Judy Dearing
Judy Dearing (1940 – September 30, 1995) was an American costume designer, dancer, and choreographer. Ms. Dearing began her career dancing with Miriam Makeba and acting with the Negro Ensemble Company. She is most well-known for designing costumes for a wide range of theater and musical productions. In 1985, she won an Obie Award her for her World War II uniforms for Charles Fuller's drama "A Soldier's Play." [1]
In the 2010 edition of Ntozake Shange's book, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, the author describes Dearing's costumes:
The fluid dresses, designed by the late Judy Dearing, took on colors from the set design, imbuing each lady with a persona and each persona with a unique deific principle marking the journey of womanhood. The personal story of a woman became every woman, the solo voice becoming many. Each poem fell into its rightful place, a rainbow of colors, shapes, and timbres of voice, my solo instrument blossoming into a cosmic chamber ensemble.[2]
Dearing was a resident designer for the Crossroads Theatre, the University of Texas Drama Department, the New Federal Theatre, and the Negro Ensemble Company, as well as for the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. She has designed for a number of regional theaters: Goodman Theatre, the Alliance Theatre, the Hartford Stage, the Guthrie Theatre, the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, GeVa Theatre, Asolo Theatre, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, the Egg, and the Goodspeed Opera House. Ms. Dearing is the recipient of nine Audelco Awards, a 1985 Obie Award and a 1988 Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Image Award.[3] In addition to working directly on theater productions, Dearing was a professor of design at Howard University and the resident designer at the University of Texas drama department.[4]
Productions
Theater
Judy Dearing was the costume designer for the following productions.[5]
- Swinging on a Star (original music revue, dedicated to Costume Designer: Judy Dearing, Oct 22, 1995 - Jan 13, 1996)
- Having Our Say (original play, Apr 06, 1995 - Dec 31, 1995)
- Shimada (original play, Apr 23, 1992 - Apr 25, 1992)
- Once on This Island (original musical, Oct 18, 1990 - Dec 01, 1991)
- Checkmates (original play, comedy, Aug 04, 1988 - Dec 31, 1988)
- Death and the King's Horseman (original play, drama, Mar 01, 1987 - Mar 29, 1987)
- The Babe (original play, solo, May 17, 1984 - May 20, 1984)
- Trick (original play, comedy, Thriller, Feb 04, 1979 - Feb 11, 1979)
- The Mighty Gents (original play, Apr 16, 1978 - Apr 23, 1978)
- for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf (original play, Sep 15, 1976 - Jul 16, 1978)
- The Poison Tree (original play, Jan 08, 1976 - Jan 11, 1976)
- Lamppost Reunion (original play, Oct 16, 1975 - Dec 21, 1975)
- Black Picture Show (original play, Jan 06, 1975 - Feb 09, 1975)
- What the Wine-Sellers Buy (original play, Feb 14, 1974 - Mar 17, 1974
Dance
Dearing was the costume designer for the following productions at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater:
References
- ^ "Judy Dearing, Costume Designer And Former Dancer, Dies at 55. (October 4, 1995). The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/04/arts/judy-dearing-costume-designer-and-former-dancer-dies-at-55.html".
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- ^ Shange, N. (2010). For colored girls who have considered suicide, when the rainbow is enuf: A choreopoem. New York: Scribner
- ^ "WIND Bios: Judy Dearing. (n.d.). Mount Holyoke College Department of History. Retrieved from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/vjames/history/jdearing.html".
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- ^ "Judy Dearing. (October 9, 1995). Variety. Retrieved from http://variety.com/1995/scene/people-news/judy-dearing-99128678/".
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- ^ "Judy Dearing. (n.d.). Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved from http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=24799".
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- ^ "Nubian Lady. (n.d.). Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Retrieved from http://www.alvinailey.org/about/company/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/repertory/nubian-lady".
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- ^ "Blood Burning Moon. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Retrieved from http://www.alvinailey.org/about/company/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/repertory/blood-burning-moon".
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- ^ "Inside. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Retrieved from http://www.alvinailey.org/about/company/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/repertory/inside".
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