For Edmonton Opera‘s production of Hansel and Gretel in February 2019, resident costume designer head of wardrobe Deanna Finnman wanted to create a really unique look for the familiar character of the Sandman. Instead of the typical “whimsical human” look, Finnman and the artistic team created a giant tree that integrated projections, lighting, makeup, costume, set pieces and an actor. It’s one of her favourite — and, because it was a tree, most challenging — costumes that she’s done in her 18 years with Edmonton Opera.
“It was quite magical when it came together, but it took months of planning and thinking through, and many, many people to get it to work,” Finnman says. “It was also the first time I’d ever used fibre optics (for the children’s costumes) and LED lights in a costume (Sandman), and that was really fun.” This sort of collaboration is typical at Edmonton Opera, where Finnman works behind the scenes to create the elaborate costumes that help bring every story to life and lend new interpretations to often centuries-old works.
Finnman trained in (now defunct) fibre art and fashion design programs in Alberta, with her sights set on becoming a clothing designer. Not too far off course, she ended up as a freelance costume designer in Edmonton, creating pieces for a number of local theatre companies including St. Albert Children’s Theatre, Phoenix Theatre and Workshop West and, since 2001, Edmonton Opera. In 2011, she joined the Edmonton Opera team full-time.
Before Finnman starts a sketch or threads a needle, about a year in advance of each show she talks with the entire artistic team about the direction in which they want to take the production.
“Opera is kind of like Shakespeare — it can be reinterpreted a hundred times over,” Finnman says. “ [The director and I] talk about what the psychological journey is of each of the characters. I spend a lot of time with the libretto (spoken words) and music, reading the words and trying to figure out how they resonate and what the character arc is.” Finnman and the team consider things like time period and geography and mood, all of which inform the final look and feel of the costumes.