Our People, Their Profile | Danielle Jordan, Costume Craft Artisan

This season has been like no other. In order to help First Stage endure the devastating financial effects of COVID-19, we created the special relief initiative—the HOPE Fund. Donations to the HOPE Fund will Help Our People Engage, Enlighten, Entertain, and Educate by supporting the talented First Stage staff who provide HOPE for thousands of young people and families. All charitable gifts made to the HOPE Fund before June 30, 2021 will be matched 1-to-1, up to $50,000—thanks to another generous matching gift from the Molitor Foundation.

 

First Stage had the chance to catch up with our Costume Craft Artisan, Danielle Jordan, to learn more about her First Stage story. 

 

Danielle has been with First Stage for nearly six years—working to bring eight to ten full-scale productions to life over the course of each nine-month season.

 

What are your responsibilities at First Stage?

 

My responsibilities include the patterning and construction of craft items, alteration of existing pieces, as well as the dyeing, painting, and distressing of garments and fabrics, dance rubbering and painting of shoes, and the construction of occasional puppets or animal parts.  

 

How do you connect with young people and families at First Stage?

 

In the costume shop, I work with young performers and families through costume fittings. Seeing young performers’ reactions to the pieces crafted for them is always the cherry on top for me.

The young people I work with constantly give me hope for the future. They inspire my work every day. I really wish I had had a place like First Stage growing up in southeastern New York State. 

 

What does your craft mean to you?

 

I have been involved with theater for two decades and have been making things with my hands for even longer. Theater is the study of humanity through storytelling and it is both my privilege and purpose to use my technical skills and artistry to help fellow artists tell those stories. In this line of work, we get to make people’s dreams come true, but during these difficult times, it certainly is a challenge.

 

What does the HOPE Fund mean to you?

 

Theater may seem like magic, but it is created through the hard work and dedication of human beings with bills to pay, bodies and minds to maintain, and families to support. Thanks to the HOPE Fund, we are able to keep working in the jobs we love.

 

If you would like to support our artisans, and be able to take home a piece of their work, check out the First Stage Market on etsy.com. The items I handmade out of First Stage materials mention the craft shop in the description and are pretty much anything created from canvas or leather. All proceeds from my items will go directly to the HOPE Fund.

 

Thanks for your support!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Photo by Paul Ruffolo Photography.