Vintage ballroom dresses, hats with peacock feathers and a furry black chair were among the items that filled the Krannert Center Studio Theatre on Saturday for the biennial costume and prop sale.
The costumes and props on sale were used in past productions but must now be sold in order to make room for new supplies for upcoming shows.
More than 100 students and community members trickled through the event between 9 a.m. and noon, rummaging through about 50 bins of used costumes and props. Prices ranged from $1 for a T-shirt to $100 for full-sized, six-piece animal costumes.
Krannert’s properties director Binky Donley is in charge of all the props for theater and dance. Donley helped at the sale by making sure it remained organized and helping customers check out.
She said the theater has limited space for storing costumes and props, so every two years, the theater department goes through their inventory and put items up for sale that are either duplicates or they simply have no space for anymore.
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This year, Donley said they expanded the event by moving the prop sale to a room on the lower-level of the building.
“We are just recycling everything,” Donley said.
Ysaye McKeever, senior in FAA, attended the sale with some of her friends. McKeever said it was her first time attending the event. She walked away with a tank top and leotard.
“It’s nice,” she said. “It’s more crowded than I would expect it to be but less crowded than everyone said it was going to be.”
Heather McLaughlin, junior in FAA, and specifically, costume design, said she decided to come to the sale in search of more costumes as she collects them.
McLaughlin said her shopping trip was successful. Among her two piles, she took home a blue dress, wool coat, hoodie and pair of shoes.
“I love costumes, but that’s just because it’s my career,” she said. “It’s a great sale, so I came out early. I think it’s great that the theater came up with this idea to make extra money while getting extra room in their stock.”
_Pulu can be reached at [email protected]._
