On this particular day in November, a couple of weeks before the opera’s thrift sale, she is wearing a fuzzy sweater with tigers on it, which she found at a thrift store in Prague last year.
We follow the tigers down into the Norrlandsoperan’s catacombs to look for a gray hat in size 62. The hat rack, which has several levels, stretches far into the darkness of the basement. Despite our search, we don’t find what we’re looking for, and the hat ends up on the costume department’s list of items to procure.
Klungan and the Moom Theater
Anna Eliasson has been a costume technician at the Norrlandsoperan for just over a decade. Before that, she worked for many years as a freelance costume designer, including for the comedy troupe Klungan and the Moomsteatern in Malmö. For many years, she also ran the vintage shop Då och nu, which an employee would manage while she was away on theater assignments.
“It was fun, but after 25 years of wandering from place to place, I felt it was time to find some stability in my life, and that’s when this job came along,” she says.
The Wide-Angle View
As a costume technician, she has developed a very special ability to read everything that happens—and that might happen—on stage.
“If blood is going to be splattered on the stage floor—which is also sloped—we’ll have to make sure it’s as slip-resistant as possible. Maybe we’ll put special soles on the singer’s shoes,” she says.
A Practical Perspective
Early on in the process, Anna gets involved in analyzing the artistic ideas from a strictly practical perspective. This is especially true for all the costume changes that need to be planned into a tight schedule.
In costume-tech jargon, a “quick change” means that the dresser has less than a minute to get the performer into a new outfit.
“In *The Cunning Little Fox*, with a cast consisting mainly of children and teenagers, we had 32 quick changes during a one-hour performance. We had six costume changes behind the scenes,” Anna recalls with a smile.
Holistic Approach
During rehearsals, she sits with the stage plan in hand, observing the work of the director and the ensemble. Entrances and exits are noted and timed, and her problem-solving mind is working at full speed.
– Yes, I’ve developed a kind of wide-angle perspective. It’s important to be attentive to all changes and potential risks. “If I see that the choir is going to walk backward in their long dresses, I have to alert the director to the risk of tripping, but also be prepared to fix a lot of skirt pleats,” says Anna.
The Clothing Cycle
Anna takes great pride in caring for the costumes. Not only because they must reflect the costume designer’s vision for each performance, but also because of the cycle of which each garment is a part.
The costume department does its best to reuse as much as possible and regularly sell off surplus garments through its recurring secondhand events.
“Before each performance, I talk with the costume designer about what to keep and what we can get rid of. When our sales corner is full, I contact the marketing manager,” she explains.
Masterpieces at Bargain Prices
As usual, this year’s Opera Second Hand features a wide and unique selection. Here you’ll find practical work boots from this fall’s “blueberry opera,” *The Italian Girl in Algiers*, as well as exclusive tailored garments.
“A true masterpiece at a bargain price is the witch’s dress from *Hansel and Gretel*—a bright yellow creation adorned with sequins and pom-poms that Susanna Levonen wore,” says Anna.
When she talks about her favorite costumes, a little flame flares up in her eyes, and it continues to flicker as she recommends this spring’s opera, *The Mistresses*, based on Elfriede Jelinek’s novel.
“Director Franciska Éry and costume designer Basia Bińkowska have long been looking for an opportunity to work together, and it’s a collaboration that really sparks,” Anna says. “Just wait until you see Basia’s costumes…”
Another role
Back in the daylight on the foyer level, she is asked one last question: “If you could choose another role in the theater—any role at all—which one would it be?”
She thinks for a moment.
– I’d be on an artistic advisory board and help decide which productions we should stage. But I’d still like to keep this job!
Text: Hanna Kangassalo
Photo: Peter Hållsten / Norrlandsoperan
Don’t miss Opera Second Hand 2024, taking place on November 20 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Read more here: https://norrlandsoperan.se/forestallningar/opera-second-hand/
Are you interested in working with costume design or tailoring in the performing arts? Anna Eliasson recommends applying for a work-based apprenticeship program through the Hantverkslärling website. Read more here: https://hantverkslarling.se/utbildningar/skraddare/
