by Mirabai Rickert

Have you ever wondered what actually goes on in the underbelly of Eau Claire Memorial High School? Recent developments in the MHS Theater Department have resulted in a change in what the basement looks like, especially in regard to costumes. Underneath the high school, the basement is home to many things tucked away for storage, like giant lunchroom appliances, gymnastics equipment, and hundreds of garments used in Memorial’s theatre productions. 

The two rooms dedicated to these costumes hold many types of clothing, and are the reason so many plays and musicals at this high school are costumed to fit the theme and enhance visual interest.

However, the costume basement has been facing severe organizational problems – and likely has been since its creation in the mid-twentieth century. Costumes litter the floors, racks of costumes have no rhyme or reason, and seventy-year-old shoes are rotting on one of the poorly organized shelves.

“If I added up all the hours I spent in that basement tidying it up and organizing things,” says Amber Dernbach, a teacher who has been involved with MHS Theater Department for 25 years. “I have spent years of my life in that basement.”

Students also experience firsthand the chaos that lies beneath Memorial. 

“It would be the perfect setting for a horror movie,” Avi Miller, a sophomore at MHS, remarked when asked about their impressions of the costume basement. “It’s dark and spooky, but when you step into the room […] there’s sort of a magical feeling that you get.”

To enhance the costuming process and ease the rewarding process of finding something perfect for each character in a production, several students have done independent studies that involve organizing the costume basement. MHS graduates Claire Lee and Natalie Roadt spent a semester replacing wire hangers with plastic ones, which make garments less prone to slipping off. 

When teaching students how to make use of the costume basement, Dernbach emphasizes that, “every time you go there, you should pick something up off the floor.”

Despite the efforts by Lee and Roadt, the costume basement still lacks proper signage and a place for everything to go. I have acted upon this need, and started another independent study in the depths of Memorial High School. 

Everyday, during second period, I go down there and organize. It gives me a unique perspective, because I get to see what’s going on just underneath the surface of Memorial. It’s a new experience everyday, and I can physically see the progress I’m making every time I enter the room.

So far, I have created labels for each of the racks hanging in one of the rooms, as well as putting everything on the correct rack. By the end of the semester, the two costume rooms will have complete signage, be organized entirely, and just be a whole lot prettier.

Costuming is a huge part of putting together a theatre production, and the MHS Theatre Department is home to a lot of students. Without it, MHS would be missing out on building both a creative community and a place that cultivates empathy.

“We’re a pretty tight knit [and] supportive group,” says Miller. “The theatre community definitely means a lot to me.”

So much of what I know is something I learned in theatre. I know how to empathize with others and how to tell audiences a story. I know to carry on when I forget a line and “yes, and” everything life throws at me. I know the importance of focus and that my work ethic is what matters most. 

I know these things because that’s what theatre taught me.

And having these resources not only present but actually available for students to easily use is vital for this reason. We need arts programs to build community, foster creative expression, and give people spaces to leave their mark. Taking part in the arts is a fundamentally human thing, and we need places that allow people to express themselves. It’s a huge part of learning to be human; to take part, collaborate, and create.

So, we should care about dusty fake-Victorian ballgowns (even if we’re never going to use them) because they are tools that help us all learn how to be human.