Hugh Hanson
As makers, the hands can remember what the mind can forget.
-Hugh Hanson
Hugh teaches Costume Production courses ranging from pattern development, such as draping and drafting to specialized construction, including tailoring, dancewear, stretchwear, and period costume. In the Understanding Textiles course, Hugh leads a journey through the history of cloth production, analysis of its structure and applications of it. In addition Hugh mentors student costume designers on production assignments.
Hugh has vast experience as a draper and craftsperson. His career has included 86 Broadway shows and an even greater number of operas, dance pieces, films, circus acts, concerts, cruise ship shows and figure skating programs. Highlighting his Broadway work are shows including The Music Man, Ragtime (Santo Loquasto); Something Rotten, Aladdin, Drowsy Chaperone (Gregg Barnes); Newsies, The Rivals, Jersey Boys (Jess Goldstein); Cinderella, 9 to 5, The Frogs, Curtains (William Ivey Long); Anything Goes, Gypsy, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Pirate Queen (Martin Pakledinaz); The Coast of Utopia, Cry Baby (Cathy Zuber); Addams Family (Julian Crouch); and Spamalot (Tim Hatley). Films include Mirror, Mirror (Eiko Ishioka); Doubt, Julie and Julia (Ann Roth); Elf (Laura Jean Shannon) and The Mirror has Two Faces (Theoni Aldredge).
Hugh’s draping and craftwork have been seen on the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Lines, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ringling Brothers Circus and Big Apple Circus. From 1992 until his 2015 appointment at CMU, Hugh served as a draper for Carelli Costumes, New York City where he instituted their craft department.
In addition, Hugh has designed costumes at many regional and educational theatres in the US. For over thirty years he has worked at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (Henry VIII, Wittenberg, A Most Dangerous Woman, Richard II, The Lion in Winter) and Fairfield University (Measure for Measure, As You Like It, The Rover). His designs have also appeared at The Pittsburgh Public Theatre (Murder on the Orient Express, A Few Good Men, Marjorie Prime), Baltimore Center Stage (The Importance of Being Earnest), Colorado Shakespeare Festival (Henry IV Part One, Henry V, Comedy of Errors, Merry Wives of Windsor), Portland Stage Company (A Song at Twilight, Color of Flesh, Words by … Ira Gershwin) and George Street Playhouse (Lend Me a Tenor).