Light piano music plays in the background.
The video begins with a black screen. Brandeis Department of Theater Arts animates vertically across the screen in blue and white.
Dmitry Troyanovksy is shown against a brick wall and speaks to the camera, "Kat's work is an example of what we do so well in this department."
Out-of-focus costume sketches are shown on a table.
Steven Bogart is shown seated in a theater, "So Kat was the first designer that I actually had meetings with. So in some ways, when the other designers finally came on board, she was way ahead of the game."
A costume with a gold bodice and lace details is shown.
Two people appear seated on stools.
Lucie Blau, "Going down into the costume shop and just seeing Kat's creations."
Ellie Forster, "I saw her sketches and I was like, Okay, yeah!"
The video cuts to a sewing table, where two women work with floral fabric.
Brooke Stanton speaks to the camera, "Transformations, that this skirt. So I think as Kat..."
The video quickly cuts to several people as they say Kat's name.
Multiple Speakers, "Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat."
The piano music builds, and is suddenly silenced. Large, white letters spelling KAT appear on-screen, with Kat herself shown in the background.
Kat, "Hi, I'm Kat Lawrence. I'm the costume designer for Brandeis' theater production of Orlando. I'm a senior and I'm a double major in theater and music with a minor in film."
On-screen text reads: Kat Lawrence ’22, Costume Designer for Orlando
Colorful costume sketches are shown spread across a table.
"So when I started working on this project, of course, I read through the show, I started doing some background research."
Close up of the hem of a gold skirt, then the camera moves up the gold bodice.
"And one of the cool things about Orlando is not only does it span all these different centuries of time, but there are actually real historical figures in it."
Scene cuts to show people in a sewing room. Two are at a table in the foreground, one is browsing through items hanging in the background.
On-screen text reads: Brooke Stanton, Interim Costume Shop Manager
Brooke Stanton, "Orlando, it is a great show for any costumer because it's both history and fantasy."
Close up of a person sewing.
"Time is fluid, gender is fluid, fabric is fluid."
Kat is shown, positioned next to the gold costume. Spools of thread can be seen in the background.
Kat, "A big part of my design process was looking at modern influences, particularly pop stars and celebrities who are known for kind of pushing gender, fashion."
Actors are shown on stage wearing a variety of black and white costumes.
Two people seated next to each other. On-screen text reads: Ellie Forster ’24, Orlando/Ensemble. Lucie Blau ’24, The Queen/Amorous Woman/Ensemble.
Ellie Forster, "Really amazing how much the costumes reflect with the time periods, even though there is this like commentary on like the social restraints upon women, there's still the essence of this character."
Eight actors are shown on stage, all wearing unique black and white costumes.
"It's not just like an archetype of like what it's like to be a woman. It is still very Orlando."
Kat is shown again in the sewing room.
Kat, "And I got to start meeting with Steven which was really exciting. And he just came in with this burst of energy, all these like big ideas, and he was just kind of throwing them out. And it was cool to kind of collect them and try to organize them and add my own in different ways."
Video cuts to the stage, which shows the Queen walking up a podium. Actors surround her on-stage."
"Steven, had this dream of a ten foot dress that the queen would kind of walk on in and that Orlando would play in. So I kind of took that idea from him and I was like, Okay, okay, how can we make this work?
Steven Bogart is shown seated in a theater. On-screen text reads: Steven Bogart, Director for Orlando.
"So Kat's design really incorporated like a temporary look with aspects of period."
Actors walk and move around on-stage in unison.
"So it's pretty cool."
Kat is shown again in the sewing room.
Kat, "And I came in primarily as an actor, but I wanted to explore everything."
People are seen carefully carrying floral fabric across the sewing room.
"And that's kind of what's great about Brandeis' program, is they kind of make sure that you get a little bit of everything in there."
Dmitry Troyanovksy is shown. On-screen text reads: Dmitry Troyanovsky, Chair and Associate Professor.
"We are able to recognize and mentor students who are eager for experience in theater, eager for knowledge."
Steven Bogart is shown. "I found the the students are really hungry and really loving to jump in and take risks."
People are shown in the sewing room. Then, Orlando is seen on-stage emerging form the Queen's dress.
Brooke Stanton, "I love working at Brandeis here because the facilities are so amazing and the students are just fantastic because they're coming from all different backgrounds."
Kat is shown again in the sewing room.
"So I would say one of the best things about Brandeis is that it lets you try so many things."
Actors shown on-stage, socializing happily between scenes.
"You might find things that you love. You might find some things that you hate, but you might find some things that are really amazing and can change your life.
Dmitry Troyanovksy is shown. "Because she was able to take acting, directing, design, global theater histories, and as a result of all of that, she's now able to come up with this culminating astounding, imaginative design for Orlando."
Camera pans from the stage to the Queen's face, showing the scale of the Queen's dress.
Kat, "Every day I wake up and I'm just blown away by the people around me who are there supporting me or physically doing work every day to make this show possible.
Video cuts to a person using a sewing machine, actors on stage with the Queen turning on a podium, then Kat in the sewing room.
"And I'm just so, so blessed to be at Brandeis and have this opportunity."
Dmitry Troyanovksy is shown. "It's extremely gratifying to see that what we do here lands, that it finds a home in the in the minds and souls of the students whom we nurture."
On-screen text displays credits for Orlando.
Brandeis Department of Theater Arts animates vertically across the screen in blue and white, then fades to black.