Costume shop opens doors for student designers

Visit the Center for the Arts on a weekday afternoon and you may see Max Levitt sprinting down a hallway while holding an unfinished cone-shaped bra. That’s not an unusual occurrence for the busy costume shop manager and assistant teaching professor — especially now that the Department of Theatre and Dance has released its fall schedule.

“Our whole season is student-designed, so everything you’ll see on stage was chosen and curated by students,” Levitt says. “And all of our students this semester are super excited. They are moving along, and their renderings look beautiful.”

Levitt’s journey into costume design began the same way current students are encouraged to get involved — by simply asking.

“The very first thing I did when I got here as a student was to ask how to get involved,” recalls Levitt, BFA ‘13. “People said, ‘Go to this class, join this crew,’ and I said, ‘OK.’ That was it — I locked in for four years, then got my master’s” (MFA in costume design and technology, University of Missouri-Kansas City).

Levitt stresses that anyone interested can — and should — just walk in and get involved.

“Just walk up. Come into the center and find somebody or a faculty member to ask. Last semester, one student wandered in without prior experience and asked how she could join. We had a hair and makeup position open, and she said yes — she had never tried it before and she was incredible,” Levitt says. “That happened with a couple of students last semester, and this semester our population is much, much larger. I’m very excited about it.”

Sophia Larish, a senior studying theater, says she decided to join the costume shop after taking Levitt’s Intro to Costume Construction class last semester.

“The class was unlike anything I had ever taken at UB. The amazing connection I created with my classmates, and the positive and welcoming environment that Max fostered made me decide that I wanted to become a regular in the shop,” Larish says.

The shop functions as a practicum setting, blending hands-on opportunities with structured classroom guidance. Students learn everything from design to construction to the fine art of maintaining costumes throughout a performance season.

“Max is one of the best professors I have had the privilege of working with,” Larish says. “They are incredibly supportive, uplifting and kind to anyone who even steps foot into the shop. This is only my second semester working with them, but I have already learned so much.”

Levitt describes their own role as part mentor, part manager — helping students realize their visions.

“It’s my job to help bring their vision to life. Theater and costume design are both a design form and an art form. We are fashion designers. We are filmmakers. We are theatrical designers, and we bring everything together,” Levitt says.  

This could mean planning for upward of 300 items for a show.

“We create Individual pieces, like jewelry, dresses, pants, etc., and they all have to coalesce and feel right on stage.”

Levitt brings a myriad of experiences to the position of costume shop manager. Their work has appeared all over Broadway as a fabric dyer (“Lion King,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Hamilton,” among others), on film as a wardrobe supervisor (“As They Made Us,” “Meet Cute”), TV as a costume designer (“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Dragula,” “LEGENDARY”) and performances across the U.S. in various costume-related capacities.

Over the summer, Levitt spent time creating pieces for drag queens and worked in Las Vegas on a mascot costume for Ludwig, a popular Twitch and YouTube streamer.

Prior to coming to UB, Levitt held an off-Broadway residency at The Cell from 2021–22 for the show “Unforgivable Emotional Carnivore,” which ran for six years and was performed on stages throughout the New York City metro area. Beyond their professional credits, Levitt is committed to activism and community-focused aid for the LGBTQA+ community.

Whether on Broadway, in film or in UB’s costume shop, Levitt’s work fosters building community through design, and their professional experience and guidance have already inspired students like Larish to approach the new season with enthusiasm.

“It has been amazing so far. We have just started some basic construction for the upcoming performances this fall,” Larish says. “I’m very excited to see where the semester takes me.”