Patrick Holt's Brilliant Renderings and Costume Concepts Come to Life

Patrick Holt is renowned for his stunning, detailed costume renderings, as pictured below. His costume designs for An Enemy of the People encapsulate the 1950s era of fedoras, tailored suits, and feminine, pastel skirts. Limited to the subdued colors worn by business men of the 1950s, Patrick's palette was more muted, but one character needed to stand out.

Patrick's inspiration behind Peter Stockmann's flair, as worn by Anthony Newfield. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

Peter Stockmann, the Mayor, needed to exude a certain importance, explains Rachel Pollock, costume craftsperson. She said the design team received an email from director Tom Quaintance stating, "The Mayor's hat needs to clearly be the Mayor's hat." She and Patrick jumped into action, finding exactly the right details to complete Peter's ensemble. They searched for a way to ensure Peter would stand out, but it had to be subtle. "We needed some way to set it apart him an official capacity that wouldn't be cartoonish or absurd," said Rachel. Patrick and Rachel chose from a collection of unique feather ornaments to make Peter's costume flourish. This subtle detail proves effective, along with the touch of red, to evoke a sense of authority, wealth, and importance in Peter Stockmann's character.

The concept of water is prevalent throughout the plot, as well as the design concepts. The designs for dresses worn in the second act by Petra and Catherine Stockmann use teals and dim browns evoking the polluted springs that drive the plot, Rachel explained.

"It's a visual representation of the taint in the water."

With water being a common theme throughout the play, it's no wonder Patrick was inspired to create visual representations of the contaminated spring in his designs for the Stockmann women.

Patrick's rendering for Catherine Stockmann as worn by Julia Gibson. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

Patrick's rendering for Petra Stockmann as worn by Allison Altman. Photo by Curtis Brown.

For the angry mob scene in which Dr. Stockmann is pelted with water, precautions had to be taken. Rachel says they spent time Scotch Guarding the costumes they expected to be exposed to the most moisture. However, this was not Rachel's first time working around water in a production. After the 4,500 gallon pool used in PlayMakers' 2014 production of Metamorphoses, she had more than enough skill and experience to collaborate on the challenge of costumes getting soaked throughout the show.

The mob throwing water at the face of Dr. Stockmann. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

We are pleased to have Patrick Holt's costume designs featured in another production at PlayMakers. He served as costume craftsperson for PlayMakers early on in his career. Rachel said Patrick's past experience with PlayMakers simplified the process for the collaborative costume team. "He ran this dye shop. So he is very familiar with this facility and what it can do."

Patrick's rendering of Dr. Stockmann's costume worn by Michael Bryan French. Photo by Curtis Brown.

See Patrick Holt's beautiful renderings come to life onstage. Book your tickets for An Enemy of the People - onstage through March 15!

Click here to buy tickets or for more info or call our box office at 919.962.7529.

PlayMakers adds Nov. 29 performance of ‘Into the Woods’

Photo by Jon Gardiner

PlayMakers Repertory Company announces that due to popular demand the theater has added a holiday performance to the schedule of its hit production “Into the Woods.” The Thanksgiving Weekend performance will be on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

The Stephen Sondheim musical has received audience and critical acclaim calling the PlayMakers’ production “oh-so-right” “outshines the original” (The News & Observer), “fantastical, fabulous and foreboding fun” (Triangle Arts & Entertainment), “a wonder” (The Daily Tar Heel) and “in a word, enchanting” (The Five Points Star).


“Into the Woods” is a multiple Tony Award-winning musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The show was originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick.


Beginning with a childless couple, a witch and a curse, “Into the Woods” reveals the shadow side of classic fairytales by the Brothers Grimm in a funny and poignant exploration of the wishes we make, and what happens when they really do come true.

Producing Artistic Director Joseph Haj directs. He has directed some of PlayMakers’ most popular entertainments including musicals “Cabaret” and “Big River.”

“Into the Woods” is presented through Dec. 7 in rotating repertory with William Shakespeare’s beloved romantic comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Tickets are still available to both shows individually or as part of PlayMakers’ 2014/15 subscription packages. For a complete schedule, more information and to purchase tickets, call the PlayMakers Box Office at (919) 962-PLAY (7529) or visit www.playmakersrep.org.

Performances are in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC’s Department for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road, Chapel Hill. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

About "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike"

ARIELLE YODER as Nina (standing), JULIE FISHELL as Masha, CHRISTIAN DALY as Spike, JEFFEY BLAIR CORNELL as Vanya and JULIA GIBSON as  (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

As Christopher Durang points out, Anton Chekhov’s work appears both under and on top of the text of his Tony Award-winning play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. There are numerous parallels, quite beyond the three siblings and their neighbor Nina’s names, to Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, and Seagull. At the same time, however, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is quite clearly Durang not Chekhov. 

Where Chekhov gives us a deeply perceptive human comedy, Durang romps through the lives of his characters with a different sensibility. It is a U.S.-based gusto and brio that draws heavily upon contemporary culture both for its laughs and its poignancy. Durang understands Mark Twain’s comment that “the source of all humor is sorrow” and carefully roots the ridiculous aspects and actions of his characters in a deep comprehension of the Dark Night of Their Souls. Durang also understands Chekhov’s statement, “men dine, they just dine—and in that moment lives collapse, and worlds are destroyed,” with its profound insight that the truly important events in our lives happen without our noticing them. We live them, we don’t comment upon them.  It is only years later, perhaps lying on the analyst’s couch, that we begin to comprehend the confluence of our own actions, attitudes, and emotions that created those moments and their repercussions.  

JEFFREY BLAIR CORNELL as Vanya and ARIELLE YODER as Nina. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

What Durang creates in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a contemporary, funny, dysfunctional family with--like all families--its own particular rhythm.  In the process the play investigates what it is to be human, what it is to be in a relationship, what it is to be in a family, what it is to have meaning in your life.  Perhaps the most fulfilled life is the one in which a person is capable of stopping: sitting and watching the elegance and stillness of Durang’s blue heron perched majestically on one long leg as it surveys the pond and searches for its next meal.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will be performed at PlayMakers September 17, 2014 - October 5, 2014. For tickets, call 919.962.PLAY (7529) or visit our website.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: dress rehearsal

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike opens this Saturday! Here are some photos from the dress rehearsal last night.

 JULIE FISHELL as Masha and CHRISTIAN DALY as Spike. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

JULIE FISHELL as Masha. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

 ARIELLE YODER as Nina, JULIE FISHELL as Masha, CHRISTIAN DALY as Spike (standing), JEFFEY BLAIR CORNELL as Vanya and JULIA GIBSON as Sonia (in background).  (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

ARIELLE YODER as Nina, JULIE FISHELL as Masha and CHRISTIAN DALY as Spike. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

JEFFEY BLAIR CORNELL as Vanya, ARIELLE YODER as Nina and JULIA GIBSON as Sonia. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

JEFFREY BLAIR CORNELL as Vanya and JULIA GIBSON as Sonia. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

 KATHRYN HUNTER-WILLIAMS as Cassandra. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

KATHRYN HUNTER-WILLIAMS as Cassandra and JEFFREY BLAIR CORNELL as Vanya. (Photo by Jon Gardiner)

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will be performed at PlayMakers September 17, 2014 - October 5, 2014. For tickets, call 919.962.PLAY (7529) or visit our website.