Just a few months shy of her 90th听产颈谤迟丑诲补测,听Nancy听Brassea听continues to volunteer her time with 黑料网鈥檚 Theatre Arts program.听听
Her involvement began in 2019 with a seemingly simple request from her daughter-in-law,听Karen Babcock听Brassea, during the production of 鈥淎lice in Wonderland.鈥�听
鈥淪he needed someone to make the costume for the Queen of Hearts,鈥澨�Nancy听said. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ell,听that won鈥檛 be too hard.鈥欌��听
There was a pattern, but any experienced seamstress knows sometimes adjustments are necessary.听
鈥淲ith ingenuity, I managed to piece it together and it was beautiful. I was very proud of myself,鈥澨�Nancy听said.听
Most recently, she sewed the finale dresses for the trio, Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette.听
鈥淭he three dresses in Little Shop (of Horrors) were not easy, but she did a gorgeous job,鈥� said Karen Babcock听Brassea, the show鈥檚 director and assistant professor of Theatre and Dance.听鈥淪he wanted to make it out of muslin before sewing the final costumes. She wasn鈥檛 formally trained as a costume designer, but she’s doing things I’ve seen听costume听designers do 鈥� she鈥檚 following her instincts.鈥�听
Nancy鈥檚 daughter,听Donna,听lives in California and teaches theatre in high school.听
鈥淢y daughter watched the live-stream the other night, and she said, 鈥楳om, you did it! It was lovely,鈥� so I was pleased,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y daughter teaches school and does musicals with her students, so she has made costumes.鈥�听
Nancy听said she has plenty of experience with a needle.听Like听many girls听from her generation, her mother taught her to sew at a young age.听听
鈥淢y sister and I would make doll clothes when we were 8 or 10 years old,鈥澨�Nancy听said. 鈥淢om let us use the sewing machine;听she showed us how to use it and bought patterns for our dolls. Gradually, we got into making our own clothes. I just kept making my own clothes. When I got married, I made the kids clothes. Then when they had kids, I made the grandchildren鈥檚 clothes.鈥�听
In addition to clothes for daily use,听Nancy听also altered costumes for her late husband鈥檚 dance studio.听She was an elementary school teacher, and her husband owned a dance studio for nearly 40 years.听
鈥淭he costumes I was working with previously were more children鈥檚 recital costumes,鈥� she said.听鈥淚 used to make and alter costumes for the ballet company听鈥斕齣t wasn鈥檛 these kinds of costumes.鈥�听
When she moved to Salina in 2019,听after the death of her husband, she expanded into costumes for plays and musicals.听Nancy听also听makes听Raggedy Ann听dolls听鈥� with hand-stitched hearts and faces 鈥斕齠or Salina Shares.听
Babcock听Brassea听said in just two short years,听Nancy听has become part of the KWU theatre family.听
鈥淲e really value what she does.听She tries to come to opening nights or final dress rehearsal,鈥� Babcock听Brassea听said. 鈥淭he students run up to her and give her hugs, so she feels very welcome in our Theatre Arts department.鈥�
