By Chloe Mee
The Wentworth musicals are eagerly anticipated every year, put on by the grade five to seven students. As well as the hard work that the students contribute to produce the musicals, there are also many aspects of the musicals that the teachers work on.
Jennifer Pritchard is one of these teachers. She creates the stunning costumes that the students wear, from the lead role’s finale outfit to the extras’ costumes for a street scene. Each and every costume is put together with unique precision. Costumes add another dimension to the play, perhaps taking the audience back to the eighteenth century in Beauty and the Beast, the mid 1900’s during the depression for Annie, or allowing us to delve into the world of fantasy in Peter Pan. Ms. Pritchard was in charge of the two latter plays, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan.
“The best part about art is going through the process, seeing how you can take a laundry basket or a hula hoop and turn it into something completely different. You can take an average women’s winter jacket and transform it into Captain Hook’s coat.” Each detail can tell us something different about a character, such as their social status or their personality. In Beauty and the Beast, Ms. Pritchard made inanimate objects come to life. As Mrs. Potts, she used hula hoops to extend the skirt for my teapot when I was in the play.
The Wentworth musicals are eagerly anticipated every year, put on by the grade five to seven students. As well as the hard work that the students contribute to produce the musicals, there are also many aspects of the musicals that the teachers work on.
Jennifer Pritchard is one of these teachers. She creates the stunning costumes that the students wear, from the lead role’s finale outfit to the extras’ costumes for a street scene. Each and every costume is put together with unique precision. Costumes add another dimension to the play, perhaps taking the audience back to the eighteenth century in Beauty and the Beast, the mid 1900’s during the depression for Annie, or allowing us to delve into the world of fantasy in Peter Pan. Ms. Pritchard was in charge of the two latter plays, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan.
“The best part about art is going through the process, seeing how you can take a laundry basket or a hula hoop and turn it into something completely different. You can take an average women’s winter jacket and transform it into Captain Hook’s coat.” Each detail can tell us something different about a character, such as their social status or their personality. In Beauty and the Beast, Ms. Pritchard made inanimate objects come to life. As Mrs. Potts, she used hula hoops to extend the skirt for my teapot when I was in the play.
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Apart from creating costumes for the annual musical, Ms. Pritchard is a 6/7 key teacher. In addition to teaching middle school students, she has taught a variety of grades - including adults. During high school, she opted not to take art classes. One of the only art related classes that Jennifer Pritchard took was a sewing class during her eighth grade. At the time, the classes didn’t seem to make much of an impact. Now, she knows that this was one of the starting points of her passion. Ms. Pritchard regrets not taking arts classes more often when she had the opportunity. Part of this was due to the fact that she recognized her good friend’s talent, and she felt that she wouldn’t have been able to reach her skill level. “Sometimes your journey takes a lot of twists and turns that you can’t predict, but be open to the opportunities that come along.” When she received her grandmother’s sewing machine, this gave her another window of opportunity to take up sewing again.
In retrospect, Jennifer Pritchard says that she could have used her friend’s talent to help her improve. “Rather than looking at those with a talent above your skill level as a reason not to do something, they can be a resource to help you develop your own skills. I am very thankful for those people in my life and I am lucky for the wide range of talents in the people that I am surrounded by.” Her parents inspired her by letting her take apart car dashboards and stereos. “I grew up in an area where your entertainment was only limited by your imagination.”
In retrospect, Jennifer Pritchard says that she could have used her friend’s talent to help her improve. “Rather than looking at those with a talent above your skill level as a reason not to do something, they can be a resource to help you develop your own skills. I am very thankful for those people in my life and I am lucky for the wide range of talents in the people that I am surrounded by.” Her parents inspired her by letting her take apart car dashboards and stereos. “I grew up in an area where your entertainment was only limited by your imagination.”
During her youth, she recalls that she would colour with her father and twist the colours of objects. “I would watch in awe at how he could make the unusual colour choices work and elevate a simply drawing into something much more.” She says that she has many people in her life that have given her ideas to bounce off of and push her to new limits. When she is faced with a challenge, her response is: “I don’t know, but let me try.” Challenges fuel her passion when creating something new. As soon as she gets a request, the wheels start turning. As well as constructing costumes and sewing, Ms. Pritchard is learning how to play the ukulele. She enjoys listening to music when she works on her projects.
In all art, the creating is Jennifer Pritchard’s favourite part. She loves to see how her projects will evolve. “When painting, this can be exploring, mixing the paint, or using different brush strokes. With costumes, this is the construction and seeing how I can create a certain effect.” Ms. Pritchard can get lost in making art, turning on music and delving into her project. However, sometimes time can become limiting when she creates her projects.
In all art, the creating is Jennifer Pritchard’s favourite part. She loves to see how her projects will evolve. “When painting, this can be exploring, mixing the paint, or using different brush strokes. With costumes, this is the construction and seeing how I can create a certain effect.” Ms. Pritchard can get lost in making art, turning on music and delving into her project. However, sometimes time can become limiting when she creates her projects.
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Jennifer Pritchard hopes to keep finding ways to make art part of her life. She plans to do this by finding new types of art and creating more projects. From all of her projects, Ms. Pritchard has learned that she is always her biggest critic. “I am not always satisfied with my end result but my take away is a list of new things I have learned and a new plan for next time I tackle something similar. The other thing I have learned is that the planning stage is the most important especially with costumes.”
I am looking forward to seeing what the latest costumes for Peter Pan will look like on the night of the musical, shining underneath the stage lights. When asked if she will pursue art in any way after she retires, Ms. Pritchard responds: “definitely, I hope I never stop.”
I am looking forward to seeing what the latest costumes for Peter Pan will look like on the night of the musical, shining underneath the stage lights. When asked if she will pursue art in any way after she retires, Ms. Pritchard responds: “definitely, I hope I never stop.”
