Novaczar – Courtesy of Paramount +. Used with permission.
Of special interest to me when I reviewed the romantic comedy “Love Bird” at Phoenix Theatre on opening night, February 4, were the striking costumes designed by Beck Jones, and worn by co-stars Scot Greenwell and Bill Simmons. The play, written by Indy native K.T. Peterson, is an offbeat love story about two birds with human qualities that fall in love on a remote island. Read my review here.
Beck Jones – Courtesy of Curtis Brown Photography. Used with permission.
Jones grew up in Indianapolis and moved to New York City to attend the prestigious Parsons School of Design. Most recently, his designs were seen locally in Zach & Zack’s production of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” this past summer. While designing looks for drag-queen contestants on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Jones started making a name for himself on an even bigger national stage, landing a job on the revered Saturday Night Live.
Prior to seeing “Love Bird,” I had the opportunity to chat by Zoom with Jones, who was in Indy putting the finishing touches on his designs before opening night, which he missed because he was off for a vacation/work trip to Europe. Below is an edited transcript of the interview.
How did your association with “Love Bird” come about?
They asked me to do it in 2018, so we did the workshops in the summer of 2019 and obviously we got pushed back because of COVID. Now, it has been two years. Two years of creation.
When did you decide you wanted to be a designer?
I started with React, formerly Young Actors Theatre, with Justin Wade. I did all their acting classes and while I was in seventh grade, I costumed my first show with them, which was “The Little Mermaid.” Then, I did “The Witches” with all these newspaper wigs and that kind of took off. And then in ninth grade, Justin took me aside and said, “You are not an actor. You are a costume designer” and I was like, “No,” and crying in his office. He said, “We want you to design for us.” And I said, “OK, fine.” And so, during my freshman year of high school, I started as the head costumer and designed all the shows and stopped acting. Then my costume designing took off and here I am now.
Adriana Fanta – Courtesy of Adam Ouahmane. Used with permission.
When did you arrive in NYC?
In 2018. I live up in Harlem. It’s really fun and really chill. You always feel like you are in the city, so it’s really nice. I live on 145th street.
What was it like attending a school like Parsons?
It was interesting. It is a challenging school and I love what they do, but at one point, I realized that it was just not for me, so I dropped out. It wasn’t giving me what I wanted for my education and the pandemic gave me the perfect reason. Plus, I didn’t want to pay to do online school. So, I left and continued to just work on my craft and build my brand. I still talk to some of my teachers, who helped me along the way, and I love it.
How did you get into RuPaul’s Drag Race?
I got into Drag Race through Blair St. Clair (Indy native Drew Bryson) because she auditioned for the show and asked me to make her dress. Once she got on the show, she asked me to make her a few dresses and then we just continued to work together. Through my work with Blair, other queens reached out for pieces and then it just took off from there. I wasn’t doing any shows and so I had the availability to take on more queens and I have worked for some lovely queens. I still do the drag queens.
How did the SNL gig happen?
One of the costume designers on SNL is from Indiana, so we have a connection. We met during the pandemic, right after I decided to leave Parsons, and I would help him every now and then. Then, I began to see him all the time and eventually, he messaged me, “We have an opening for an assistant on SNL this season. Would you want to come?” and I, of course, said yes. Since my background is in theatre, I had never done film and TV, so this was a great way to get into it. It is a completely different world and I am learning as much as I can.
Lady Celistina – Courtesy of Courtney Charles. Used with permission.
What is like working on SNL?
It’s a very calm space. Everyone is always doing something, so there is never a moment for you to just sit down. I thrive on being busy. Talk to any of my friends and they’ll tell you I love being busy. It is my favorite thing in the world. It’s the perfect environment for me.
Do you hope working on SNL opens doors?
We’ll see what happens.
In terms of costume design, who are your biggest influences?
Alexander McQueen, Gregg Barnes, Susan Hilferty, Colleen Atwood, Sandy Powell.
As far as your career, in general, who are your influences?
I would definitely say those same people, but also my friends and colleagues, whom I’ve worked with. I learn something new from everyone I meet. Everyone has a different story. My friends inspire me a lot and really keep me going.
What do you love most about your profession as a costume designer?
I love telling stories and figuring out how to tell a story through design. I also love textile design. It’s been a big part of my work forever, but I only really started to realize that a few years ago, after it was pointed out to me by a mentor of mine. I had never thought it and I had just been doing it. So, now, after opening that door, it’s been great to experiment with that part of my design life and implement it into my work.
Oz Broadway Celebrates = Courtesy of Cyrtis Brown Photography. Used with permission.
Where do you draw your inspiration?
Really, anywhere…my life, my perception of things, the streets, the experiences I’ve had, my friends, other artists.
What do you love about the theatre?
The collaboration with other artists and how things evolve from so many ideas to one story.
If you could costume a Broadway revival, what would it be?
“Beauty and the Beast.”
Have you done any Broadway shows?
No, I haven’t gotten to Broadway yet. That’s the dream. The first goal. I also want to do TV and film. I plan to stay in New York for a while, but would like to go to London, at some point, to do a show. In the meantime, I am going to take it as it comes.
What is your life like in New York?
I have my one-bedroom apartment with my studio right next door. I pretty much work from home. If I am not at SNL, I go out with friends every now and then. I watch movies all the time. I’ve always been very work-focused, but lately, I have been figuring out how to separate person-life from work. I hate lying down. I hate it.
Do you see shows?
I take whatever is the cheapest ticket that comes to me. I do a lot of RUSH lotteries and TKTS. Sometimes, I am in a mood and go see a show like “The Lion King.”
Chritine Ebersole as Glinda the Good – Courtesy of Curtis Brown Photography. Used with permission.
Do you go to museums to be inspired?
Oh yeah, I definitely did when I was in school. That was one of the benefits. Every now and then, I go to museums. One of my friends is a fine-arts major at Parsons and I go with her. She goes to museums all the time or we go to the Whitney.
Does visual art inspire you?
100%
What is the status of drag in New York?
It’s everywhere. It’s everywhere.
Has RuPaul made drag mainstream?
I think it’s getting there for sure.
Do you want to continue to work with drag queens?
Theatre is definitely where my heart is, but I do love collaborating with a queen in creating a piece.
Will you continue to collaborate with people in your hometown?
I would love to. If I can make it happen, I will do it.
For tickets to “Love Bird,” which closes February 20, visit phoenixtheatre.org.
