FairyFiligree: A Conversation with Edith Head

A Conversation with Edith Head

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010

A Conversation With Edith Head is a glorious behind the scenes feast of great movie legends and delicious stories that provide an insight into Hollywood’s legendary costume designer. In her six decades of costume design, she worked on 1,131 motion pictures, dressed the greatest stars of Hollywood, received 35 Academy Award nominations and won an unprecedented eight Oscars - a record that will never be broken. This exclusive interview with impersonator Susan Claassen delves deeper into the character of this extraordinary woman.

FF: How did you 'meet' Edith Head?
I first got the idea nine years ago when I was watching a television biography. I literally did a double take when I watched that TV biography. My physical resemblance to Edith seemed uncanny! And what's even more bizarre, we are the same height and both born 50 years apart in October! The more I watched, the more I knew there was a great story to be told.

I contacted Edith's estate and they granted me permission to pursue this project. I madly read anything I could find and when I came upon Paddy Calistro's book, Edith Head's Hollywood, I decided to attempt to locate its author. I called telephone information for Santa Monica, where I thought Paddy lived, and voila, she was listed. I placed the phone call and it was kismet.

At our first meeting in Los Angeles we knew the connection was right and we agreed to collaborate. Paddy had not only written the book but had inherited 13 hours of taped interviews with Edith Head - it was truly a gift from heaven. We can honestly say that A Conversation with Edith is based upon the words and thoughts of Edith Head - the ''Edith-isms'.

FF: What intrigued you about her apart from the fact that you resemble her so much?
Edith was an executive woman before there was such a thing! It was a boy's club when she started - 1923. Women in the Unites Stated had just recently got ten the vote, if you can imagine. It has been said that Edith had the instincts of a pastry chef and the authority of a factory foreman.

She herself said, "I knew I was not a creative design genius... I am a better diplomat than I am a designer...I was never going to be the world's greatest costume designer, but there was no reason I could not be the smartest and most celebrated."

She knew how to play the game better than anyone. Her concern really was to change actors into characters. Edith said, "I make people into what they are not - ten years older or younger, fatter or thinner, more handsome or more ridiculous, glamorous or sexy or horrible. The camera never lies, after all, so my work is really an exercise in camouflage."

FF: What were the challenges of doing this part?
It is a privilege to keep her legacy alive. The preparation to be comfortable in some else's skin is enormous. I must always be present to be able to respond to any question. I want them to feel as if they have just met Edith Head. I am constantly researching and trying to understand this amazing woman. I have my rituals before every performance. It is an enormous responsibility but well worth the effort. I feel so blessed. The audience response has been amazing. From Tbilisi to Edinburgh to London to Chicago audiences have been touched by Edith's story. What they take with them after having seen the performance is truly dependent on what they bring to it.

Film buffs get immersed in hearing stories from someone who has lived through the evolution of contemporary film, older audiences remember always seeing the closing credits, ‘Gowns by Edith Head’, it evokes a bygone era and younger audiences think of the Pixar animated film The Incredibles and Edna Mode, designer to the superheroes.

The universal response is summed up by a note I received from a fan, "My friend saw the show on Saturday and adored it. He said the same as me, i.e. if someone mentions Edith Head to me now, my first reaction will be to say "Oh yes, I met her once and it was unforgetable!"

FF: Did you get to research her costume design work?
Yes, and I own many original sketches in addition to the reproductions on the set. Edith's story is as fascinating as the history of the film industry itself, filled with humor, frustration and, above all, glamour. This diva of design helped to define glamour in the most glamorous place in the world - Hollywood! Remember, Edith Head did Hollywood Red Carpet commentary while Joan Rivers was still in college.

Edith Head may not be a household name these days, but in her prime she was one of the most colourful characters in Hollywood. She was dishing out caustic fashion advice years before Trinny and Susannah made careers out of it, and was confidante to the stars long before Celebrity Sleuth broadcast their measurements.

As Lucille Ball said, Edith knew the figure faults of every top star. And she never told - Edith always knew how to keep a secret."

Well, in this cozy conversation some secrets might be revealed and fashion tips freely given. As Miss Head says, "If Cinderella had had Edith Head, she would not have needed a Fairy godmother!"

