Artist's Statement
Costume Designer / Maker / Dramaturgical Storyteller
I’m drawn to the parts of a story that sit just outside the familiar—the darker edges, the strange textures, the places where something shouldn’t make sense but does the moment it’s on a body. I like taking materials that seem unlikely or even wrong and shaping them into something emotionally true. Whether it’s lace ribs glowing under blue stage light, a skeleton bride with a bleeding heart, or a ghost conductor collapsing into his own obsession, my work lives in that space between beauty and discomfort.
My background in history and dramaturgy shapes everything I design. I love researching how people lived, dressed, and believed, and then bending those truths into worlds that feel haunting, theatrical, and deeply human. I want audiences to feel the story before they recognize it—to be nudged past their comfort zone and guided into a space they hadn’t considered.
I’m inspired by surrealists, dream logic, folklore, and anyone who embraces the uncanny. I don’t chase perfection; I chase feeling. A costume should breathe with the actor, move the story forward, and reveal something about the character that dialogue can’t.
My goal is simple:
Craft visceral, imaginative designs that invite people to look again, look closer, and discover something unexpected.
Artistic Resume
MORGAN SWATON
THEATRICAL WORK
Major: Theatre Arts with an emphasis on Costume Design
Minor: History
Productions at a glance: Spring Awakening, Haunting of Hannon, Blood at the Root, Puffs, Trail to Oregon, Sweat
Costume Shop Employee
Group: Loyola Marymount University
August 2025 – December 2026
Tasks: Assisted with costume construction, alterations, fabric organization, dye work, and production support across multiple shows.
Head Costume Designer – “Trail to Oregon”
Group: Del Rey Players
November 2026-April 2026
Tasks: Build layered period costumes breathable enough for a black box theatre with no AC. Dye and distress for authentic Western look. Wash and clean delicate furs.
Head Costume Designer – “Spring Awakening”
Group: Songbird Theatre
August 2025 – December 2025
Tasks: Designed full costume package including modernized silhouettes, symbolic color theory, distressing techniques, and character-driven styling.
Head Costume Designer – “Haunting of Hannon”
Group: Loyola Marymount University Theatre
August 2025 – October 2025
Tasks:
- Led costume design for a large-cast experimental horror production
- Created 30+ unique costumes
- Performed aging/distressing treatments
- Produced glow-in-the-dark paint applications
- Designed mixed-media construction for supernatural silhouettes
- Collaborated with choreographers, lighting designer, and actors for movement-safe transformations
Assistant Production Manager
Group: Del Rey Players
August 2026-December 2026
Tasks: Assist PM with scheduling, communication across the departments, weekly Zoom meetings for progress checks, checking for cleanliness/safety of the DRP theatre, attending Build-Days.
Assistant Costume Designer – “Sweat”
Group: Loyola Marymount University
January 2026-March 2026
Tasks:
Cleaning fake blood from costumes each run. Typical assistant position jobs (fittings, pulling, cleaning, designing) as well as being the student mentor for three new student Costume Assistants.
Assistant Costume Designer – “Blood at the Root”
Group: Del Rey Players
October 2025 – December 2025
Tasks: Assisted with research, paperwork, fittings, quick-change planning, and stock pulls for a politically intense ensemble production.
Director – “24 Hour Theatre”
Group: Alpha Psi Omega
November 2025
Tasks: Directed and produced a rapid-turnaround student production, managing cast, script revisions, blocking, and technical coordination within a 24-hour window.
Assistant Costume Designer – “Puffs (Two Act Edition)”
Group: Loyola Marymount University Theatre
December 2024 – February 2025
Tasks: Supported costume pulls, fitting notes, garment tracking, revisions, and comedic silhouette styling.
Assistant Stage Manager – “24 Hour Theatre”
Group: Alpha Psi Omega
November 2024
Tasks: Managed backstage tracking, props running, actor cues, and time-sensitive coordination.
Box Office Attendant
Group: Moonlight Amphitheatre
May 2024 – July 2024
Tasks: Front-of-house operations, guest support, and event coordination.
Skills
- Costume Construction:
- Hand/machine sewing, draping, alterations, distressing, dyeing, mixed-media builds
Technical
- Fittings
- Measurements
- Quick-change
- Design
- Garment maintenance
- Show paperwork
Design
Character analysis, mood boards, fabric sourcing, rendering
Software
Bazaart, Canva, Excel, Tessitura
Other:
Team leadership, production logistics, choreography-aware design.
References
Available upon request.