Sarah Iams

 

Sarah Aveling Iams

413 West 56th Street, Apartment 15

New York, NY 10019

 (917) 653-9741

sarahiams@yahoo.com

sarahiams.com

 

 

OBJECTIVE:

Costume Design or Construction

ACADEMIC PREPARATION:

M.F.A. in Theater Design, Yale School of Drama, New Haven, 1999.

Concentration: Costume Design

Thesis: The Glass Menagerie, Costume Designer; (directed by Joseph Chaiken)

M.A. in Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1990.

Concentration: German Literature

Thesis: Relationships in “Die Wahlverwandtschaften” (by J. W. Goethe)

B.A. in Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1988.

Minor in International Relations

 

SPECIAL SKILLS:

All costume shop machines.

Draping, drafting, patternmaking, tailoring, alterations, fittings, crafts, dyeing, millinery.

Computer skills, including: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Illustrator

LANGUAGES:

- English, German, some French

HONORS AND AWARDS:

2004 Daytime Emmy Award for best non-drama costumes

2003 Off-off-Broadway Review Award for Excellence

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

College laboratory Technician, CUNY – Brooklyn College (September 2016-Present)

• Draper and Patternmaker for the Theater Department Costume Shop

  • Create costumes and accessories for graduate and undergraduate students in the Theater Department

    • Includes researching, draping, patternmaking, mockups, pattern corrections, cutting, sewing, subsequent alterations and hand-finishing

  • Mentor students in fitting techniques and design choices

  • Instructing work study and graduate students in sewing techniques

  • Alterations on existing costumes

  • Loading costumes in and out of dressing rooms (this is a shared task)

  • Pulling costumes from stock for costume professor’s classes and dressing on mannequins

  • Organizing and maintaining stock and costume shop (this is a shared task)

  • Share information and opinions for production meetings and costume meetings with students

 

Adjunct Instructor, CUNY – Brooklyn College (January 2017-Present)

• Teaching Costume Construction I to undergraduate students

  • Lessons in hand sewing, machine sewing, design choices and costume shop organizational information

  • Projects include filling out a professional measurement sheet accurately, designing and constructing a tote bag and a pair of pajama pants

  • Tutorial slideshows to illustrate techniques, sewing details and historical subjects as well as a brief lesson on Textiles

 

First Hand, Parsons-Meares (1989-1990, July 2016- Present)

• Overhire,  ABT Ballet Whipped Cream”

• Frozen (on Ice)

• Inside out (on Ice)

• Lion King (China)

• The Siegfried and Roy Show

• Aspects of Love

• Phantom of the Opera

• Cats

• Starlight Express

 

Commercial Advertisements, Freelance (2002-Present)

Costume Building, Alterations, Fittings

​

Doll Designer, Madame Alexander Doll Co. (2007-present)

Designing and patterning and constructing costumes for the : 21” (high end) Collectible dolls, 18” and 9” Playdolls, 16” Fashion dolls, 12”, 10”, 9” and 8” Collectible dolls, Baby dolls, Cloth dolls, various licensed dolls.

Design, research, draping, patternmaking, hand sewing and some machine work for doll clothing. Also creating and developing accessories, including shoes and hats.

Research, developing and some construction of wigs.

Design, research, developing, some construction of doll bodies, face sculpts and stencils

Overseeing production in-house, for small runs, as well as overseeing samples from abroad for larger runs.

Creating doll names and copy material for publication.

Representing Madame Alexander Doll Company at trade shows, conventions and public events.

​

Costume Designer and Builder, Spaeth Design (2003-2014)

Lord and Taylor Christmas windows, Today Show Christmas Window Special, East Bay Company Christmas windows: The Chronicles of Narnia, Marshall Field’s Christmas windows: Cinderella, Macy’s Christmas windows: Polar Express, Miracle on 34th street (refurb), HBO Windows: Santa’s Workshop, Rome,  Marshall Field’s Christmas Windows: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

 

Costume Designer and Builder, SUNY Stony Brook (2001-2012)

The Abduction from the Seraglio

The Marriage of Figaro

The Turn of the Screw

Agrippina

The Thief of Love

 

Costume Designer, Porchworthy Productions (2008)

Magic Treehouse, the Musical

 

Costume Designer, DressUpAmerica (2006)

Tween Halloween and Purim costumes

 

Draper, Puppet Heap (2006)

Muppets refurbishing: Live at the Hollywood Bowl

 

Associate Costume Designer, (2005, 2006)

Berlin Opera, Il Trittico, Alexander Dodge, Production Designer, Katharina Wagner, Director

Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, Munich, Der Waffenschmied, Alexander Dodge, Production Designer, Katharina Wagner, Director

 

Costume Designer, The Queen’s Company (2001-2005)

The Taming of the Shrew

Edward II

The School for Scandal

Much Ado About Nothing

The Lucky Chance

Antony and Cleopatra

The Feigned Courtesans

The Duchess of Malfi

The Rover

 

Costume Designer, William Paterson University (2004)

“A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Wedding” (a.k.a. Casina)

 

Costume Designer, Gorilla Productions (2004)

Corporate Rock

 

Draper, Jim Henson Co. (1993-2004)

Muppets of Oz (TV), (2005)

It’s a Wonderful Life, (NBC-TV) 2002

Muppets Fairy Tales (Video)

Muppets Tonight (TV)

Muppets Treasure Island (Film) (First Hand)

 

Costume Designer and Builder, Michael Bongar Productions (2004)

                Trampolinist costumes for Bloomberg, Inc. summer party

                Mime costumes for Kenneth Cole’s 50th birthday party

 

Costume Designer, Sesame Street (2001-2003)

Season 34 (2004 Daytime Emmy Award for best non-drama costumes)

Season 35

 

Costume Designer, Juilliard Opera (2003)

The Turn of the Screw

 

Costume Refurbishing, Paper Bag Players (2003)

 

Visiting Professional, Costume Designer, Roundabout Theater Outreach Program (2003)

Tito Puente School: helped teacher develop lesson plan to teach costume design - from script analysis to school production.

