Fiddler on the Roof: a costuming and theatrical masterpiece

Jocelyn Tierney, Entertainment Editor

Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of a poor, Jewish milkman with a wife and five daughters, whose love, pride and faith helps him face the oppression of turn-of-the century czarist Russia.
While it’s true that the acting, music, and sets will help tell this story, another critical element is the costumes and for the first time in Liberty history, the role of Costume Director belongs to a student.
Sophomore Madison Gholston is thrilled to be in this position.
“I’ve been designing the costumes for the show and we’ve made three dresses and one wedding dress from scratch so far. I enjoy doing costuming; it’s definitely something I want to do in the future,” Gholston said.
The position of managing and organizing the costume department has always belonged to an adult volunteer, due to the commitment and difficulty level it takes, so even though Gholston is new the position, she is by no means new to costuming.
“My experience is I have costumed for 5 shows and acted in two,” Gholston said.
“My responsibilities this year include making a sheet with every single costume piece laid out and planned. However even though I have that sheet there’s always stuff that’s being added as the show progresses.”
Gholston, with her 5 costume assistants, manages how to dress 40 actors, which she claims is the hardest part because of how difficult it is to keep track of everything.
However, when you see the finished product its clear Gholston’s hard work has paid off.
The remaining performances of Fiddler on the Roof are April 29, 30, May 5 and 6 at 7pm.