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    • Selected Costume Renderings
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Shirley Pierson

Costume Design

  • Productions
  • other
    • Selected Costume Renderings
    • Puppetry of Junglebook
  • About
  • Resume

Shockheaded Peter

Created for the stage by Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott
Original music and lyrics by The Tiger Lillies
Original conceived and produced by Michael Morris for Cultural Industry, London
Based on Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann

Cygnet Theatre

Director: Robert Lutfy

Shirley Pierson - costume, puppet and mask design                 Jungah Han and Sean Fanning - scenic design                           Chris Rynne - lighting design     Matt Lescault-Wood - sound design                                         Patrick Marion - music director       Michael Mizerany - choreography Peter Herman - hair and makeup

2017 Winner San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

Click the arrow to watch the trailer!  

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812

Cygnet Theatre Book, Lyrics and Music by Dave Malloy.
Adapted from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Sean Murray - Director
Patrick Marion - Music Direction
Katie Banville - Choreography Shirley Pierson - Costume Design Mathys Herbert - Scenic Designer Amanda Zieve - Lighting Designer Matt Lescault-Wood - Sound Designer Peter Herman - Wig & Makeup Designer Sandy Campbell - Assistant Director Karli Cadel - Photographer

The Little Fellow (or The Queen of Tarts Tells All)

By Kate Hamill
Directed by Rob Lutfy Cygnet Theatre

Shirley Pierson - Costume Design Peter Herman - Wig & Makeup Design Ye-Chien Lee - Scenic Design Anne E. McMills - Lighting Design Alyssa Kane - Properties Design

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson -APT 2B

Baskerville

Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery                                                                                                              

Old Globe Theatre - West Coast Premiere

By Ken Ludwig

Josh Rhodes - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Wilson Chin - scenic design   Austin R. Smith - lighting design Bart Fasbender- sound design

Reviews:

"...Shirley Pierson’s costumes are a triumph of ingenuity.  ...the performances are inspired. Morton (who starred on Broadway as Boy George in “Taboo”) makes for an elegant and fastidious Holmes, … Ally is admirably deadpan as the steadfast Watson, … And Kober, Segal and Wisan are wonders of ever-shifting identity: Texan good ol’ boy, Gothic matron with a scary unibrow, butterfly-chasing fop, chirpy femme fatale. ...."  James Hebert / SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE 

"Hitting an out-of-the-park home run is costume designer Shirley Pierson, who goes far beyond magnifying glass, pipe and deerstalker hat with a boatload of costume changes, many of which take place right before your eyes." Lynne Freidmann / CULTURE VULTURE

"With popping props, quick-change highly inventive costumes, twinkling web-encrusted chandeliers, and miniature black row houses that circumvent the in-the-round stage, this is also one of the most creative design teams around (Wilson Chin, sets; Austin R. Smith, lights; Shirley Pierson, costumes; Bart Fasbender, sound)." Tony Frankel / STAGE AND CINEMA

"With five, or if you take Holmes and Watson out of the equation, three actors play over 40 characters that range in diversity from servants to train conductors to damsels in distress to street urchins to some odd looking couples right out of a Munster movie.

Thanks to Shirley Pierson’s eclectic costume designs, they are as interesting as are the characters themselves, and as telling."  Carol Davis / EXAMINER.COM

 

 

The Fantasticks

Book and Lyrics by Tom Jones Music by Harvey Schmidt

Pasadena Playhouse

Seema Sueko - Director

David O - Music Director  

Shirley Pierson - Costume Design David F. Weiner - Scenic Design Josh Epstein - Lighting Design Joe Tek Huppert - Sound Design Kitty McNamee - Choreography

Rich Girl

Rich Girl

Old Globe Theatre - West Coast Premiere

by Victoria Stewart

James Vasquez - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Wilson Chin - scenic design Amanda Zieve - lighting design Lindsay Jones - sound design Mark Holmes - video design

 

 

Pageant

Pageant

Cygnet Theatre

Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell and Frank Kelly

Music by Albert Evans  

Conceived by Robert Longbottom

James Vasquez - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Sean Fanning - scenic design Michelle Caron - lighting design Peter Herman - hair and makeup design                                           Matt Lescault-Wood - sound design                                               Don Lemaster - musical direction

"From bathing suits to space-age helmets, Shirley Pierson’s costumes are a blast. The ladies represent their home territories (Miss Bible Belt, Miss West Coast, et al), and the evening dress on Miss Deep South (David McBean, whose face subtly spoke volumes when he came in second place) was a marvel worthy of Scarlett O’Hara." Milo Shapiro / STAGE AND CINEMA

 

 

 

Assassins

Assassins

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by John Weidman

Based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.

