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SSenior Arielle Blumenfeld steps into the light. Dressed in a dark blue flowy top and khaki pants, she morphs into "Mamma Mia" Donna Sheridan, ready to become the role in Palo Alto High School Theatre’s production.

“I always loved how costumes add to the character,” Blumenfeld said. “Donna’s three outfits allowed me to embody the character.”

Blumenfeld’s outfits were crafted over weeks to match the character's style and personality, along with the costumes of the rest of the cast. With over 100 cast and crew members, the costume crew was tasked with bringing their inspiration from the film series to life on a huge scale. 58 actors needed costumes, including 12 actors that had multiple costumes.

As costume director, senior Noah Boyarsky took on the challenge. The initial planning was a group effort, including designers from all departments

text by arati periyannan spring 2023

— from sound to makeup.

“We find out what the director is thinking of for the play,” Boyarsky said. “Like, do we want to be fun? Do we want it to be summery? Light-hearted or serious?”

The “Mamma Mia” movies inspired the bright, summery color scheme that carried throughout the play.

From there, Boyarsky’s team crafted color schemes for each character. In the movies, Sheridan is always in her iconic shade of blue. Recognizing this pattern, the team designed her three costumes to all feature blue. From her every day outfit, including a flowing dark blue top to her wedding dress covered in blue floral patterns.

The team matched Sheridan’s love interest, Sam Carmichael — played by junior Matthew Arradaza — in the same shade of blue paired with khakis. While a small detail in the play, its significance lies in the nuanced, thoughtful process that went on behind the scenes for months in preparation for the shows, according to Blumenfeld.

Other characters were sectioned into their own color palettes, like the Dynamos in blue, pink, and purple.

“I loved how each Dynamo had their own color, making us more distinct on stage,” Blumenfeld said.

The Dynamo costumes weren’t out sourced like costumes for some of the cast members, but were hand-made by Boyarsky and his team. This was his fa vorite part of the show.

“They're very sparkly and fun and ex citing,” Boyarsky said.

They took each Dynamo’s measure ments and created shiny costumes, pairing them with even shinier boots.

“When I heard that Noah was hand-making them, I was beyond ex cited,” Blumenfeld said. “They turned out amazing and made me feel like a rock star.”

Boyarsky’s goal was to create something a character would have picked out themselves and chosen to wear on any given day. For Sheridan, they wanted her motherly, hardworking spirit to be reflected through each of her costumes.

“No matter the occasion, Donna’s traits of being a working mother shone throughout the show,” Blumenfeld said.

Boyarsky emphasized the importance of understanding characters’ values to create a costume that will enhance the actors in their roles. This thought process incorporates the psychological aspects of the characters.

“You really have to understand how each character works psychologically and their day-to-day life and what clothes they do and don't have access to,” Boyarsky said.

Overall, the costume crew and other teams produced a show that brought the iconic movie onto the Performing Art Center’s stage.

“This is the first modern show I've ever designed for, so it was really fun,” Boyarsky said.

text by lucianna peralta and minirva villegas