Members across the Department of Theatre and Dance have created and contributed to the urgent need of face masks during this pandemic. They have taken out their sewing machines and searched through their homes for materials in order to make masks.

Graduate student Tasa Gleason, costume designer for The Threepenny Opera and Flora the Red Menace, has recently created a colorful assortment of face coverings. “I have made a bunch for family and friends…I would say about 60,” said Gleason. 

Alumna Professor Maggie Morgan, MFA theatre and dance, was very resourceful in her quest to make masks. “I made my first mask with things from around the house,” said Morgan. “A pillowcase, a plastic twist tie, an Amoeba Music shopping bag, some elastic from the wardrobe kit and a cheap old portable sewing machine that a friend gave me 30 years ago.”

Alumna and costume shop director Roxanne Femling has made an invaluable contribution to a friend’s mask making efforts. “A friend called to see if I had any fabric or supplies that I could donate for face masks,” said Femling. “I searched the house and discovered I had a large stock of elastic in my basement which I gladly gave to him.”

Known onstage at UC Davis for her riotous performance as Black Stache in winter quarter’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher, graduate student Jennifer Grace originally worked behind in the scenes in costume shops before performing. “With costume making skills in my background, I felt this was a perfect time to resurrect them and contribute to the need for face masks,” said Grace.