Costumes consume her life

On any given day, Barbara Young is knee deep in 28 years worth of ribbons, bows, buckles, belts, feathers and almost anything else she might need to make a costume for the Charleston Stage Company.

In her cluttered workshop, tucked away on a side street in downtown Charleston, there are five sewing machines and oodles of spools and thimbles and bits and pieces of this and that.

Young's official title is Costumer In Residence, which means she's responsible for building costumes for the theater's nine shows per season, doing the laundry, shopping, teaching students to sew, knowing where everything is, finding the unfindable and making it all look easy.

The former school teacher from Alabama fell into this vocation when a neighbor asked for her help, knowing she was quick with needle and thread.

"My mother taught me to sew when I was 5 years old," Young said. "Now, it's just something I do. I can look at a picture and somehow come up with the costume."

Stockpiling stuff

This year, for instance, she'll create petticoats for "Hairspray," pirate outfits for "Peter Pan," and period pieces for "A Christmas Carol" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

In her workshop, piled high with fabric, lace and trim, she's ready for almost anything. And if she doesn't have it, she knows where to look for it.

"When somebody calls to offer us something, we take it," she said. "Otherwise, we have to look for it and buy it."

Therefore, she's a scrounger, a regular at thrift stores and yard sales where she can pick up interesting items for next to nothing. She is, after all, on a tight budget.

"We're fortunate that people donate lots of fabric to us," she said. "And we're always on the lookout for things like uniforms and old dresses. And we're always looking for old items like dial telephones, old trunks and antique cameras. You know, things you can't buy anymore."

Community support

The attic upstairs is a menagerie of wigs, hats, zippers, costume jewelry, masks, comic books, brooms, luggage, toys, bonnets, socks, gloves, shoes, purses, vests, capes and racks and racks and racks of clothes.

Almost all of these items have been donated. And while they might not seem relevant at the time, they just might come in handy some day.

"We also share items with other theater companies in town," Young said. "This is how we stay in business," she said. "The community helps support us and we use what they give us."

To donate unique items to Charleston Stage, contact Young at 577-0868, or drop them off at the Scene and Costume Shop at 19 Warren St., downtown Charleston.

And you never know, grandma's old high-heeled shoes may someday trod the boards of a stage near you.

Read more columns by Ken Burger

Reach Ken Burger at kburger@postandcourier.com or 937-5598 or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Ken_Burger.