Sean Murray - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Ryan Grossheim - scenic design  Chris Rynne - lighting design    Matt Lescault-Wood - sound designer                                   Peter Herman - wig & makeup design

 

Now or Later

Christopher Shinn - Playwright

Matt M. Morrow - Director

Shirley Pierson - Costume Design Sean Fanning - Scenic Design Curtis Mueller - Lighting Design Blair Nelson - Sound Design

Peter and the Starcatcher

Peter and the Starcatcher

Summer Repertory Theatre

Based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Adapted by Rick Rees and Alex Timbers

James Newman - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Brian Redfern - scenic design Luke Olson - lighting design       Anna Alex - sound design

Parade

Parade

Cygnet Theatre

Book by Alfred Uhry

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

Co-Conceived by Harold Prince

Sean Murray - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Sean Fanning - scenic design Chris Rynne - lighting design Peter Herman - wig & makeup design                                          Ross Goldman - sound design Billy Thompson - music direction

2012 Winner San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest

Cygnet Theatre

by Oscar Wilde

Sean Murray - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Sean Fanning - scenic design Chris Rynne - lighting design Kevin Anthenill - sound design Peter Herman - hair and makeup design

San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award 2013 nominee for Outstanding Costume Design

Sweeney Todd

Cygnet Theatre

Stephen Sondheim - Music and Lyrics

Hugh Wheeler - book


Directed by Sean Murray and James Vasquez

Shirley Pierson - costume design Sean Fanning - scenic design
Eric Lotze - lighting design
Peter Herman - wig and makeup design
Charlie Rueter - music direction 

Pippin

Pippin

Diversionary Theatre

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Book by Roger O. Hirson

James Vasquez - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Sean Fanning - scenic design Luke Olson - lighting design   Kevin Anthenill - sound design

Reviews:

"Along with being someone who actually understands "deconstruction", Shirley Pierson's costumes do just that. Each one's a melange of conflicting signs: Charlemagne, for example, wears a medal-laced General Patton coat, Levis with a yellow Confederate stripe down the side, and a medieval crown - and plays a video game." Jeff Smith / SAN DIEGO READER

"Shirley Pierson's innovative costumes tie in closely with Fanning's scenery, a fascinating blend of classic Crusades-style armor and modern pieces fashioned from trash, household items, leather and cloth." Pam Kragen / SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE

"...the technical fascination with media imagery and shameless consumerism is carried over into Shirley Pierson’s deconstructed costume designs.  Her punk-rock style gives an eclectic look to the characters (with plenty of leather, distressed denim, and ripped, recycled fabrics to inhabit a small landfill) and she manages to insert some truly clever creations into her design, such as armor plates made of beer boxes and a king’s cape made of faux fur and an American flag." Dr. Donnie Matsuda / San Diego Drama King

 

 

Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler

The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler

Diversionary Theatre

By Jeff Whitty

Matt McGrath - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Matt Scott - scenic design Michelle Caron - lighting design Kevin Anthenill - sound design

Richard III

Richard III

Old Globe/USD MFA Program

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Sabin Epstein    

Costume Design by Shirley Pierson

Scenic Design by Amanda Stevens

 

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

Adapted by Sean Murray

Based on the story by Charles Dickens

Sean Murray - director         Shirley Pierson - costume design   Sean Fanning - scenic design   Matthew Novotny - lighting design George Ye - sound design      Tom Christ - animation design      Peter Herman - wig & makeup design

 

Private Lives

Private Lives

Cygnet Theatre

By Noel Coward

Sean Murray and Fran Gercke - directors

Shirley Pierson - costume design Andy Hull - scenic design              Eric Lotze - lighting design               Peter Herman - hair and makeup design

Cabaret

Cabaret

Cygnet Theatre

Music by John Kander

Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Book by Joe Masteroff

Sean Murray - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Sean Fanning - scenic design  Chris Rynne - lighting design  Matt Lescault-Wood - sound design                                    George Ye - sound design            Peter Herman - wig and makeup design                                            David Brennan - choreography      Billy Thompson - musical director

Next Fall

Next Fall 

Diversionary Theatre

By Geoffrey Nauffts

James Vasquez - director

Shirley Pierson - costume design Matt Scott - scenic design Michelle Caron - lighting design Kevin Anthenill - sound design 

The Boy Who Danced On Air

World Premiere Musical

Book and Lyrics by Charlie Sohne Music by Tim Rosser

Tony Speciale - Director                                          

Cris O'Bryon - Music Director Nejla Yatkin - Choreographer Shirley Pierson - Costume Design Sean Fanning - Scenic Design Wen-Ling Liao - Lighting Design Kevin Anthenill - Sound Design                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

   

Shockheaded Peter

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Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812

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The Little Fellow (or The Queen of Tarts Tells All)

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Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson -APT 2B

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Baskerville

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The Fantasticks

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Rich Girl

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Pageant

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Assassins

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Now or Later

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Peter and the Starcatcher

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Parade

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The Importance of Being Earnest

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Sweeney Todd

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Pirelli

Pippin

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Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler

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Richard III

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A Christmas Carol

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Private Lives

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Cabaret

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Next Fall

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The Boy Who Danced On Air

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