FF: Which costumes did impress you most & why do you b elieve she achieved such huge success in Hollywood?
That would be like picking a favorite child! I have to admit I do love the costumes from To Catch a Thief - she had an extravagant budget and a gorgeous star, Grace Kelly - who could ask for anything more.

High fashion is of the moment and the best of costume design is timeless. You must remember that costumes were often completed a couple of years before the release of the film.
A perfect example are Elizabeth Taylor's gowns in the 1951 A Place in the Sun . The film was shot in 1949 and released in 1951.The silhouette was the most important aspect of any of the ensembles, therefore the costumes in the Academy Award winning film could be worn to any society event today. The woman wearing it would evoke an era classic couture and look as dramatic as Liz did when she danced with the dreamy Monty Clift!

Edith had the ability to shape each gown to a character or image. This is what made her as popular with film directors as with the glamour girls she dressed in both their private lives and screen roles.

FF: Did you ever meet her personally or get anywhere near her, her home, her studio?
No, but I feel as if I have met her. I know we would have been great friends.

A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD will open
September 24, 2010
Hollywood Premiere
El Portal
North Hollywood, CA
http://www.elportaltheatre.com/

Silver Screen Modiste: DESIGNED BY EDITH HEAD

Silver Screen Modiste: DESIGNED BY EDITH HEAD

DESIGNED BY EDITH HEAD


It's ironic that the costume designer whose name virtually everyone would recognize lacked a fashion style with any signiture. And few would be able to identify her costumes save for a few movie costume aficionados, researchers, and the fashion savy with long memories. Regardless, Edith Head was the ultimate costume designer. She could be a strong-willed promoter of herself, but never so at the expense of the costume she designed nor of the star she was to dress. Her costume designing was fully engaged in furthering the role of the actor and the needs of the scene. Her dresses and gowns needed to catch attention certainly, but Miss Head was not intent on creating a fashion statement. Look carefully at the stars wearing her designs. They look all-of-a-piece. No garment jars unless it is meant to. None is flashy unless the role is. When the role dazzles so do the gowns. She often bent to the desires of the stars, just as she did to that of the directors. After looking at scores of her costume sketches, I can attest that many of the actual costumes were changed by the time the actors wore them on screen. She did not hold a rigid idea of what the design should look like. Yet many of her costume designs have become as memorable as the roles portrayed and the stars that wore them. As examples, look back at Liz Taylor wearing the white gown with a big tulle skirt and white violets covering her bodice in A Place in the Sun; Kim Novak in the blue-gray suit in Vertigo; Bette Davis in the brown satin coctail gown with off-the shoulder, fur-trimmed sleeves in All About Eve; Gloria Swanson in the black dress with white fur muff and white fur-rimmed hat and white plume in Sunset Boulevard: Barbara Stanwyck in the white belted dress and house pumps with pom-poms in Double Indemnity; and any of the costumes Grace Kelly wears in To Catch a Thief or Rear Window. These are a few of the thousands of costumes she designed in a career that spanned nearly fifty years.

Edith Head is pictured above wearing her favorite necklace made of antique French theater tickets carved in ivory. She willed the necklace to her friend Liz Taylor at her death.


Susan Claassen as Edith Head

We no longer have Edith Head. We are very fortunate however, to have Susan Claassen, who has brought Miss Head back to life in her one-woman show, A Conversation with Edith Head. Susan Claassen is the Managing Artistic Director of the Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona. Paddy Calistro, author of Edith Head's Hollywood, and Susan Claassen co-wrote the play that A Conversation is based on. The play begins late in Miss Head's career, as she reflects on the accomplishments and defeats of her life, and her eight Oscars. Miss Claasen http://edithhead.biz/ brings it all back to life. You share Miss Head's life-story monologues like a guest in her own studio. You laugh and cry with her. Should Susan Claassen and A Conversation with Edith Head come to your town, don't miss it. If it comes to the region, make the trip. It will be worth it."

