EUGENE–When the University Theatre production of Charles Dickens’ "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby" opens on May 18, the cast of 32 actors playing 140 characters will be wearing costumes reflecting months of historical research, planning, designing, selection and creation.

The unique and challenging story, set in Victorian England, also calls for dozens of beggars, poor people and passersby on the streets of London, all of whom need to be costumed appropriately.

"This is easily the largest show that we have done here in my 20 years," says Alexandra Bonds, UO professor of costume design. To carry out this monumental project, she has assembled a team of students and hired extra shop help, including a tailor. Costume planning sessions started in August 1999, and fittings began in January.

"Nicholas Nickleby" is the culmination of a year-long celebration of the 50th-anniversary season of theatrical productions in Robinson Theatre at the University of Oregon. The Tony Award- and New York Drama Critics Circle Award-winning play will be performed in two parts during the last two weeks of May and the first week of June.

Research for the background information for the costume design included reading the script and the Charles Dickens novel as well as books on Dickens himself, watching the video of "Nicholas Nickleby" and reviewing clothing from the time of the play. Bonds’ goal is to have as few costume changes as possible.

In this production, six of the actors will play the same character throughout both parts of the play. The other 26 actors will play multiple roles–up to six in some cases.

Early on, Bonds and her team decided that each of the actors would be given a basic costume that they will wear throughout the show. Additional pieces would be added at various times to distinguish between the different roles each actor plays.

For most productions, the costume designer designs specific costumes to be worn by each character and works out the look of the play with the director before casting and rehearsals begin.

For "Nicholas Nickleby," however, the process included a very general agreement regarding the look of the play. Specific designs were developed after the casting and, in great part, were determined by the costumes University Theatre had on hand.

Bonds identified several sources for costumes from the Victorian period and negotiated rental arrangements. Costumes arrived in January from Fullerton College in California; from the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota at Mankato; and from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. A "store" was set up in the University Theatre dressing rooms.

Once the actors were assigned roles, a costume list was created that mapped out what each character would wear in each scene. The actors then "went shopping" in the store of rental costumes that Bonds had assembled.

As the actors chose a costume for themselves and the additional pieces that would be used for each of their characters, they were photographed in each of their final costume assignments to maintain a visual diary for when dress rehearsals would begin several months later. In this way, 180 different characters–including those playing the London street crowds–were clothed.

Bonds and her team designed and built an additional 20 costumes in University Theatre’s costume shop.

"We have rented most of the show but are planning to build about 20 images, plus various capes, hats and accessories," Bonds explains. "We are building the characters that spend the most time onstage, so that we can still have control over the look of the show."

Bonds has assigned various responsibilities to her multiple assistants for this production.

One team is managing the distressing and dyeing of the costumes, while a graduate student is organizing the millinery. Another is acting as the first hand to help with cutting and gathering of accessories.

Shop manager/cutter Vicki Vanacek-Young is producing the patterns for the menswear, and shop manager/cutter Prue Warren is producing the ladies’ dresses. Susanne Rothman is the stitcher working on the constructions and alterations, while Esther Garcia is assisting with the tailoring and construction of the men’s clothes.

In addition, each of the 14 students in the theater department’s "Costume Construction" class will create a costume for the play for their mid-term projects.

Theater critics hailed "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby" as " …one of the great theatrical experiences of our time…" when it premiered in 1980 in London (1981 in New York).

The University Theatre production will be presented in two parts beginning on May 18 and running through June 3. Part I will be performed on Thursday nights and at Saturday matinees, with a Sunday matinee on May 21. Part II will be presented on Friday and Saturday nights, with a Sunday matinee on May 28.

Show times are 7 p.m. for evening performances and 1 p.m. for all matinees. Tickets are available now in Eugene at the Box Office at the Hult Center, One Eugene Centre, (541) 682-5000; and on campus at the Ticket Office in the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Ave., 346-4363, and at the Box Office in Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 1109 Old Campus Lane, 346-4191.

For more information, browse http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~theatre. A taped message about University Theatre productions and activities also is available 24 hours a day by calling GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 2287.

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