Paula Peasley-Ninestein
13 Broadway Avenue #1  Rockport, MA 01966  Phone: 978-317-6652  E-Mail: paularose@me.com  Portfolio: paulaninestein.com
Objective
Experienced costumer seeks permanent, seasonal or temporary employment in costume management, technology or design.
Experience
Resident Costume Designer, North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly MA
May 2010 - present
 Responsible for management of costume department operations; maintain budgets for each production, costume shop and
wardrobe facilities; hiring and supervision of wardrobe staff. Part of a team responsible for the set up and re-opening of
closed regional theatre.
 Coordinate or design costumes for NSMT productions. Conduct fittings during rehearsal periods in New York City.
 Construct costumes as necessary; supervise fittings and alterations. Maintain wig continuity for show runs.
 Assist contracted designer with any shopping, researching and rentals.
 Create wardrobe-tracking paperwork for arena-staged productions. Present at all performances as Wardrobe Supervisor
with personal dressing track. Responsible for maintaining continuity of costume and wig design for three-week production
run.
Selected coordinated productions
Selected designed productions
 Disney’s The Little Mermaid
(Michael Heitzman, Dir.)
 Hello, Dolly! (Charles Repole, Dir.)
 Les Misérables (Marc Robin, Dir.)
 Guys and Dolls (Mark Martino, Dir.) *nominated for
best costume design 2013 by the Independent Reviewers
of New England
 Legally Blonde (Nick Kenkel, Dir.) *nominated for
best costume design 2012 by the Independent Reviewers
of New England
 Chicago (Nick Kenkel, Dir.)
 Miss Saigon (Richard Stafford, Dir.)
 Saturday Night Fever (Richard Stafford, Dir.)
Interim Costume Director, University of Southern Maine, Gorham ME
January - May 2011
 Temporary supervisor of small theatre department costume shop.
 Primary costume technician responsible for construction and alterations of costumes for three productions.
 Supervisor of student staff of approximately ten students completing work-study or classroom lab requirement.
 Styled and maintained wigs used for productions
 Trained student wardrobe crew and assisted with show run maintenance
Costume Shop Manager, Opera Boston, Boston MA
September 2009 - April 2010
 Responsible for set-up and maintenance of small studio space including purchase and procurement of supplies and overhire staff.
 Assist contracted union costume designers with all needs including travel, costume rental sourcing, interpretive shopping and
representation when needed.
Costume Coordinator, North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly MA
April 2008 - January 2009
 Responsible for management of costume department operations; maintain budgets for each production, costume shop and
wardrobe facilities; hiring and supervision of full-time employees, interns and over-hire staff. Maintained costume stock and
prepared any out-going rentals, present at all costume fittings, technical and dress rehearsals.
 Worked with NSMT’s producers and artistic staff to procure costume rental packages that met specific needs of each
production’s Stage Director and Choreographer; made design decisions as needed to serve the overall artistic look of each
production.
 Coordinated productions: The Producers, Contact, Bye, Bye Birdie, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,
Showboat, 42nd Street, High School Musical 2
Costume Coordinator, Opera Carolina, Charlotte NC
September 2005 - April 2008
 Coordinated costume packages for four opera productions per season in consultation with Stage Director and Production
Manager. Arranged for shipment and delivery of all costume packages with rental agency and independent shipping firm.
 Served as working costume designer supervising fittings and alterations and making artistic decisions as needed to meet
overall look of each production. Maintained costume budget for each production.
 Attended all dress rehearsals and productions, supervised local IA wardrobe crew.
 Toured Opera Carolina productions when necessary.
 Designed costumes for Amahl and the Night Visitors, December 2007
 Coordinated productions: The Pearl Fishers, La Traviata, Cinderella, Margaret Gardner, Madame Butterfly, Pagliacci, La
Vida Breve, The Pirates of Penzance, Romeo and Juliette, Don Giovanni, Aida, Die Fledermaus
Instructor/Cutter-Draper, University of South Carolina
August 2005 - April 2008
 Instructor of Theatre 252, Introduction to Costume Construction and Theatre 552, Advanced Costume
Construction/Patternmaking.
 Assisted in daily operations of costume shop in academic setting working as a cutter/draper for main-stage productions,
supervising undergraduate lab students and mentoring graduate and undergraduate costume design/technology students.
Costume Shop Supervisor, Chautauqua Opera, Chautauqua NY
Summer Seasons 2006, 2007
 Responsible for daily operations of costume shop; maintained budgets for labor, supplies and four productions each season.
Hired and supervised eight employees each season. Supervised fittings, construction of built costumes and alterations.
Maintained and organized small costume stock.
 Coordinated productions: The Gondoliers, Carmen
Costume Shop Manager, College of Charleston, Charleston SC
January 2004 - August 2005
 Hired and supervised work crew of five student work-study employees and supervised approximately thirty costume lab
students per semester creating costumes for eight productions per calendar year in academic costume shop setting.
 Maintained operations budgets for costume shop and individual productions.
 Instructor of Introduction to Costuming, mentor to student costume designers.
 Designed costumes for: Blood Wedding, The Winter’s Tale
Costume Design Assistant, La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla CA
June 2001 - October 2003
 Assisted Costume Designers contracted to LJP, including Jess Goldstein, Catherine Zuber and Emilo Sosa. Attended
meetings in designer’s absence. Researching per designer’s needs, interpretive and non-interpretive shopping, ordering and
swatching.
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 Responsible for compiling all show paperwork (i.e. show bibles, scene charts, dressing lists, petty cash)
 Designed costumes for touring education show.
Costumer, Buena Vista Special Events, Los Angeles, CA
Contracted as needed, 2002 - 2003
 Assisted Costume Designer with rehearsals and shopping for pre-and post-movie events at El-Capitan Theatre in
Hollywood, CA
 Wardrobe person for pre-and post-movie events and for atmosphere talent at movie premiere parties.
Education
M.F.A. Theatre, Costume Design
University of South Carolina, Columbia SC
May 2001
B.A., Drama and French
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point WI
May 1997
References
Tim O’Donnell, Director of Education, Lake Dillon Theatre Co., 347-453-1066, timo@lakedillontheatre.org
Michael Baumgarten, Director of Production, Opera Carolina, 704-332-7177, mhbaumgarten@gmail.com
Renee C. Garcia, Costume Designer, Ohio University, 850-445-3108, renee.c.garcia@gmail.com
Bridget Sullivan, Production Manager, Weston Playhouse, 802-824-8167, bsullivan@westonplayhouse.org
Lars Nelson, Former Production Manager, North Shore Music Theatre, 978-317-9477, larscnelson@gmail.com
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