Media Release - Rand and Patti Berney Honorary Chairs For PTAC Gala - absolutearts.com

Media Release - Rand and Patti Berney Honorary Chairs For PTAC Gala - absolutearts.com:

Rand and Patti Berney Honorary Chairs For PTAC Gala

BARTLESVILLE, OK – Price Tower Arts Center is pleased to announce that Rand and Patti Berney are the honorary chairs for the 2010 gala fundraiser to be held on January 30, 2010. The theme for this year’s event is Star Struck … Lights! Camera! Gala! which ties in with the exhibition, Lights! Camera! Fashion!: The Film Costumes of Edith Head, opening on January 22nd.

“I am thrilled that Rand and Patti Berney have agreed to serve as honorary chairs of this year’s PTAC Gala. Since returning to Bartlesville, Rand and Patti have tirelessly volunteered their time to improve various organizations in our community,” said Kimberly Doenges, 2010 gala committee chair.

Rand C. Berney is the senior vice president for Corporate Shared Services at ConocoPhillips. He began his career with Phillips Petroleum Company in 1981. He was named to his current position in 2009. Mr. Berney holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Kansas State University. He also earned his MBA from Oklahoma State University.

2010 GalaPatti Berney has been an active member of the Bartlesville community for many years. Her involvement has extended from the Red Cross, Greenspoint Mission, Target Hunger and the Special Olympics. Currently, Mrs. Berney serves on the boards of Mary Martha Outreach, Family Crisis and Counseling, Friends of Frank Phillips Home and Price Tower Arts Center.

“As this year’s Gala chairman, I know the event will be spectacular and Rand and Patti's involvement makes it even more special,” added Doenges.

The fundraiser will begin at 6 p.m. with a VIP Reception in Copper Bar inside Price Tower Arts Center. The reception will include Susan Claassen’s portrayal of Edith Head and special guests Anne Coco and Adriana Petrova.

The gala event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Bartlesville Community Center. Dinner is being prepared by Chef Tim Inman of Tulsa’s Stonehorse Café. There will be live musical entertainment from the Full Flava Kings. And, those attending will also get to participate in silent and live auctions. Some of the auction items include a week’s stay in a London flat, a Henry Dunay ring, original art work and an Odegard area rug. Tickets are available by calling 918.336.4949 or online at wrightplacestore.com.

Kimberly Doenges is the chair of the 2010 PTAC Gala Committee. Other members include Patti Berney, Tracy Boles, Jessica Butler, Dawnette Brady, Elizabeth Gallery, Tracy Harlow, Sheryl Kaufman, Jane Kirkpatrick, Beth Maddux, Theo Silas, Lynda Tippeconnic and Barbara Williams.

The Price Tower Arts Center 2010 Gala Fundraiser is made possible, in part, by C.J. ‘Pete’ and Theo Silas, Joel and Patricia Romines, Boles Jewelry, ConocoPhillips, Doenges Toyota, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, More Branding, 66 Federal Credit Union and Western Printing.




About Price Tower

The landmark destination for art, architecture and design, Price Tower Arts Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, provides local, regional and global audiences with the experience of great art, architecture and design in an arts complex whose centerpiece is Frank Lloyd Wright's only skyscraper, the Price Tower.

This National Historic Landmark building, completed in 1956, contains a museum with permanent and changing exhibition galleries; original and restored historic Wright interiors (available by tour); and The Wright Place museum store.

Visitors may also experience Wright's masterpiece as guests of Inn at Price Tower, a high-design hotel that the Arts Center has created within Wright's skyscraper, along with the Inn's eclectic Copper Bar.

Historic tours are available with advanced reservations. Admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors (65+), $5 students and children 16 and under and includes admission to the museum exhibitions (tax not included as may be applicable). For more information, the public may call 918.336.4949 or visit the web site at www.pricetower.org.

SUSAN CLAASSEN CONTINUES HER US TOUR IN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA WITH PERFORMANCES, MASTER CLASSES AND FUNDRAISERS

FROM: SUSAN L. SCHULMAN/Publicity (212) 921-4344

susan@schulmanpublicity.com www.schulmanpublicity.com

SUSAN CLAASSEN CONTINUES HER US TOUR IN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA WITH PERFORMANCES, MASTER CLASSES AND FUNDRAISERS

by

Paddy Calistro and Susan Claassen

Fall 2009 tour follows sold-out engagements in Southern California

SUSAN CLAASSEN, who stars as legendary Hollywood designer Edith Head in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”, will be appearing in Texas and Oklahoma in October. Her US tour also included appearances in Tucson at the Invisible Theatre, at Arizona’s Tubac Center of the Arts, at the 35^th Annual Symposium of the Costume Society of America in Tempe and Phoenix, AZ and most recently, San Diego and Coronado, where she, once again, received rave reviews.

