1. 1. Myrna Colley-LeeMyrna Colley-Lee 1941 - present
2. 2. BackgroundBackground Born in 1941 at Hamlett, N.C Received her M.F.A. in Scenic and Costume Design from Temple University Relativity, The Piano Lesson, Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White
3. 3. " Theater is all about the suspension of disbelief and creating your own world. A play is always a world -- a complete and concise unit; the more you research, the more informed the production and the more it assists the actors, and therefore, makes it a more valid experience for the audience. " -Myrna
4. 4. Production photo for Importance of Being Earnest, 1986, Smith College
5. 5. Production photo for Importance of Being Earnest, 1986, Smith College
6. 6. Renderings for Cyrano de Bergerac Here's the conflict: as an artist, you often get caught up in the rendering, because art is what you like to produce. As a designer,it's a practical discipline. It's toward an end -- for a show to be produced -- not to have a finished piece of fine art. The goal is to develop a style that is both fast and informative. However, as a historical record of what you have done, expanding your portfolio, you often want it to be wonderful. -Myrna
7. 7. Lion and the Jewel
8. 8. Costumes for theater are built for longevity,Costumes for theater are built for longevity, They have to withstand the wear and tear andThey have to withstand the wear and tear and constant cleaning. Building a costume is notconstant cleaning. Building a costume is not dressmaking. Costume design is not clothingdressmaking. Costume design is not clothing design. The purposes are different. Building adesign. The purposes are different. Building a costume involves using much larger seams,costume involves using much larger seams, backing the material with muslin or some otherbacking the material with muslin or some other facing to give it more stability.facing to give it more stability. -Myrna-Myrna