Independent Theater is oftentimes about doing the impossible, and Angelina Schwark did that for us when she joined No Nude Men Productions to costume the 2005 production of Phaedra. Creating, almost from scratch, eight full Victorian outfits in a mere three weeks and for virtually no money, she proved wrong about nine other costumers I spoke to who said that such a feat couldn’t be done. And the costumes were really beautiful, with Michaela Greeley’s Oenone in an emerald green patterned with roses, Stacy Malia’s Aricia in a pastoral blue freckled with yellow and white flowers, and Gina Seghi’s Phaedra in burgundy and white, trimmed with lace and brocade. The maids had matching dresses of haystack brown and white lace, rustic and charming at the same time, while the men all sported full coats and dazzling vests, the plaids and patterns a gentlemanly mix of browns, golds, purples, yellows, ivory and green. Little details, from Lee Marcotte’s ascot to Chris Carlone’s gorget of frills completed an elegant and eye-catching picture that was all the beauty of the period without any of its blandness, nicely finishing the portrait so fabulously set by John Sanders’ scenery, accented in Bekah McNeil’s warm lighting. And the best part is, Angelina did it all with a smile, happy to be there and ready to make it happen, even when she was scrambling in at the last minute or stuck on the bridge in traffic. It’s almost enough to make a producer wish all plays could be period pieces, but sometimes the mark of a true artist is knowing to quit while one is still ahead- or at least to wait until next season to pull out the petticoats once again.

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