LYRE ALSTON
Costume Design and ConstructionWig/Hair Design and ArtistryMake-up Design and ArtistryBay Area, California
Costume Design and Construction
With a BA in costume design from CSU East Bay and a life-long passion for theatre and the fantastical; designing for stage and film, and constructing for stage, film, and cosplay model photography and competitions.
Wigs, Hair, and Make-up Design and Artistry
With a fellowship in wigs and make-up from San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, and a certification in Cosmetology from Paul Mitchell; wig design and construction, and hair and make-up design and artistry.
Personally Passionate
With over two decades of experience in creating for work and play; independently contracting on creative and administrative teams, and learning from and teaching within the bay area community.
Lyre Alston
Costume, Wigs, Hair, Makeup Designer and Artisan for Theatre, Opera, and Film
Cell: (650)766-8249 e-mail: [email protected]
THEATRE DESIGN
COSTUME
Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
The Imaginary Invalid (2024)
Much Ado About Nothing (2024)
She Kills Monsters (2020)The Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley, CA
Fiddler On The Roof (2024)New Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA
The Tutor (2024)ZSpace, San Francisco, CA
The Red Shades (2023)California State University East Bay, Hayward, CA
She Loves Me (2018)
Holy Ghosts (2018)
Cymbeline (2017)
In The Beginning: A Dance Review (2016)WIGS
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, CA
Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration (2024)
Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer (2023)Center REPertory Company, Walnut Creek, CA
The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith (2020)MAKE-UP
Presidio Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Panto in The Presidio (2021-2024)West Edge Opera presented at Calshakes Bruns Amphitheatre, Orinda, CA
Katya Kabanova (2021)
Elizabeth Cree (2021)
Eligabalo (2021)
THEATRE ARTISTRY AND ASSISTANT-DESIGN
COSTUME
Shotgun Players, Berkeley, CA
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2024) - stitching
White (2018) - assistant designAmerican Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Fefu And Her Friends (2022) - stitchingMarin Shakespeare Company, San Rafael, CA
Pericles (2018) - assistant designBerkeley Playhouse, Berkeley, CA
Tarzan (2017) - assistant designWIGS
New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco, CA
Dot (2022) - maintenanceCalifornia Shakespeare Theatre
Romeo y Juliet (2022) - constructionTheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, CA
Gem of The Ocean (2022) - constructionAmerican Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA
A Christmas Carol (2018-2020, 2022) - construction and maintenence
Sweat (2018) - assistant designMarin County Theatre, Mill Valley, CA
Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (2021) - maintenanceMAKE-UP
Presidio Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Panto in The Presidio (2021-2024) - make-up artist and assistant designAmerican Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Hookman (2018) - SFX specialist
Seascape (2018) - assistant design
FILM ARTISTRY
COSTUME TEAM
Stitching for commercial shooting (2024)WIGS CONSTRUCTION
Independent contract for ventilation and styling of facial and wig pieces for a private project (2023)MAKE-UP TEAM
Various single-day commercial shootings for the holiday season (2022)
THEATRE BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCE
WARDROBE
Done and Dusted, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Battle of the Baddest (2023)RIOT games, San Francisco, CA
Worlds: League of Legends World Championship (2022)Center REPertory Theatre, Walnut Creek, CA
Clue (2022)California Shakespeare Theatre, Orinda, CA
Macbeth (2019)
Good Person of Scezhuan (2019)
House of Joy (2019)WIGS/HAIR TECHNICIAN
American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Gloria (2020)
A Christmas Carol (2018-2020)
Testmatch (2019)California Shakespeare Theatre, Orinda, CA
House of Joy (2019)MAKE-UP TECHNICIAN
Presidio Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Panto in The Presidio (2021-2024)Festival Napa Valley, Napa, CA
Don Giovanni (2022)
MANAGEMENT AND TEACHING
COSTUME PRODUCTION SUPERVISION
San Francisco Opera, San Francisco, CA
2023 Season: Frida y Diego, The Rape of Lucretia, Steve JobsSTAGE MANAGEMENT
American Conservatory Theatre
THE REVOLUTIONISTS (2018)CSU East Bay, Hayward, CA
Our Town (2017)COSTUME SHOP MANAGEMENT
Chabot College Costume Shop (2017-2018)TEACHING ARTISTRY
California Shakespeare Theatre, Orinda, CA
Costume History and Design (2022-2023)
AWARDS
Nominee for 10th annual MUAH Guild awards Makeup Artists & Hair Stylist Guild awards 2022Meritorious Achievement Award for Costume Design (x2) KCACTF Region 7 2017 and 2018Meritorious Achievement Award for Allied Crafts KCACTF Region 7 2018
SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND RELATED SKILLS
SFX hair and makeup artistry and design
Model photography and photo editing (Photoshop, CLIPSTUDIO)
Armor + props design and construction
Proficiency in French and Japanese, basic conversation in Mandarin
Office and Apple Excel, Spreadsheets, Docs
Traditional and digital illustration, figure drawing (see gallery)
Storyboarding and illustrative design (CLIPSTUDIO, Flash, Fireworks)
