Osseo Costume Shop Keeps Theaters in Affordable Attire
The Cross Community Players Costume Center in Osseo is outfitting theater groups with affordable rental attire.
The shop offers a large selection of costumes and props for theaters to rent. Walking into the store, there’s costumes of every kind mounted on hangers and displayed in tubs.
There’s flannel shirt and fancy gowns, polyester suits and military uniforms. In bigger name productions, there’s costumes from “Beauty and the Beast,” “Seussical,” “Aladdin” and “Mary Poppins.”
Costume shop manager Lori Schwartz runs the all-volunteer shop.
About 20,000 different items that could be used in a theatrical production are at the Cross Community Players Costume Center.
Schwartz said there’s about 20,000 different items that could be used in a theatrical production.
The center rents the costumes and props to churches, schools and others in the theater community.
The store has something for “just anyone who needs something that changes the time period of the clothing,” said Schwartz.
Having these costumes neatly organized and readily available helps to draw in local customers, as well as those from as far away as Bemidji and Iowa.
“It saves them multiple trips to thrift stores and places like that, and Lori has everything catalogued so well,” said Steve Eckes, Cross Community Players vice president. The theater organization produces family-friendly theater performances in the Osseo and Maple Grove area.
The one-stop-shop for has been collecting costumes for about 40 years.
Costume shop manager Lori Schwartz sorts, organizes, and makes repairs to costumes.
Sourcing Costumes
Most items come from previous Cross Community Players productions.
Some costumes have come from theater groups that have shut down.
“I’ve had three different theaters that have brought me their entire room and said ‘we hate to part with it, we get attached to some of these things,” Schwartz said. “They say we just want it to be used in other theaters.”
Schwartz also has been known to score a deal or two at a garage sale.
“My husband will be the first to attest to that,” said Schwartz, laughing.
The Cross Community Players Costume Center is open on Wednesdays.
Schwartz’s sewing skills and passion for drama made her want to take on the role as manager.
That, and knowing what she does supports the performing arts.
“It just helps build better people and we want to foster that whenever we can,” said Schwartz.
The Cross Community Players Costume Center is open on Wednesdays.
Along with the costumes and props, the center also houses theater light and sound equipment. It also has space that is used to build sets.
