Cathy Parrott (2001 BA) teaches costume design as an assistant professor in the University of Iowa’s Department of Theatre Arts. She spent nearly two decades as a costume designer based in New York City, with an impressive résumé including designs for film, TV, Broadway, national tours, and regional and international productions. Since joining the UI Department of Theatre Arts design faculty in Fall 2024, Cathy has designed costumes for the department’s 2024 mainstage production An Enemy of The People and the 2025 season’s first mainstage production, Romeo & Juliet.
In Spring 2024, Parrott served as associate costume designer to Broadway-debuting designer Dede Ayite, whose credits include Alicia Key’s Hell’s Kitchen, A Soldier’s Play, Slave Play, American Son, and Children of a Lesser God. “I deeply valued her collaborative approach with the principal actors, which brought clarity and richness to the costume designs,” explained Cathy. The team also included two assistants during the transition onto Broadway, creating a focused and tight-knit team.
In 2024, thanks to Parrott and her considerable Broadway connections, the Department of Theatre Arts received a generous donation from Alchemation, the Broadway-producing office behind productions such as Six: The Musical (2017) and The Devil Wears Prada (2021). With facilitation from Parrott, Alchemation donated six custom-made dresses and three blouses from the 2024 Broadway premiere production of Days of Wine and Roses, starring Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James—who were both nominated for Tony Awards for their roles in the production.
O’Hara’s character, Kirsten, wears a signature dress in for many parts of the play, a tea-length dress with an elegant v-neck, reflecting the nature of her character. “Choosing to love and to show up for each other and ourselves is monumental. It was important for me to capture the humanity of each character's journey through their clothing choices,” said Dede Ayite in an interview with Broadway World. Two replicas of the dress were included in the donation to the UI Theatre Department, created for O’Hara’s understudies, Olivia Hernandez (Betty in Days of Wine and Roses) and Nicole Ferguson.
The costumes are reflective not only of mid-1900s domestic fashion, but the character’s push-and-pull against each other as they progress through the story. Parrott explains, “Every design decision reflected the emotional unraveling of the two central characters, helping to chart their downward spiral through fabric, silhouette, and subtle transformation.” The addition of these costumes to the collection at Iowa not only expands the inventory and flexibility of midcentury costumes, but also increases the ability to accentuate intense character types. Days of Wine and Roses is a production that shows clearly how costumes—along with other design elements like lighting and scenic design—can offer windows into different time periods and cultures along with a glimpse into the psyche of characters.
“Our design team immersed ourselves in research, pulling together visual references from vintage garments and Montgomery Ward and Sears catalogs from the early 1960s,” Parrott continues. “We sourced costume pieces from vintage fashion dealers, custom couture costume shops, costume rental houses and specialty artisans—everything from millinery and jewelry to footwear.”
During the design process, Parrott had many responsibilities that contributed to the well-being and upkeep of the costume elements. This was her nineteenth Broadway credit—so she had lots of professional experience—but Days of Wine and Roses had a small cast of ten people and four understudies, which allowed them freedom to really get creative.
“With a tighter team and fewer moving parts, we had the time and space to really dive into the costume design and let it evolve alongside the story,” she says. Parrott served as the main contact for all vendors used by the design team, which was important for sourcing and keeping track of all pieces and purchases. Together, the team worked to prepare for all fittings and design sessions, “ensuring every garment and accessory was in place to make the process smooth and successful.”
Six custom dresses and three blouses from Days of Wine and Roses are now part of the costume collection at Iowa. The costumes not only add to Performing Arts at Iowa’s connection to larger performing arts institutions around the country, but offer valuable educational resources to be used by Iowa students.
Photos by John Emigh
