WASHINGTON — If finding the perfect Halloween costume is on your to-do list this year, a local theater may be able to help out.
Arena Stage is raiding its dressing rooms and selling nearly 10 years worth of costumes at its Community Day celebration, Saturday, Aug. 26.
“We can’t hold on to every costume, and there are costumes that are so specific to certain productions that we may never do again,” said Arena Stage Costume Director Joe Salasovich.
“Sometimes, they’re so fantastical and so incredible that they’re too specific for any other purpose.”
A fitted organza headdress from “The Music Man” is one of the items up for grabs, as is its matching Grecian-style dress. There’s also a yellow lace hoop skirt worn by Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls” and a 1950s-style dress from the recent production of “Carousel.”
Of course, there are plenty of ordinary items on sale as well, including racks of men’s shirts, women’s skirts, jackets and vintage dresses.
“The span of clothes goes from roughly 1890 to 2017,” Salasovich added.
Perhaps more exciting than the available styles are the labels within the clothes. Salasovich says Arena Stage doesn’t remove the costumes’ tags, so hunting through racks of actors’ names can be an exciting activity for theater fans.
“Arena has a very illustrious history of actors who have worked here, so you might see some names you recognize in some of the clothes,” he said.
Wigs, handbags, shoes and accessories will also be for sale, and prices for the pieces range from $2 to $200.
In addition to the costume sale, Arena Stage’s Community Day will include a number of free activities, such as live music, dance performances, storytelling, face-painting and more. The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. Visit Arena Stage’s website for more details.