Ms. Claassen will appear as part of Austin Cabaret Theatre’s 2009/2010 Season, conduct master classes for University of Texas theatre students and give two public performances on October 17th and 18th. In addition, Ms. Claassen will be featured in a performance and dinner at Price Tower Art Gallery in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on October 30th. The Price Tower is the only high rise Frank lloyd Wright ever designed and the gallery will host an Edith Head retrospective January 22 - May 16, 2010.

AUSTIN CABARET THEATRE

at The Lab Theatre University of Texas campus, 23rd St & San Jacinto Austin, Texas

Sat. October 17, 2009 8:00 pm and Sun. October 18, 2009 2:00 pm Tickets: $24

Order by phone Stuart Moulton 512-453-ACTS (2287) http://www.austincabaret.org/

PRICE TOWER ART CENTER GALA FUNDRAISING DINNER

510 Dewey Avenue Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Fri. October 30, 2009 6:00 pm Tickets: $75

Order by phone Patti Grissom 918-336-4949 X100 http://pricetower.org/

( in conjunction with their Edith Head Retrospective opening January 22, 2010)

“A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”, based on EDITH HEAD’S HOLLYWOOD by Edith Head &

Paddy Calistro, is a feast of delicious behind-the-scenes stories about Hollywood’s greatest stars that provide an intimate portrait of Hollywood’s legendary costume designer. In her six decades of costume design, Edith Head worked on over eleven hundred films; dressed the greatest stars of Hollywood; received 35 Academy Award® nominations, and won an unprecedented eight Oscars®. Edith Head’s story is as fascinating as the history of the film industry itself, filled with humor, frustration and, above all, glamour. This diva of design helped to define glamour in the most glamorous place in the world -Hollywood! Edith Head was a Hollywood costume designer for more than 60 years. 44 of those years were spent at Paramount Studios, where she worked with the most famous actors of the time, from Mae West and Clara Bow to Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Bette Davis. When Paramount failed to renew her contract in 1967, Alfred Hitchcock stepped in and Ms. Head was invited to join Universal Studios. At Universal she costumed Robert Redford and Paul Newman in “The Sting” and won the first-ever Oscar® for a film without a female lead. Her eight Academy Awards® celebrated her artistry in “The Heiress” (her first Oscar®), “Samson & Delilah”, “All About Eve”, “A Place in the Sun”, “Roman Holiday”, “Sabrina”, “The Facts of Life” and “The Sting”. Edith Head died in October 1981, still under contract to Universal Studios, having just completed the Steve Martin film, “Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid”.

Susan Claassen was inspired to write and star in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” while watching a TV biography of Ms. Head. Susan Claassen said: “Not only do I bear a striking resemblance to Edith, but we share the same love for clothes and fashion. Edith survived the boy’s club of Hollywood to enjoy a 60-year career, during which she worked on 1,131 films, earned 35 Oscar nominations and won eight. She stitched Dorothy Lamour into her sarong; put Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in kilts in “The Road to Bali”; created Bette Davis’ glamorous Margo Channing; made teenage girls swoon over Elizabeth Taylor’s white ball gown in “A Place in the Sun”; dressed Ingrid Bergman in “Notorious”, Grace Kelly in “To Catch A Thief”, Kim Novak in “Vertigo”, Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” and Sean Connery in “The Man Who Would Be King”. There are many myths about her but she was a discreet, tenacious personality. She knew whose hips needed clever disguising and made sure those legendary stars always looked the part. Our show gives the inside scoop on Edith and the Golden Age of Hollywood.” “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” premiered at The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona in January, 2002 and was subsequently presented in Chicago; Key West, FLA; at the American Film Institute in Silver Spring, MD; Hartford, CT; San Francisco, CA; Nantucket, MA, San Diego, CA , Houston, TX and Scottsdale ,AZ, as well as in Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia , London’s West End and a ‘sold out’ engagement at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. (Out of the 2,000 shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe only 200 were officially designated ‘Sold Out’ engagements.)

