Posthumous portrait

[Tom Edgerton]

Michele--

Thanks...It was a neat experience in itself. There is a community theater group in a neighboring town that I was referred to by a costume designer at our local university. They are one of the oldest community theater ensembles in the region. The costume shop is over 75 years old, with a bank of washing machines and 3 or 4 volunteer seamstresses at the sewing machines. The woman who directs the shop has an encyclopedic knowledge of what they have, fortunately, because there are racks and racks of costumes and used clothing crammed together, and only she knows where things are. They have boxes on shelves labeled with such things as "Red Shoes" and "Pith Helmets." They rented me the suit for twenty dollars, and since my cousin is a regular part of the acting ensemble, she was my collateral. I could have rummaged through the place all afternoon if I'd only had time.

These kinds of connections are in most communities, and local colleges and universities are a great place to gather leads on such--it just takes a little digging.

Thanks again--TE

(Amazingly, the suit fit perfectly with no alterations whatsoever.)