The Jungle Book (A Community Theater Production)
Recently I attended a local community theater production of The Jungle Book. It wasn't the typical Disney version; it was an adaptation with some unusual twists of plot and unlikely characters. I have been the head costume person for six of the nine plays this group has presented since its inception in 2014, but this time I had other plans for the fall and was unable to be in charge. It was a treat to walk in like any other audience member and watch the play with no idea what was going to happen next, or what the costumes were going to look like!
I saw flamingos, clad in bright pink tights and pink dresses, and peacocks wearing shimmery purple and blue skirts and feathery headdresses. There were mama elephants, wearing fancy formals over gray sweatpants, and huge elephant ears.
And there were baby elephants, with smaller ears and little-girl fancy dresses. The fire ants wore little plastic fire hats with black antennae attached. (Their function was to put out fires, "the big red flower."),using cans of silly string. 
I counted 14 monkeys, each wearing a long, flowing, colorful vest; a tail attached to black sweatpants; and monkey ears fastened to a headband. King Louie had a royal purple robe attached to his vest.
Two hawks wore leather jackets and aviator headphones. 
The many wolves wore denim jackets and vests with a "Wolf Pack" badge and a kerchief tied around their arms, creating a tough biker effect.
Kaa was a saxophone player, hypnotizing listeners with his blues.
Bagheera was played by a girl, wearing black tights and leotard and a filmy dance skirt. She is with Akela, the head wolf, in this photo.
Shere Khan, also played by a girl, had a striped tail and an appropriate attitude.
Baloo was a joke-telling goofball, well-played by a teen boy with a similar personality. 
Mowgli was one of the smaller boys, wearing a tattered t-shirt and pants. 
The sloth deserves her own paragraph. Everything she said and did was in slow motion, painfully-so at times. The young actress faithfully moved with exaggerated languidness and dragged out her words so slowly, it was downright exasperating. Which means she did it very well, of course. It reminded me of what happens when a record is played at the wrong speed.
There were three vultures who were playing golf. Frankly, I never did quite understand how that fit into the hilarious plot, but they were awfully funny.
And they had a caddy! 
As you can see, the make-up was what really made each character come alive! Nearly all the actors were playing animals, and their faces were so well-done, they didn't look like people at all. In fact, I couldn't recognize many of them, even though I have worked with most of them on previous plays! I had to rely on their voices and mannerisms to figure out who was who. Now that is definitely what I would call good make-up!
I am looking forward to the next production, whether or not I end up in charge of costumes. These young people are always a joy to work with OR to watch, and their director is a woman who I admire very much for her patience, creativity, perseverance, and love for all the kids. The parents all pitch in to help paint sets, make costumes, do make-up, provide snacks, do advertising, make and sell concessions, help backstage, and anything else that needs to be done. It is truly a community effort, and the results are always outstanding.