Susan Claassen: As an actress, some of Susan’s most memorable roles have been Bella in “LOST IN YONKERS” Alice B. Toklas in “GERTRUDE STEIN AND A COMPANION” Hannah in “CROSSING DELANCEY”, Shirley in “SHIRLEY VALENTINE” and Trudy in “THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE”. In addition to her work with The Invisible Theatre she has been a consultant and director for The Waterfront Playhouse and The Red Barn Theatre in Key West, Florida, and directed Steve Ross in “I WON’T DANCE” at New York’s famed Rainbow and Stars Cabaret and St. Paul's prestigious Ordway Theatre. As Managing Artistic Director of The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, Susan has produced more than 350 productions and directed more than 50. She is the recipient of the 1993 Humanitarian Torch Award for her efforts on behalf of people living with AIDS, and a 1996 Distinguished Service Award from the State Federation for Exceptional Children for her commitment to arts education for special populations. Susan was the 1999 City of Hope’s “Spirit of Life” recipient (as was Edith Head in 1976), and performs as a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was recently selected as one of Tucson Lifestyle’s 10 Most Admired Women and was honored by The Jewish Federation in 2009 as one of Tucson’s 13 extraordinary women. She is featured in the book HOW TO BE A WORKING ACTOR by Mari Henry & Lynne Rogers . Susan is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, Costume Society of America and has been a member of Actors’ Equity Association since 1969.

Much of the dialogue in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” comes directly from the famed designer. When she was asked to write the authorized posthumous autobiography, EDITH HEAD’S HOLLYWOOD, Paddy Calistro acquired more than 13 hours of recollections recorded by Edith Head – including her own snippy “Edithisms” as Ms. Head referred to her own sayings, such as: "I hate modesty, don't you?" and "Good clothes are not a matter of good luck." The show also features insights from Hollywood insiders who knew Ms. Head best: costume designer Bob Mackie, who once worked as Ms. Head's sketch artist; her dear friend Edie Wasserman, wife of the late Universal Studio head Lew Wasserman, and Art Linkletter, award-winning host of TV’s “House Party”, who brought Edith Head into the homes of America. Edith would stroll through the studio audience with Linkletter, offering brutally critical fashion, diet and grooming advice - all this half a century before the current mania for on-screen makeovers. "Go on a diet!" she would instruct an overweight woman, while instantly making her look ten pounds slimmer by pulling her shirt out of her trousers, whipping a belt around her middle and swapping her cheap gold jewelry for her own signature pearls. Young fans of Pixar’s “The Incredibles” will recognized the superhero outfitter Edna Mode as an affectionate tribute to the legendary Hollywood costume designer.

Co-author Paddy Calistro is one of the leading authorities on the life and work of Edith Head and is the co-author of Edith Head's posthumous autobiography, EDITH HEAD’S HOLLYWOOD. She was selected as Ms. Head’s official biographer based on her experience as a fashion journalist. A former fashion and beauty writer for the Los Angeles Times, Paddy wrote the weekly “Looks” column in the LA Times Magazine for four years. She was the West Coast reporter for Allure and has written for Glamour, Mademoiselle, House Beautiful, Elle, Four Seasons Magazine, Fitness and Los Angeles Magazine. For more than a decade Paddy was the lead interior design writer for LA Magazine, and was also the editor of American Style, a bilingual fashion magazine sold in Mexico and South America. The co-founder of Angel City Press, an independent book publishing company based in Santa Monica, she currently serves as its Publisher and Editor-in-chief. The 25th anniversary edition of EDITH HEAD’S HOLLYWOOD has recently been reissued and will be available for purchase at all performances of “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”.

“There’s nothing like a row of Oscars® for putting the fear of God into an actress who

thinks she knows everything about dress designing.”

-Edith Head

THE HEIRESS, 1949

SAMSON AND DELILAH, 1950

ALL ABOUT EVE, 1950

A PLACE IN THE SUN, 1951

ROMAN HOLIDAY, 1953

SABRINA, 1954

THE FACTS OF LIFE, 1960

THE STING, 1973

For additional information and photos about “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”

www.edithhead.biz.

