Rita
Maya
Burkholder
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Profile
Skilled costume designer, stitcher, wardrobe dresser, and more. Willing to travel or relocate. Ten years of professional experience. Twenty plus years of costume experience.
Experience
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Costume Shop Manager, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts- May-August 2024 Summer-stock
Maintained costume, shop, costume supplies, equipment and fabric inventory. Managed all employees and volunteers of the costume shop, schedules, build schedules, maintenance during the show run, and oversaw construction or alteration of costumes while working with visiting designers during each of the five productions. Built specialty costumes including tear away jackets, and quick rigging. Oversaw rental contracts and their return and shipping.
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Costume Shop Manager and Costume Coordinator
. “A Christmas Carol” Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts- Novembre 18th- Decembre 3rd 2023'
Maintained costume, shop, costume supplies, equipment and fabric inventory. Managed two stitchers, and two volunteers of the costume shop, schedules, build schedules, dress rehearsals and first two shows. Measured and assigned all costumes for the cast and assessed all repairs and alterations needed. Lastly, I created a strike plan for the return of rental costumes.
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Set build and scene painting, “Hogwarts” Dave's Pub, Birmingham, Al.- Octobre 2023’
Hired to co design, fabricate, paint and manage production team for a Hogwarts scene inside of Dave's Pub
for their Halloween season. Fabricated and painted stone window arches, hung stained glass effects, and created an entire
Whomping Willow tree from floor to ceiling.
Costume Production, stitcher, hand dyer, “Wig Wag” Philadelphia Fringe Festival- August 2023’
Created a functional sketch from artwork for a four person (in one) costume. I designed a functional costume from white fabric that I hand dyed then flat patterned into a wearable piece with over ten orifices hand stitched to the base. I also designed and fabricated large hands and feet that acted as props and pillows to allow for audience interaction.
Costume Designer, distressing, stitcher, Dartmouth Organic Farm, NH Donna Oblongata LLC production- EF Musical August 2023’
Measured actors and sourced costumes for severe distressing with alterations for a cast of eleven.
Costume Shop Manager, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts- May-July 2023’ Summer-stock
Maintained costume, shop, costume supplies, equipment and fabric inventory. Managed all employees and volunteers of the costume shop, schedules, build schedules, maintenance during the show run, and oversaw construction or alteration of costumes while working with visiting designers during each of the five productions. Built specialty costumes including headless suits, large puppetry, modified suits for flight, and breakaway pants and suits. Oversaw rental contracts and their return and shipping.
Theatrical Stagehand and wardrobe, IATSE Local 900 union member Huntsville, Al. — 2013’-present
Wardrobe-dresser for actors, maintain order and cleaning of costumes during the run of a production.
Stitcher- insuring the integrity of costumes during the run of a production by repairing and maintaining costumes as needed. Building costumes from raw materials and actor measurements. Creating breakaway, tearaway, and trick costumes.
Audio- running cables and power to speakers and arrays, and assemblage and dismantling of sound for shows.
Electric- Hanging and assembling video walls, lighting and trusses, and running cables and power to lighting and visual aids. Setting hazers. Broadway shows, Arena shows, Ice Shows, Concert Hall Shows. This is the job I work in between other costume contracts.
Owner, Fig Leaf Costumes, Huntsville, Al 2013’- 2018’
Responsible for the management of the physical store, ordering product, maintaining wholesale accounts with suppliers, designing and producing costumes to see the needs of local productions and clients, consulting, managing mascots and appearances for events. Managing employees as well as training in costume production. Freelance teaching costume design and production in city schools, and a local university as a student advisor. Creating designs and sourcing costumes or producing for theatrical productions as well as individuals. Managing theatrical makeup accounts for schools and other local and regional theaters and programs.
Instructor, Costumer, Costume Shop Manager, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theatre, Huntsville, Al — 2014’-2019’
Instructor and class development for workshops in costume design, sewing, foam and cardboard construction, theatrical stage makeup classes, and large scale puppet design.
Costume design and production- designed costumes, sourced materials, managed volunteers, created costume plots, oversaw the measuring of actors for seasonal productions.
Education
UAB-University of Alabama in Birmingham
1995’-2002’
Major- Cultural Anthropology
Minor- Chinese language/ photography
(Two documentary shorts in the Sidewalk Film Festival)
Alabama A&M University- Huntsville, Alabama
2006’-2007’
Humanities and visual arts with a focus in printmaking and photography
(First place in Presidents award for emerging artist)
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Skills
Costume Design, Costume Stitching, Wardrobe, Stage Hand, Bead Embroidery, EVA Foam Sculpting, puppetry,
breakaway clothing, custom magic clothing and props, extensive fabric cleaning knowledge and practices.
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References
Jennifer Dow- Assistant Artistic Director at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts
Warsaw, Indiana
Email: jen@wagonwheelcenter.org
Phone #773-495-7156
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Karen Baker- Head Trustee/ Education Coordinator- IATSE Local 900
Huntsville, Alabama
Email:knc82099@mac.com
Phone #321-795-7572
Karen Mockensturm- Executive Director at Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater
Huntsville, Alabama
Email: EducationDirector@Fantasyplayhouse.com
Phone #256-539-6829
Donna Sellinger
Missoula Oblongata Theatre Project, and absurdist
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phone #845-594-8540