The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) announced today that it will host a memorial to honor the memory of famed costume designer and friend Theoni V. Aldredge. The legendary designer, who passed away on January 21, 2011, will be remembered in a memorial on Monday, May 9 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at The Public Theater. The memorial will be in the Newman Theater and is free and open to the general public.
The two-hour memorial will begin with remarks from Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, followed by Theoni's niece, designer Merope Vachlioti, who will speak on behalf of the family. Guests will include Olympia Dukakis, Cigdem Onat, Ming Cho Lee, A Chorus Line co-choreographer Bob Avian, Tyne Daly, Arthur Laurents, Joel Grey and Theoni's husband, Tom Aldredge.
Theoni V. Aldredge was the head costume designer for The Public Theater for nearly 20 years, working on over 80 productions. She began her relationship with the New York Shakespeare Festival designing costumes for the 1960 production of Measure for Measure and continued working with the theater through the 1988 production of Much Ado About Nothing. During that time, she created some of the most memorable costumes to ever grace The Public's stages, including designs for A Chorus Line, HAIR, Sticks and Bones, That Championship Season, and Threepenny Opera.
In addition to her work at The Public, Aldredge designed over 100 Broadway productions, beginning in 1959 with Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth and going on to include iconic works like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Gypsy with Tyne Daly, Dreamgirls, Chess, The Rink, and 42nd Street. Her last design credit was for the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line. She was nominated for 15 Tony Awards, winning three for the designs of La Cage aux Folles, Barnum, and Annie. Aldredge also worked extensively in film and television, winning an Oscar for her work on The Great Gatsby. Her other film credits include Annie, Addams Family Values, The First Wives Club, Ghost Busters, Moonstruck, and The Rose.
For more information on the memorial for Theoni V. Aldredge on Monday, May 9 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at The Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street), please visit www.publictheater.org.