Susan Claassen in 'A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD' continues tour in Texas & Oklahoma Printer-Friendly (BroadwayWorld.com)

Susan Claassen in 'A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD' continues tour in Texas & Oklahoma

Susan Claassen in 'A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD' continues tour in Texas & Oklahoma

by BWW News Desk

SUSAN CLAASSEN, who stars as legendary Hollywood designer Edith Head in 'A CONVERSATION WITH Edith Head', will be appearing in Texas and Oklahoma in October. Her US tour also included appearances in Tucson at the Invisible Theatre, at Arizona's Tubac Center of the Arts, at the 35th Annual Symposium of the Costume Society of America in Tempe and Phoenix, AZ and most recently, San Diego and Coronado, where she, once again, received rave reviews.

Ms. Claassen will appear as part of Austin Cabaret Theatre's 2009/2010 Season, conduct master classes for University of Texas theatre students and give two public performances on October 17th and 18th. In addition, Ms. Claassen will be featured in a performance and dinner at PrIce Tower Art Gallery in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on October 30th. The PrIce Tower is the only high rise Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed and the gallery will host an Edith Head retrospective January 22 - May 16, 2010.

AUSTIN CABARET THEATRE
at The Lab Theatre University of Texas campus, 23rd St & San Jacinto Austin, Texas
Sat. October 17, 2009 8:00 pm and Sun. October 18, 2009 2:00 pm Tickets: $24
Order by phone Stuart Moulton 512-453-ACTS (2287) http://www.austincabaret.org/

PRIce TOWER ART CENTER GALA FUNDRAISING DINNER
510 Dewey Avenue Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Fri. October 30, 2009 6:00 pm Tickets: $75
Order by phone Patti Grissom 918-336-4949 X100 http://pricetower.org/
( in conjunction with their Edith Head Retrospective opening January 22, 2010)

'A CONVERSATION WITH Edith Head', based on Edith Head'S HOLLYWOOD by Edith Head &
Paddy Calistro, is a feast of delicious behind-the-scenes stories about Hollywood's greatest stars that provide an intimate portrait of Hollywood's legendary costume designer. In her six decades of costume design, Edith Head worked on over eleven hundred films; dressed the greatest stars of Hollywood; received 35 Academy Award® nominations, and won an unprecedented eight Oscars®. Edith Head's story is as fascinating as the history of the film industry itself, filled with humor, frustration and, above all, glamour. This diva of design helped to define glamour in the most glamorous place in the world -Hollywood! Edith Head was a Hollywood costume designer for more than 60 years. 44 of those years were spent at Paramount Studios, where she worked with the most famous actors of the time, from Mae West and Clara Bow to Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Bette Davis. When Paramount failed to renew her contract in 1967, Alfred Hitchcock stepped in and Ms. Head was invited to join Universal Studios. At Universal she costumed Robert Redford and Paul Newman in 'The Sting' and won the first-ever Oscar® for a film without a female lead. Her eight Academy Awards® celebrated her artistry in 'The Heiress' (her first Oscar®), 'Samson & Delilah', 'All About Eve', 'A Place in the Sun', 'Roman Holiday', 'Sabrina', 'The Facts of Life' and 'The Sting'. Edith Head died in October 1981, still under contract to Universal Studios, having just completed the Steve Martin film, 'Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'.

Susan Claassen was inspired to write and star in 'A CONVERSATION WITH Edith Head' while watching a TV biography of Ms. Head. Susan Claassen said: 'Not only do I bear a striking resemblance to Edith, but we share the same love for clothes and fashion. Edith survived the boy's club of Hollywood to enjoy a 60-year career, during which she worked on 1,131 films, earned 35 Oscar nominations and won eight. She stitched Dorothy Lamour into her sarong; put Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in kilts in 'The Road to Bali'; created Bette Davis' glamorous Margo Channing; made teenage girls swoon over ElizaBeth Taylor's white ball gown in 'A Place in the Sun'; dressed Ingrid Bergman in 'Notorious', Grace Kelly in 'To Catch A Thief', Kim Novak in 'Vertigo', Gloria Swanson in 'Sunset Boulevard' and Sean Connery in 'The Man Who Would Be King'. There are many myths about her but she was a discreet, tenacious personality. She knew whose hips needed clever disguising and made sure those legendary stars always looked the part. Our show gives the inside scoop on Edith and the Golden Age of Hollywood.' 'A CONVERSATION WITH Edith Head' premiered at The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona in January, 2002 and was subsequently presented in Chicago; Key West, FLA; at the American Film Institute in Silver Spring, MD; Hartford, CT; San Francisco, CA; Nantucket, MA, San Diego, CA , Houston, TX and Scottsdale ,AZ, as well as in Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia , London's West End and a ‘sold out' engagement at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. (Out of the 2,000 shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe only 200 were officially designated ‘Sold Out' engagements.)

