In the current pandemic environment, as shows from Broadway to the Bay Area are on hold, theatre costumers find themselves with no costumes to sew. But that doesn’t mean they are letting their talents go begging. Since they can’t create costumes, they have found an even more pressing need and are building DIY cotton face masks for the local community. South Bay Musical Theatre artists Mae Heagerty-Matos (costumer), Patricia Bilello (props), and Elyse Cook and Barbara Heninger (performers), have all been creating masks to help fill the urgent need.

“Right now, I’m donating masks to all first responders and at-risk people in the North Bay Area through North Bay Sewers Unite,” says Mae. “They have a Google doc request for masks that all medical facilities are filling out and they are delivering them directly. We have distributed over 4,000 so far. Our local sewing shop is also a distribution point where nurses can go in and take them. They have been donating many materials, too. Any SBMT member who is looking for masks and can’t find them locally can just let me know, and I will mail them two masks (one to wear, one to wash) for $5.00, which covers my postage and the envelope.” Want a mask? Contact her at mae_matos@yahoo.com or 650-773-6418.

Patricia Bilello, who will be the props designer for SBMT’s fall production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, says, “I’m making masks for friends and family. I’m not charging for it, but since I lost my gig jobs due to the stay-at-home order, people are helping me with donations of money or more fabric. Some even sent me flowers, chocolate, or coloring books for my toddler. I made like 30 or so masks, and some people are asking for more now, so I’ll sew more of them next week. The positive aspect of this is that a new sense of community is blossoming, and we are finding new ways to be there for others.”

Barbara Heninger (last seen as Mrs. Borscht in SBMT’s winter musical, She Loves Me) says she’s a comparative novice when it comes to sewing, but that hasn’t dampened her enthusiasm. “There are many patterns out there on the web,” she says, and each of us has found one that we like.” See recommendations and tutorial from the Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC) here.

“I’ve been sewing masks for a couple weeks now,” says Elyse Cook (last seen on the SBMT stage as Mrs. Burnside in the fall 2018 production of Mame). “I’ve sent two batches to medical professionals and I’ve done several for US postal carriers and UPS drivers. I’ve also been doing them for friends and family. My sister, Patrice, has been fabulous in creating the metal nose pieces, cutting out the fabric, and setting up a project board to keep me organized.  It is definitely a family effort.” According to Elyse, there’s a huge demand out there. “I started selling some of them on my Etsy storefront in an effort to defray some of the cost of the materials involved,” she says. “And I sold out within a few hours.”

Watch the short video of our artists in action, featuring a short parody of a well-known tune from Fiddler on the Roof sung by Patricia’s children, Melian and Leandro Bilello.