Extensive training in Hip-hop, Pole dance, and Ballet
Driver’s License
EDUCATION
BA in Musical Theatre and Costume design
Cal State University in Hayward CA
Wig Fellow at ACT in San Francisco; 2018-2019 season
Reference: Lindsay Saier – contact upon request
Paul Mitchell The School East Bay – Cosmetology program
Certified as of Winter 2022
Portfolio
Show Photos
The Red Shades by Adrienne Price
Directed by Rotimi Agbabiaka and Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe
Scenic Design: Sarah Phykitt, Lighting Design: JennyB of Shady Lady Lighting
Photography: Jay Yamada
William Shakespeare's Cymbeline
Directed by Marc Jacobs
In The Beginning by Eric Coopers
Directed by Eric Coopers
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen
Directed by Kayla Minton Kaufman
Scenic Design: Nathaniel J. Bice, Lighting Design: Kathryn Gubler
Photography: Vicki Victoria
She Loves Me by Joe Masteroff
Directed by Marc Jacobs
Wig design: Gabrielle Upshar
Holy Ghosts by Romulus Linney
Directed by Linda Amayo-Hassan
Fiddler On The Roof by Joseph Stein
Directed by Rebecca Gilbert
Production Design: Steve Coleman and Jean-Paul LaRosee, Wigs and Makeup: Christine Donahue
Wigs, Hair, Makeup
Panto in The Presidio Presents: Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin
Makeup design: Lindsay Saier
Directed by Liam Vincent (Magic Lamp) Karen Spzaller (Aladdin)
Costume Design: Alina Bokovikova, Wig Design: Calli Carvajal, Lighting Design: Andrea Schwartz
Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer by Cheryl L. West
Directed by Tim Bond
Costume Design: Lydia Tanji, Lighting Design: Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz
Photography: Kevin Berne
Zeus
Custom wig and hair piece build-cut-and-style for a independent client.
The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith by Angelo Braden
Directed by Darryl V. Jones
Costume Design: Ulises Alcala, Scenic Design: Richard Olmsted, Lighting Design: Kurt Landisman, Sound Design: Cliff Caruthers
Costume Builds
A Midsummer Night's Dream coat for Oberon
Designed by Ashley Renee for Shotgun Players in Berkeley, CA
Build includes lined coat with fur collar and cuffs.
The Crystal Exarch from Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (Game)
Character designed by Hiroshi Minagawa, costume build and interpretation by me.
Build includes black hooded underdress with 3 different styles of pleats and a hand-embroidered patch, black sheer skirt with sunburst pleats and trim, red and white embellished drapes, silicone "crystal" arm sheath and neck prosthetic, leather banded arm harness, sandals, wig with animal ears, gold staff. All 3D printed pieces were printed by Dangerous Ladies, and were sanded, painted, and attached by me.
Crow from Persona 5 (Game)
Character designed by Shigenori Soejima, costume build and interpretation by me.
Build includes doublet with cuffs and epaulets, trousers, split-cape with embellished collar, belt, gun and sword with holsters, mask, wig
Zevran Arainai from Dragon Age: Origins (Game)
Character designed by Brent Knowles, costume build and interpretation by me.
Build includes pleather dress, pauldrons, bracers, elbow-pads, belted harness, boot-covers, prosthetic ears, wig
Soleil from Fire Emblem: Fates (Game)
Character designed by Yusuke Kozaki, costume build and interpretation by me.
Build includes, grey under-dress, blue embellished tunic, boot covers, gloves, knee-armor, shield, sword, headband, choker, wig
Azem from Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (Game)
Design, build, and interpretation by me, character concept by Hiroshi Minagawa.
Build includes black hooded and embroidered robes with tassels, embellished mask, staff with floating gem, wig
Looking for more?
Check out my socials for catalogues of my work
Lyre Alston currently resides in Oakland, California, and has lived throughout the bay area since birth. After receiving a BA in costume design from CSU East Bay in Hayward, designing for shows including She Loves Me, Cymbeline, and Holy Ghosts, Lyre has hopped to every corner of bay to design with performance spaces including TheatreWorks (Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration), Actors Ensemble of Berkeley (She Kills Monsters, Much Ado About Nothing, The Imaginary Invalid), ZSpace (The Red Shades), Presidio Theatre (Panto in The Presidio), New Conservatory Theatre Center (The Tutor), and Throckmorton Theatre (Fiddler On The Roof).Outside of designing, Lyre has also worked as a member of wardrobe and maintenence teams, and assisted-designed with companies and associations including American Conservatory Theatre (A Christmas Carol, Fefu And Her Friends, Testmatch), Calshakes (Good Person of Scezhuan, Romeo y Juliet, House of Joy), and on large-scale productions such as Worlds: League of Legends World Championship, and Battle of The Baddest in Saudi Arabia.In management, Lyre worked at the San Francisco Opera as a costume production supervisor during their 2023 season (Frida y Diego, Merola Program, Steve Jobs), and as a costume shop manager with Chabot College (2017-2018). Lyre is also a member of Madeline Berger's costume collective in Berkeley, and runs a private costume workshop out of Oakland.Additional credits include awards from KCACTF in Meritorious Achievement in costume design and allied crafts, as well as being a nominee for the MUAH Guild Awards in 2022.
Contact Me
Lyre Alston