Get Involved: Hudson River Pageant

The Hudson River Pageant is looking for volunteer artists who can help to make this year's event spectacular!  The Pageant is being held on Saturday, May 21 and includes a parade about the environment with 13 site-specific performances in the downtown section of the Hudson River Park.



Artists who participate will be asked to don a cool costume and also, if you'd like, perform in a short 5-minute piece directed by Cindy Sibilsky.

Here are key dates & info:

Tuesday, May 10 6-8pm Costume Fitting
Saturday, May 14 12-4pm Rehearsal
Saturday, May 21 8am-6 or 7pm Pageant! This is going to be really fun, it seems like a long day, but you get to have amazing make-up artists paint your body, be in spectacular costumes, and you'll be dancing to a samba band and then an afro-cuban band. Not to mention that you'll be around incredible artists- costume designers, a singer from Cirque du Soleil (!), musicians from around the world and a ton of wholesome hippies.
**We ask that everyone who is in the parade leave Sunday, May 22 open as a rain date.

If you'd like to sign up, please contact Ines at mail@earthcelebrations.com or call 212-777-7969.

This is a great way to become active in the environment of NYC and to promote your Planet Connections show!  Let us know if you take part!

Trash or Fashion?

Even America's Next Top Model sees the value in eco-friendly fashion. 

Check out the photo slideshow from a recent show that featured models going glam in a landfill.  (Thanks for the tip, Nicole!)

Source: www.buddytv.com

At times, the landscape is apocalyptic and mesmerizing but MAKE NO MISTAKE!  This is a landfill, only one of thousands in our country.  According to the EPA, the U.S. has 3,091 active landfills and over 10,000 old municipal landfills.  Let ANTM be an inspiration to all of us to keep valuable materials OUT of the landfills! 

So, to try and inspire our artists to be even more eco-conscious than they already are, we're launching the following special event this year: 

THE GREEN FASHION SHOW

Wednesday, June 22 @ 9PM
Location: Gene Frankel Theatre
Tickets: $5*
*50% of ticket sales goes to charity!

Project Runway meets Recycling!

Planet Connections productions and their costume designers are invited to enter PCTF’s first-ever Green Fashion Show!  From salvaged and found materials to repurposing and reinventing, we’re looking for costumes that exemplify going green and thinking both innovatively and sustainably.  Which costume will be deemed the most eco-chic?  Designs will take to the runway in front of the audience and a panel of Celebrity Judges.  The winning costume design will take home a cash prize for their show’s charity!  50% of all ticket sales for this event go to the winner’s charity and only you can make it a success!  So show your love for green design by attending this fantastic event!

Eligibility:

·         Only 1 per show (must be a costume being used in a PCTF production)

·         Must be submitted by show producer, director or costume designer along with photo & description

·         Show is responsible for providing and dressing their 'model'

Can't wait to see your submissions!

Design Idea: All Natural Sequins

Many costumes are spangled with sequins to give performers an extra oomph on stage!  A memorable recent example would be the costumes from Taylor Mac's The Walk Across America To Save Mother Earth, gloriously crafted by Machine Dazzle. (Witness the Dazzle - warning, NSFW!) 

A new costume restoration at Smallhythe Place in Kent, England, used a much different kind of sparkle:

beetle wings

The dress dates to 1888 and was worn by Ellen Terry when she played Lady Macbeth.  Described as "emerald and sea green," the dress was made with 1,000 beetle wings and was restored at a cost of £50,000.  Where did they get all these wings?  The house manager, Paul Meredith, notes: "We had collected the beetle wings that had fallen off the dress over the years so that the conservator was able to re-attach many of the originals, plus others that had been donated to us - 1,000 in total."

Apparently, no beetles were harmed in the making.  The iridescent wings are naturally shed throughout the beetle's life cycle.

Too "bugged out" by the real thing? Try these!

Have you ever used an insect or animal by-product in your costume design? Tell us in the comments section.