Costumes and Clown Shoes and Coffins, Oh My!
Houston Grand Opera’s Costume & Props Sale takes place Saturday, September 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the HGO Warehouse, 1977 Tellepsen St. Teachers and arts organizations will receive a 20% discount with ID.
Three gleaming life-sized prop coffins rest at the foot of a giant witch’s throne. Plush couches, sleek end tables, and wooden armoires form a makeshift showroom. Mounds of fake fruit are ripe for the picking.
Hats, helmets, and shoes sit piled high. A pair of enormous clown shoes lay nestled among an array of headdresses, leopard caps, and bull masks. Nearby, there’s a trove of rich silk dresses in deep green and oranges; airy, blue-and-purple watercolor skirts; pristine white robes; fabulous, embroidered petticoats; and dramatic hoop skirts. Gleaming suits of armor represent the opportunity of a lifetime for any Renaissance Festival devotee. A cherry-red Elvis jumpsuit is a Halloween lover’s dream.
All of these furniture pieces, props, costumes, and more will be on offer for one day only— Saturday, September 14—at HGO’s Costume & Props Sale at the company’s East End storage warehouse. In preparation for this rare event, a team of HGO staff and HSPVA volunteers have spent all summer going through the warehouse and determining which items can be reused or repurposed and which must go. They have dedicated countless hours to meticulously organizing, pricing, and tagging theatrical treasures whose time with HGO has ended.
Costume Coordinator Kaleb Abide, who’s walking us through the space, says the team has a sentimental love for each of these garments, and does all it can to use old pieces for new productions. But every decade or so, the company outgrows its storage capacity. At that point, with a heavy heart, immense pride, and great care, it’s time to entrust these lovingly-crafted costumes to new homes, whether on other stages throughout the city or in Houstonians’ own closets.
HGO is inviting collectors, local theater groups, and school programs in search of unique finds to the warehouse to search for items they need, as well as things don’t yet know they need. Pricing runs from $1 to $200, but most items will fall in the $50 range—quite a deal, as the majority of the pieces on offer were hand-made or sourced by HGO’s incredible Costume Shop team, props department, and other artisans. “There are some items in here that are truly custom, one-of-a-kind, gorgeous, well-crafted pieces,” shares Abide. “They would cost thousands of dollars to reproduce in materials and labor.”
The warehouse’s endless rows of racks contain clothing in every size, in every style, from every period. Menswear, says Abide, is especially abundant. “This whole entire row is all men’s pants,” he says. “Just men’s pants. It goes overalls, coveralls, elastic waistband, dress pants, khakis, period tuxedos, breeches, knickers. We have lots of uniforms. Tuxedos. Robes, coats, trench coats, and then shirts and vests, all different styles, all organized by color and size.”
He points to pieces from beloved productions of Carmen, Aida, Hansel and Gretel, A Little Night Music, The Little Prince, Babes in Toyland, and more. Even costumes whose production names have been lost to time remain in immaculate condition. No matter the show or the era, the Costume Shop’s unrivaled artistry is on full display, carefully preserved for a new generation to enjoy.
“It’s been really exciting, especially as a newer team member, to really see the amount of work and quality of craftsmanship that has come out of our Costume Shop over the decades,” Abide says. “I think armor is going to go fast. Single-piece coats and jackets too, stuff that you can add to other costumes. I would love to see these dresses all go. There’s all kinds of stuff here, whether you’re attending Dickens on The Strand, or you’re looking to costume a play, or a dance piece. There’s something for everybody.”