Costume prop fabrication
Jabberwock Headpiece
West Valley Arts commissioned me to transform a gas mask into the Jabberwock headpiece for its production of Alice by Heart. The show reframes Alice in Wonderland against World War II, and the designers envisioned the Jabberwock as an embodiment of every child's fear of going to the doctor. Working within costume designer Tabitha Sublette's concept, I introduced a distressed medic helmet and horned silhouette to connect the creature's menace with the production's medical and wartime imagery. The foam helmet is removable so lighting can be installed behind the eyes and controlled remotely from the lighting booth.
Project details
- Client
- West Valley Arts
- Production
- Alice by Heart
- Designed by
- Tabitha Sublette (costume design); Bryan Johnson (headpiece concept)
- Built by
- Bryan Johnson
- Materials
- Gas mask, Foam helmet, Foam horns, Distressed fabric
- Techniques
- Foam fabrication, Prop adaptation, Distressing, Removable component design, Lighting integration planning
- Notes
- The removable helmet allows production lighting to be installed inside the headpiece to illuminate the Jabberwock's eyes under control from the lighting booth.