Today we’d like to introduce you to Dianne K. Graebner.
Dianne, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I began drawing pictures of clothes when I was about five years old and imagined that I wanted to be a Fashion Designer when I grew up. In college I was majoring in Fashion Design and minoring in Theatre Arts and found that my favorite classes were the ones about costume history and art history. Then I moved and transferred colleges. The new program did not require a minor and put me into chemistry and physics classes. I felt so out of my element after my first physics class, that I wandered over to the Theatre Department just to look around. I happened to be passing the office of the Costume Design Instructor, when suddenly the door opened and she asked if she could help me with anything? I briefly explained my situation and she invited me into her office… Within an hour, I was transferred out of physics and into the most difficult Theatre Decor class that I could imagine… and I never looked back. I earned my MFA on the east coast from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University and, along the way, honed my draping and millinery skills amongst others. I have designed Costumes from regional theatre to Off-Broadway and I also now teach Costume Design.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I design costumes for theatrical productions. The project is usually a live play or dance piece, though I have done some film. The message and the inspiration may vary greatly based on the production and the people involved.
The joy is in the storytelling, because that is truly what Costume Designers do. We decide what garments to dress the performers in to create a character. The costumes help set the time, place, mood, relationships between characters, and so many more details that may be very subtle. I’m inspired by telling stories that affect people in meaningful ways. I want the audience to be moved in some way. Perhaps the story provokes thought, brings to light an injustice, recognizes an accomplishment that may have been overlooked, or just simply makes people laugh and escape from the real world for a few hours.
There are many details that go into deciding what a character should wear, and each detail is researched, sourced, built, fit, altered, and very carefully considered. If you believe in the character, without focusing on the costume, then I have succeeded in my job.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons that you wish that you’d learned earlier?
Theatre is all about collaboration and discovery. Not even the star of a “one-man” show does it alone. Be open to new ideas, concepts, and different methods of doing things that you may have done the same way a hundred times before. A positive attitude and a willingness to explore goes a long way. Directors are more likely to hire a designer who is really talented and also fun to eat lunch with.
Most designers do theatre because of their love of the art. Honestly, unless you’re in the small, top percentage of those who are lucky enough to become attached to a very successful show (with ongoing multiple tours), you will be working very hard for not much money. Most designers will be juggling several shows in varying stages of the process at a time. Time and money management are key- know how to budget both or life (both professional and personal) will be a constant struggle. All that being said, as a free-lance designer (or any artist), you have to protect yourself both physically and financially. You should always be conscious of your own safety and where your financial boundaries are in business.
I wish that I had learned a better way to balance the work/family/rest aspects of life earlier. In a lot of ways, I am still learning those lessons. In this business it is difficult not to say “yes” to every project that comes along, but without balance, the road to burnout is a short one. One of my favorite directors always said, “None of us are getting rich, so we better be having fun!”
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I design at many theaters in the Los Angeles area and beyond.
My next show is:
Poor Clare at Echo Theatre Co.
Performances run through 3/11/20-4/20/20 at Atwater Village Theatre.
Tickets can be found here:
Also, coming soon:
American Son at Ensemble Theatre co. Of Santa Barbara
Performances run 4/9/20 -4/26/2o
Tickets can be found here:
Contact Info:
- Website: www.diannegraebner.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannegraebner
Image Credit:
Veronica Holtz (photo)
1. Dianne Graebner (photo)
2. David Bazemore (photo) Intimate Apparel- A.K. Murtadha & Karole Foreman (actors), JR Bruce (set), Jared Sayeg (lights)
3. David Bazemore (photo) Fallen Angels- Julie Granata-Hunnicutt & Paige Lindsey White (actors), Bruce Goodrich (set), Pablo Santiago (lights)
4. David Bazemore (photo) Syncopation- Zander Meisner & Sara Brophy (actors), Roman Tatarowicz (set), Pablo Santiago (lights)
5. Ross MacKenzie (photo) Battle Hymn- Suzy Hunt (actor), Brian Sidney Bembridge (sets & lights)
6. David Bazemore (photo) Everything is Illuminated- Anne Gee Byrd &Matt Wolpe (actors), François Pierre Couture (set), Pablo Santiago (lights)
7. Jenny Graham (photo) Judas Kiss- Colin Bates & Rob Nagle (actors), Se Oh (set), David Hernandez (lights), Shannon Hutchins (wig)
8. Ross MacKenzie (photo) Eurydice- Jeff Rickets, Thia Stephan, Joe Tyler Gold, Doug Sutherland (actors), Brian Sidney Bembridge (set & lights)
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