Parents, teachers coordinate costume work for Central Junior High School's 'Cinderella'

Despite months of involvement in Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School's production of "Cinderella," Pat Renard had not seen any of the musical by Wednesday's dress rehearsal.

"I have been either cutting or sewing practically every waking hour except when I'm at church," said Renard, who is in charge of costumes.

For the past two months, Renard has coordinated the sewing of 93 ball gowns. With the help of parents and teachers she developed a system to split up the work, she said.

Ball gown production included measurements, skirts, tops, sashes and bows for each gown, Renard said. She used some costumes from past performances but made new costumes for most of the main characters, in addition to the dresses.

"It has been mind-boggling the organization that goes into it," she said.

Pat Renard, a retired Central teacher, helps Jaliesha Bingham with her dress during a dress rehearsal of "Cinderella" at Central Junior High School. Renard has helped with costumes for 17 years.

Renard retired from the Cape Girardeau School District in 2001 after teaching there for 30 years. She continued her collaboration with Mike Dumey, the junior high choir director. She said they started working together 17 years ago when the musicals were held in the Shultz School library.

"I said, 'Well if you need any help with costumes, let me know,'" she said. "And I've been doing it ever since."

She said productions have grown since seventh and eight grades moved into the current junior high school. Students performed "Cinderella" 10 years ago, but this year's production required more work, she said.

"This was monumental," Renard said. "I've spent more hours this year than I ever have."

The show opens at 7 p.m. today. Students will also perform at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

She said she will breath a little easier when the curtain goes up tonight, but costume repairs will continue until the productions closes.

"If something happens, they put it in my basket and I take it home and fix it for them," she said.

Mary LeGrand, a math teacher at the Alternative Education Center, was one of the sewing volunteers. She said she sewed all the purple tops for the dresses and "lots of hems on lots of skirts." She said the production is a collaborative effort.

"Everybody pitches in," she said.

Dennis Wilson, a junior high art teacher, also works with Dumey to build props for the musical. This year's projects included a scroll, four bread pallets, 20 butcher cleavers, a trellis and a puppet theater. He said his eighth-grade students helped design and build the trellis and puppet theater during class.

"I like letting them design because they feel like they own it," he said.

Wilson has been teaching at the junior high school for five years, and his involvement with Dumey's musical productions has gradually increased. He said the first couple of years Dumey requested a few signs.

"The third year it was, 'Can you make me a village?'" he said.

He said getting art students involved in the production teaches them responsibility and increases the breadth of a project that includes more than 150 students.

"I do it for the whole idea of collaboration," he said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

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