Inside a Costumer’s Mind: 12 Questions with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Resident Costume Designer, Amanda McGee

By: Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Almost one year ago, Jeremy Dubin, Artistic Associate with at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, was kind enough to answer some questions we at the ARB had about the company. After writing our last blog on the costume designs in King Lear, we decided we were curious about what goes on in the mind of a costume designer. So, we went back to the CSC. Resident Costume Designer, Amanda McGee, answered everything we wanted to know. Below is the full copy of the interview with images.  

Amanda McGee

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BAE: Bureau of American Ethnology (not the Danish word for “poop” or an abbreviation of “babe”)

By: Colleen O’Brien, ARB Student Assistant

The acronym BAE does not refer to a common slang term amongst young folks or even to the Danish word for “poop.” Rather, in this instance it is a term which means Bureau of American Ethnology.

How did the Bureau of American Ethnology come to be and why is it important?

In 1879, as the discipline of anthropology was taking hold in universities across America, Congress established an agency called the Bureau of Ethnology.  There is some controversy over the exact purpose for which this department was founded, but one explanation is that the Department of the Interior needed to transfer archives and other materials to the Smithsonian Institution because the two entities were set to merge shortly thereafter.  Thus Congress decided to create a department to ease this change. The second reason, on the other hand, states the Bureau of Ethnology was established as a purely research division of the Smithsonian. Regardless, John Wesley Powell, the Bureau’s key founder, believed it should be used to promote anthropological research in the Americas.   In fact, in 1897, the Bureau of Ethnology changed its name to Bureau of American Ethnology in order to limit geographic interests. Continue reading

UCBA Fun Facts: Favorite App or Website

UC Libraries Invites You to Come Together to Give Thanks Nov. 17

Join the University of Cincinnati Libraries for “Coming Together to Give Thanks: Expanding Horizons on Food and Culture” ~ Thursday, November 17, 3:30-5:30pm, Langsam Library 4th floor.

coming together image

Enjoy food, drink and fun as you play trivia and learn about U.S. Thanksgiving traditions, guess where foods eaten around the world began, write a thank-you note to family and friends, solve the international recipe puzzle and enjoy traditional U.S. Thanksgiving foods.

The event is free and open to all!

UCBA Fun Facts: Personal Lending Policy

Question: What is your policy on book lending?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: I share! Unless it’s a library book then I’m a little more protective. 😉

 

 

Michelle Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: It depends on the book and who I’m lending it to…I’ve lost a few faves over the years and those folks can’t borrow from my anymore. 

 

KellieKellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: I am an advocate of book lending! But only if I know the person well enough to know the book is coming back at some point. 

 

LaurenLauren Wahman, Instruction LibrarianNo policy. All of my books come from the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County. 

 

 

julierobinsonJulie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: Hardly ever. Streamlined my collection to keep mainly my absolute favorite hardcovers and first editions which I NEVER lend and the rest I borrow from the library.

 

pamadler Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Depends on the book. I rarely loan my hardcovers but if I have an ebook it’s yours to borrow. 

 

Hungry?! Bite into an Edible Book with UC Libraries on April 1

graveyard book

The Graveyard Book, Edible Books 2015

Once again, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will celebrate the International Edible Books Festival with an event scheduled from 1-2 p.m., on Friday, April 1, on the fifth floor lobby of Langsam Library.

At the event, nearly 20 participants will present their edible creations that represent a book in some form. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Submitted entries include edible titles such as Cuneiform Cookies and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Best sellers The Girl on the Train, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Girl with the Pearl Earring are represented along with favorite children’s books The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and If You Were a Penguin among other literary greats. Continue reading

UCBA Fun Facts: Giving Bad Reviews

Question: How do you feel about giving a bad or negative review?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: Reading opinions can be very personal (especially if reading for leisure) so I keep it constructive and from a place of my own personal preference.

 

Michelle Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: I like reading them if I don’t like a book. Sometimes I can’t find the words to describe why I don’t like a book and reading other people’s negative review helps. 

 

KellieKellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: I think if the reviews are given critically, I’m okay with them. I also appreciate when reviewers acknowledge the difference between issues they personally had with a book and the issues that are problematic on a more general level. 

 

LaurenLauren Wahman, Instruction LibrarianI appreciate honesty and understand that not everyone is going to like the same books as me. 

 

julierobinsonJulie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: I try to keep it concrete and give specific examples, but just because I don’t care for a book doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it. I never want to discourage anyone from picking up a book. 

 

pamadler Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Reviews/opinions. I will give my opinion, good/bad/indifferent if asked. 

 

 

UCBA Fun Facts: Favorite Reading Snack

Question: What’s your favorite reading snack?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: I’m not much of a snacker when I read but a glass of wine or cup of tea is always nice. 

 

 

Michelle Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: Peanut M & Ms

 

 

KellieKellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: Water?

 

 

 

LaurenLauren Wahman, Instruction LibrarianNo favorites, just usually have water near me.

 

 

RachelRachel Lewis, Technical Services Manager: ALL things FOOD!

 

 

julierobinsonJulie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: If I get sucked into a good read, I don’t even know if people are around, much less a snack!

 

 

pamadler Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Nothing. I’ll have water or coffee but rarely any food while reading.

 

 

 

 

 

UCBA Fun Facts: Do You Have An E-reader?

Question: Do you have an e-reader?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: I do read on my iPad occasionally — print books give my eyes a break after so much screen time. 

 

Michelle Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: Yes, I own a Kindle Touch and use the Kindle app on my laptop and iPhone. 

 

 

KellieKellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: Yep!

 

 

 

LaurenLauren Wahman, Instruction LibrarianOf course! A Kindle and an iPad Mini. 

 

 

RachelRachel Lewis, Technical Services Manager: Yes (Kindle Paperwhite)

 

 

julierobinsonJulie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: Kindle app on my iPad…super convenient. Still enjoy a “real” book in my hand, but having the library at my fingertips is very addictive!

 

 

pamadler Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Yes! I love my Kindle.

 

 

 

 

 

UCBA Fun Facts: Favorite Childhood Book

Question: What’s your favorite book from childhood?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: It was a Helen Keller biography and had the sign language alphabet in the back. 

 

 

Michelle Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: The Peanuts Comics by Charles Schulz

 

 

KellieKellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

 

 

LaurenLauren Wahman, Instruction LibrarianWizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

 

 

RachelRachel Lewis, Technical Services Manager: The Berenstain’s B Book

 

 

julierobinsonJulie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: Savage Journey by Allan Eckert

 

 

pamadler Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I still have the book from my childhood.