Susan Claassen: As an actress, some of Susan's most memorable roles have been Bella in 'LOST IN YONKERS' Alice B. Toklas in 'Gertrude Stein AND A COMPANION' Hannah in 'CROSSING DELANCEY', Shirley in 'SHIRLEY VALENTINE' and Trudy in 'THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE'. In addition to her work with The Invisible Theatre she has been a consultant and director for The Waterfront Playhouse and The Red Barn Theatre in Key West, Florida, and directed Steve Ross in 'I WON'T DANCE' at New York's famed Rainbow and Stars Cabaret and St. Paul's prestigious Ordway Theatre. As Managing Artistic Director of The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, Susan has produced more than 350 productions and directed more than 50. She is the recipient of the 1993 Humanitarian Torch Award for her efforts on behalf of people living with AIDS, and a 1996 Distinguished Service Award from the State Federation for Exceptional Children for her commitment to arts education for special populations. Susan was the 1999 City of Hope's 'Spirit of Life' recipient (as was Edith Head in 1976), and performs as a clown in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was recently selected as one of Tucson Lifestyle's 10 Most Admired Women and was honored by The Jewish Federation in 2009 as one of Tucson's 13 extraordinary women. She is featured in the book HOW TO BE A WORKING ACTOR by Mari Henry & Lynne Rogers . Susan is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, Costume Society of America and has been a member of Actors' Equity Association since 1969.

Much of the dialogue in 'A CONVERSATION WITH Edith Head' comes directly from the famed designer. When she was asked to write the authorized posthumous autobiography, Edith Head'S HOLLYWOOD, Paddy Calistro acquired more than 13 hours of recollections recorded by Edith Head - including her own snippy 'Edithisms' as Ms. Head referred to her own sayings, such as: 'I hate modesty, don't you?' and 'Good clothes are not a matter of good luck.' The show also features insights from Hollywood insiders who knew Ms. Head best: costume designer Bob Mackie, who once worked as Ms. Head's sketch artist; her dear friend Edie Wasserman, wife of the late Universal Studio head Lew Wasserman, and Art Linkletter, award-winning host of TV's 'House Party', who brought Edith Head into the homes of America. Edith would stroll through the studio audience with Linkletter, offering brutally critical fashion, diet and grooming advice - all this half a century before the current mania for on-screen makeovers. 'Go on a diet!' she would instruct an overweight woman, while instantly making her look ten pounds slimmer by pulling her shirt out of her trousers, whipping a belt around her middle and swapping her cheap gold jewelry for her own signature pearls. Young fans of Pixar's 'The Incredibles' will recognized the superhero outfitter Edna Mode as an affectionate tribute to the legendary Hollywood costume designer.

Co-author Paddy Calistro is one of the leading authorities on the life and work of Edith Head and is the co-author of Edith Head's posthumous autobiography, Edith Head'S HOLLYWOOD. She was selected as Ms. Head's official biographer based on her experience as a fashion journalist. A former fashion and beauty writer for the Los Angeles Times, Paddy wrote the weekly 'Looks' column in the LA Times Magazine for four years. She was the West Coast reporter for Allure and has written for Glamour, Mademoiselle, House Beautiful, Elle, Four Seasons Magazine, Fitness and Los Angeles Magazine. For more than a decade Paddy was the lead interior design writer for LA Magazine, and was also the editor of American Style, a bilingual fashion magazine sold in Mexico and South America. The co-founder of Angel City Press, an independent book publishing company based in Santa Monica, she currently serves as its Publisher and Editor-in-chief. The 25th anniversary edition of Edith Head'S HOLLYWOOD has recently been reissued and will be available for purchase at all performances of 'A CONVERSATION WITH Edith Head'.

