Asolo Rep plans sale of elaborate costume inventory

Most Sarasota stages have been dark for more than a year, but there’s a place in town where the costumes shine, and they will all be for sale to the public “off the rack” at thrift show prices Sept. 17-18.

Asolo Repertory Theatre, entering its 63rd season in Sarasota, is opening its costume treasure vault at the Koski Production Center on Tallevast Road for the two-day sale. Hundreds of buyers are expected to browse  45,000 square foot warehouse. More than  2,000 professionally created costumes will be on sale,  ranging from period costumes including medieval, Renaissance, 1930s and 1940s to 21st century garments.

“We haven’t had a costume sale of this scale in decades,“  says longtime costume shop manager, David Covach. ”It’s exciting to give a new life to these incredible costumes that have been skillfully created for Asolo Rep productions, some dating back to pre-1950s.”

The costumes are reminders of past Asolo shows over the years including such hits as A Midsummer Night Dream, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, Sweeney Todd. If whimsical costumes are more to your liking, there are colorful nymph garments, gorilla suits, firefighter attire, a medley of wedding gowns, circus and renaissance costumes, and even clergy garments.

If you’re not claustrophobic and want to get who get in touch with your “animal instinct”there’s even a flamboyant rhinoceros head. And remember, Halloween is just around the corner.

Speaking of Halloween, consider the “Day of the Dead” wedding dress and tuxedo, or an elaborate “Bird Man” costume. If you want to wow your kids at Christmas, there’s plenty of Santa costumes to enhance the season’s jolly. For the Bohemian set just looking to expand their existing wardrobe for every day, around the street wear - you’ll love the rack of fur coats, dresses, sweaters and coats, all with wild embellishments that will turn heads and make people think, “is she eccentric or a bona fide lunatic?” Imagination and good humor has no end, here. You just have to have patience to stand in long lines all day waiting for your number to be called to get inside (strict monitoring of crowds allowed into the warehouse due to the pandemic).

Covach says proceeds from the sale will help fund a new costume inventory system allowing Asolo Rep to itemize their extensive collection for future performances and professional theater rentals once they move into a brand new facility next door.

The new, world -class Koski Center marks a major milestone reflecting the growth of the Asolo Repertory Theatre, and will house a “Super Rehearsal Hall” for on-site productions; a state-of-the art audio and video production studio; conference room and meeting facilities; career training and mentoring programs; an expanded costume shop for production storage and costume rentals, as well as space available for rental to the Sarasota community for events, conferences and rehearsals.

Asolo Rep’s Costume Sale will run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Asolo Rep’s Koski Production Center, 1009 Tallevast Roadd. Masks are required and capacity will be monitored.