Contact: Erika Celeste
(Bottom photo) Myrna Colley-Lee's rendering of a costume design for Cyrano d'Bergerac, currently on display at the Mississippi Museum of Art.
Photo by: Megan Bean
STARKVILLE, Miss.--She's designed the costumes for a play commissioned by Bill Cosby and contributed to Eugene O'Neill's video production of "Long Day's Journey Into Night," not to mention dressing the likes of actor Kevin Kline and singer Linda Ronstadt.
Designer Myrna Colley-Lee of Charleston today [Aug. 2] donated her personal collection of theater memorabilia to Mississippi State University's Mitchell Memorial Library.
The announcement was made at the Mississippi Museum of Art, where an exhibition of the designer's work--titled "GladRags"--currently is on display.
The collection, which will be arriving in Starkville over the next several weeks, consists of scripts, photographs, breakdowns (what each character wears in each scene), rehearsal notes from the director, research, playbills, newspaper articles, and thank-you notes from cast members and production crews, as well as other novelties.
Colley-Lee said she hopes her donation will help students and other library patrons learn more about theater. "I'd like to think that they could be exposed to the design process, and understand a little bit about what they're seeing when they attend a theatrical production," she said.
She added, "It would be nice to inspire students to attend theatrical productions."
MSU Dean of Libraries Frances N. Coleman said the collection will be a welcome resource in the university's special collections department.
"We are extremely pleased to have Myrna Colley-Lee's exhibit coming to the Mississippi State library," she said. "It is a wonderful collection from an exceptional designer, and we are honored to be the home for these theatrical treasures."
Colley-Lee has designed for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater Co., New York's Public Theater and Theater Virginia, among others. Her most recent costume work has been featured in such productions as "Relativity" at the Black Rep in St. Louis, as well as "The Piano Lesson" and "Forest City" at the Cleveland Playhouse.
The costumer describes her work as "functional art" because it can both stand as artwork alone and also convey inspiration to the director and seamstress. "Here's the conflict: as an artist, you often get caught up in the rendering, because art is what you like to produce," she said. "As a designer, it's a practical discipline. It's toward an end--for a show to be produced--not to have a piece of fine art."
In addition to costume designing, Colley-Lee also has worked as an art director and set designer for both television and film productions. Her next project will be as the production designer for the independent film "The Reprieve."
For a complete overview of Myrna Colley-Lee's work, visit gladragsdesigns.com/about_myrna.php.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information on the library collection, contact systems administrator Stephen Cunetto at 662-325-8542 or scunetto@library.msstate.edu.