidermy, and Eskimo skin sewing.

REFERENCES:

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This Page is part of The Costumer's Manifesto by Tara Maginnis, Ph.D.  Copyright 1996-2010.   You may print out any of these pages for non-profit educational use such as school papers, teacher handouts, or wall displays.  You may link to any page in my site.