'There's nothing like a row of Oscars® for putting the fear of God into an actress who
thinks she knows everything about dress designing.'
-Edith Head

THE HEIRESS, 1949
SAMSON AND DELILAH, 1950
ALL ABOUT EVE, 1950
A PLACE IN THE SUN, 1951
ROMAN HOLIDAY, 1953
SABRINA, 1954
THE FACTS OF LIFE, 1960
THE STING, 1973

For additional information and photos about 'A CONVERSATION WITH Edith Head'
www.edithhead.biz

Review by Rob Appel, SCTheatre.com

Rob_Appel_135

In an all-too limited engagement, the stage of the North Coast Repertory Theatre was the setting of a room (in 1982), filled with autographed photos of some of famed designer EDITH HEAD’s famous stars…whom she had dressed…or, more accurately ‘camouflaged’. In this CONVERSATIONS with EDITH HEAD, from the moment EDITH HEAD stumbles in late, from a movie set, to begin her ‘conversations’ , the house is electrified by this magical character, with bangs, bun, horn-rimmed glasses, and immaculately tailored clothes.

The understated green suit that Tippi Hedren wore in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, was a form-fitting design that clung to her curves while managing to look businesslike. The skirt went to the knee; the waist was belted and the collar plain. Accentuated with high-heel pumps and Hedren's blond French twist, it was a look that mirrored the film's tension, by emphasizing the dichotomy between her character's fragile vulnerability and sexual confidence. We remember Hedren's character more clearly than the suit, due, in large part, to costume designer EDITH HEAD. Her great talent was making clothes that served a supporting role, one that added dimension and flavor to a role. (Courtesy SIGNONSANDIEGO)

IEDITH HEAD is portrayed by actress Susan Claassen – who comes off more ‘Head’ than Edith herself. The EDITH HEAD reminiscences are delightful … her good friend Barbara Stanwyck, was long-waisted, and minus a ‘derriere’ … so, HEAD demonstrates on a mannequin, how she remedied this flaw with a wide sash, tied with tails on the backside…to ‘plump’ things out. HEAD continues on with another actress friend and icon … Bette Davis, whom she obviously adored. She said that both Davis and her, were always ‘busy women’ … and, when they started their work, they didn’t waste time discussing the weather or minutia ... they just got down to what suited them both ... BUSINESS!

In one sense, she was the “master of self promotion” … and, in another, she’s “the woman who isn’t there”. It’s this diversity of character, aptly portrayed by Susan Claassen, that makes A Conversation With Edith Head such lovely watching.

Susan Claassen as ... EDITH HEAD

EDITH HEAD, arguably the greatest ever costume designer to the stars, has come to the North Coast Repertory Theatre in the shape of Susan Claassen. In EDITH HEAD’s time, this petite power-force, won eight Oscars, had a 58-year-long career and dressed all the greats, from Mae West to Grace Kelly.

It was supposedly after watching a TV biography of Ms. HEAD, Susan Claassen knew she could play her, and promptly joined forces with Paddy Calistro, co-author of HEAD’s posthumous autobiography, to write this script. Set in 1981, while working on Steve Martin’s Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, you are welcomed into HEAD’s world. Even if you know nothing about her, you can just tell from Claassen’s high quality of acting, she is capturing HEAD’s essence with her every crafted move. She actually becomes her, a feat also helped by her striking resemblance to the designer. The loving way Susan Claassen handles clothes, her biting wit, and even her exaggerations of success, seems uncanny, adding to the charm.

It is, however, a show with limited appeal. You either need to know about EDITH HEAD, or really want to know about her. The co-authors do assume a certain audience, so, if you fit the bill, you’re in for a great evening of old school glamour and wonderful recollections. (Courtesy Emma Barnett)

Announcing a commemorative postal stamp honoring EDITH HEAD which was issued on Feb. 25^th,2003, an audience member asked about ‘her private life’. To which, actress Susan Claassen promptly answers … it was just that … PRIVATE! Let’s hope that CONVERSATIONS with EDITH HEAD will have a
Robert Hampton with Susan Claassen return engagement at the North Coast Repertory Theatre.

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Thank you San Diego!