P.S. 874: taught costume design basics to High School Faculty in “Postcard Production” workshop.

 

Costume Designer and Costume Shop Manager, Aspen Music Festival (1998-1999)

                Belladonna

                Ariadne Auf Naxos

                 Susannah

                Greek

                Falstaff

                Cosi fan Tutte

 

Costume Designer, Yale University (Opera) (1999-2002)

                La Tragedie du Carmen

                Opera Scenes

                The Coronation of Poppea

                Iolanta

                Der Kaiser von Atlantis

 

Costume Coordinator, Yale University (Opera) (1998-2002)

                The Magic Flute

                Faust

                The Rape of Lucretia

                La Boheme

                Falstaff

                Die Fledermaus

 

Puppet Refurbishing and Costume Draper, Harrison/Erickson, (2002)

                Philly Phanatic (puppet refurbish)

                Phoebe, the Phanatic’s Mom (costume build)

 

Costume Designer, Vital Theater (2002)

Funny; OOBR award for personal contribution to excellence (2003)

 

Costume Designer, The Acting Company (2001)

                Othello

 

Costume Designer, 52nd Street Project (2001)

The Tempest

 

Costume Designer, Bard College (2001)

Antigone

 

Wardrobe Assistant for Film (2001)

                The Trade

                Nancy and Frank

 

Costume Design Assistant, Public Theater (2001)

                Assisted Anita Yavich on “Winter’s Tale” (Shakespeare in the Park)

 

Costume Designer, Columbia University (2001)

                Garden

 

Costume Designer, Wilma Theater, Philadelphia (1993-2000)

                Cherry Docs

                Etta Jenks

                The Road to Nirvana

 

Costume Designer, Elm Shakespeare Company, New Haven (2000)

                The Taming of the Shrew

 

First Hand, Barbara Matera, Ltd. (2000)

Kiss me Kate

 

Shopper, Barbara Matera, Ltd. (1995-2000)

Kiss me Kate, Swan Lake, Wild Party, Aida, Annie Get Your Gun, 102 Dalmatians, Victor/Victoria, Busker Alley, West Side Story/City Ballet, EFX/MGM Grand, Othello, Arcadia, A Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast (NY and Tours), Indiscretions, Crazy for You (tours), Smokey Joe’s Café, Grease, Guys and Dolls.

 

Costume Designer and Costume Shop Manager, Aspen Music Festival (1998-1999)

                Ariadne auf Naxos

                Belladonna

                Cosi Fan Tutte

                Greek

                Susannah

                Falstaff

 

Wardrobe Dresser, Yale Repertory Theater (1997,1998)

                The Adventures of Amy Bock

                Midsummer Night’s Dream

 

Costume Designer, Yale University Summer Cabaret (1997)

                Billy Bishop Goes to War

                Bad Intentions

                Helen!

 

First Hand, Long Wharf Theater (1996)

                The Amen Play

 

First Hand, Santa Fe Opera (1994, 1993)

                The Abduction from the Seraglio

                The Story of Blond Eckbert

                The Barber of Seville

                The Magic Flute

                The Tsar has his Photograph Taken

                The Protagonist

                Xerxes

 

Fashion Chairperson, Tracey Warner School, Philadelphia (1991-1993)

Supervised faculty of 10, developed academic curriculum as approved by State Dept. of Ed., scheduled classes, taught where necessary, put on fashion shows, graduation ceremonies and expositions.

 

Instructor, Peirce College, Philadelphia (1990-1991)

                Textiles

                Fashion History

                Fashion Merchandising

 

Costume Designer, WHYY TV, Philadelphia (1993)

                Paper Walls (Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award for best overall short)

                Inquest of Love

 

Wardrobe Supervisor, Walnut Street Theater, Philadelphia (1992)

                Big River

                The Showoff

 

Stitcher, Walnut Street Theater, Philadelphia (1990,1993)

                Big River

                Into the Woods

                Cyrano

 

Resident Assistant Costume Designer, Glimmerglass Opera (1990)

                Intermezzo

                Albert Herring

                La Boheme

 

First Hand, Parsons-Meares (1989-1990)

                Starlight Express

                Cats

                Phantom of the Opera

                Aspects of Love

                The Siegfried and Roy Show

 

Stitcher, Glimmerglass Opera (1989)

                La Traviata

                A Question of Taste

                The Mighty Casey

                HMS Pinafore

 

Costume Designer, University of Pennsylvania (undergrad Drama division) (1989)

                Richard III

                The Insect Play

                Tango

 

Intern, Glimmerglass Opera (1988)

                Pirates of Penzance

                Eugene Onegin

                Midsummer Night’s Dream

REFERENCES:

Letters of Reference are available upon request.