Crafting Reality and Sci-Fi: Costume Designer Melissa Trn

The cast of Future Thinking, (L to R) Jud Williford, Heidi Dippold, Virginia Vale, Arye Gross and Enver Gjokaj.

Costume deisgner, Melissa Trn

“I love the psychology of clothing. The 'why' of what we wear,” says Future Thinking costume designer Melissa Trn.

And with the mix bag of characters—including a spoiled starlet, her “momager,” an obsessed fan—Trn has plenty of opportunity to dive into the psychology of these offbeat characters.

“I like to begin with what they are going through,” continues Trn. “What is happening to them? And the answers to those questions inspire their clothing.”

In Future Thinking, Peter, pet photographer and middle-aged super fan, finds himself in a makeshift interrogation room with Comic Con security—the result of violating a restraining order placed against him by his favorite television starlet, Chiara. Despite this setback, Peter is determined to fulfill his destiny—fantasies of a dream world, where he and Chiara happily live together forever. The only thing Chiara cares about is how to ditch her stage mom, her bodyguard and the demands that come with being a rising sci-fi star.

Trn will be making her SCR design debut, but she has designed at other theatres across the country including Brooklyn Academy of Music, SITI Company, Yale Repertory Theatre and Getty Villa. To top it off, Trn is well-versed in the Comic Con phenomenon and the effects of fandom—she’s married to actor Brett Dalton who is on Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Actor Brett Dalton and designer Melissa Trn

“What really appealed to me about the story of Future Thinking was that I loved the character of Peter,” says Trn. “I see him in many of the fan interactions and experiences at the Cons. Marvel fans are so excited, and they have so much love for the characters they watch on TV shows and in films. They invest so much and care deeply. It’s a real reminder about the power of storytelling.”

And just like the fans, Trn’s love and care extends into each character’s costume design. While creating the looks, she had to think of two designs for the production: reality and the fictional world of “Odyssey,” the TV show Chiara stars in.

“In talking with our director, Lila Neugebauer, I discovered that we both had a love of the Temple of Dendur exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum and a fascination with Egyptian art,” says Trn. “I think we see a lot of medieval or Asian influences in sci-fi. I thought that using Egypt as a jumping off point would be different—plus it gives me a chance to use some research I've been hoarding.”

As for the “real world” within the play, Trn is taking a nuanced approach to it. She’s hoping to draw out more than just the obvious looks people may initially think of when it comes to celebrity and Hollywood.

“I think what is interesting in Hollywood is the real versus the facade. It can be easy with Chiara to make her seem one sided: a Hollywood starlet, sexy and TMZ bait. But, I’m hoping to go beyond an US Weekly image and give her clothing with some dimension that is personal to her.”

Striding a balance between reality and fantasy, Trn has plenty to work with in her group of funny and interesting characters as she finds the “whys” of their clothing and continues to craft her design for Future Thinking.

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Discover more about Future Thinking

Trn's design for Trojan Women (After Euripides)

Future (and Past) Thinking with Melissa Trn

What first drew you to costume design?
I always have been a lover of history and clothes. Costume design is the obvious marriage of those things. As I studied design, I really began to love the collaborative process and seeing a big bunch of ideas coming together to make something new.

What design do you hold close to your heart?
I designed The Trojan Women (After Euripides) at Brooklyn Academy of Music for SITI Company in New York City. Designing at BAM was a dream of mine that came to fruition working on a piece that was beautifully made by Anne Bogart and SITI. Anne is such an inspiration to me as an artist. She also trusts her designers and asks questions that challenge you as a person, as well as an artist.

Is there a show you’re dying to design?
I love opera and haven't really gotten a chance to design any yet. I worked for the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis doing wardrobe and then as the design assistant before graduate school. It always has been my dream to come back and design there...plus St. Louis is my hometown.

Artisans of SCR: Crafting the Rough Edges of "Abundance"

Abundance costume designer Angela Balogh Calin in SCR's Costume Shop. Photo: Ben Horak/SCR.

A pirate, a civil war solider and a grasshopper all have something in common. And it’s not a bad punch line. Their commonality is the mastermind behind their clothes, their style and their looks—all crafted by costume designer Angela Balogh Calin.

Calin has designed for more than 50 productions at South Coast Repertory. The list could go on for days: from last season’s Peter and the Starcatcher to Crimes of the Heart to Noises Off and more than a dozen Theatre for Young audiences productions, she’s gone from contemporary times to the 1800s to fantasy. The one place she hasn’t yet gone with her designs at SCR? The Wild West.

Until now, that is. Her time is currently being filled with fittings and finding the right pieces for costumes that she's designing for Abundance by Beth Henley, with first previews starting Oct. 16. In Abundance, the time is the late 1800s and two mail-order brides head west to the Wyoming territory in hopes of finding a more complete life. Calin couldn’t be more thrilled to be designing a western this time around. They happen to hold a special place in her heart.

“I am very fond of this period and setting for more than one reason,” says Calin. “One of my most vivid memories from growing up in Romania was watching westerns with my father. We were both mesmerized by the scenery, the harshness of life and the resilience of the human spirit. Even now, one of my favorite places to travel to is the Southwest with its amazing colors, views and endless blue skies.”

As she began work months ago for this production, Calin looked for inspiration in many places, including television. Pulling from some of her personal favorites, “Hell on Wheels” and “Deadwood,” she found the beauty of the Wild West in its rough worn edges.

Calin working in SCR's Costume Shop

“Both series were a great source for my research," she explains. "They seem to truthfully convey the harshness of life in the Wild West. At the time, clothes were expensive and ordinary people could not afford more than a few. A hat or a pair of boots would have to last for a very long time, a ribbon or a yard of lace would be a cherished accessory for a young woman.”

Calin has been scouring SCR’s collection of stored costumes to find the perfect pieces. She loves the history that previously created costumes hold. “I always enjoy recycling clothes or costumes because I believe they have a past life and stories to tell. Just like people. Past experiences add a new dimension and excitement to life,” she says.

Outside of SCR’s collections, Calin also has been looking online for companies that specialize in recreating vintage clothing. She’s even been able to find and alter modern clothing to fit the needs of the production. And, of course, she’s had a few pieces created specifically for the show, “This play needs authentic-looking clothes in order to successfully covey the journey of the two couples,” she says. “We only built a few costumes, mainly the ones that we need doubles of and two of the more elegant ones.”

With technical rehearsals starting today and performances just around the corner, Calin keeps in mind what might make a costume design stand out, “Have you noticed those times, when watching an old movie, that the design looks so outdated and it’s almost sad? And then, there are the movies that always are as exciting as the first time you watched them! I think successful costume designs are about creativity, imagination, humor and the courage to speak about the characters they are made for.”

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