Grove Guild May 28 Event: A Conversation with Andrew Nasturzio - Costume Designer for The Grove Theatre 2026 Summer Season
Andrew Nasturzio is returning as the Grove Theatre’s costume designer for the 2026 season! How fitting it is that he dresses characters. We found him to be as colourful as his costumes. The Guild members were bedazzled by the display of his past work.
Andrew is a graduate of TMU, Toronto Metropolitan University’s four-year Performance Production + Design Program. He is currently the costume and set designer for UofT Opera, however, his work over past years includes: dance, film, and, of course, live theatre. Kudos to Andrew for his recent nominations and awards for “Best Costume Design” in the theatre and opera world, which includes his work on Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at The Grove Theatre last season. This season, Andrew will be “costuming” for Same Time Next Year, and Monty Python’s Spamalot.
Andrew started by describing how he built the costumes he had on display. The selection included pieces from the operas Carmen, and Così fan tutte. He explained that his costumes must reflect his characters. His excitement was that of a kid in a candy store. No pun intended, but Andrew’s costumes for the Mozart opera were from colours and patterns that were dessert and sweets inspired. Since Così is a lighter, comic opera, about fidelity and temptation, his theme was appropriately—indulgence. We saw playful corsets for the naughty female characters—rumps and panties in pink and purple like a box of French macarons. For the “ladies”, he described his designs as being “appropriate” period gowns inspired by cupcake colours (in rose and plums) with detailed silks and embroidery. The blue”picnicky” gingham period dress, representative of a picnic tablecloth, was costumed for a maid. A super fun piece was a bonnet with its crown in the shape of a baked pie!
Andrew designed playful waistcoats for the men—a classic doctor’s vest in blue gingham had buttons in shapes of baked cookies and pretzels. His waistcoats were more refined—silky embroidered floral designs in gold, pink, and green. His opulent double-breasted dress coats, and trousers were in heavy lavender and pink brocade fabrics with playful floral and heart motifs.
Andrew admitted that a lot of the subtleties in his designs are not always apparent to the audience, but they are an integral part of his own unique design process. He shares his ideas with the performers to aid in their character development. We all agreed that Andrew’s detailing comes together to make a bigger statement.
Another part of Andrew’s design process is to be realistic with budget constraints and time. Shopping is a real mix of picking things up at markets, ordering on Etsy, shopping at places like Value Village, and renting from theatrical houses. Some theatres have their own storage facilities that he can draw from. Sometimes he can use fabrics a second time, curtains can become costumes. He said he satisfies his dreams, and opulent taste with the smaller fun details, but he does need to be practical. He cited one contract where he, alone, had two weeks to develop and dress 65 performers (in Carmen). In another instance, he had six weeks to deliver his contract. Either way, Andrew admitted that regardless of the demands of the show, there’s never enough time and money. We get that.
After signing a contract for a show, Andrew begins his process by reading the script—the first round to “understand the story”. He reads it a few more times, taking notes and looking for details about costumes and accessories to be used in his designs. For example, the script may mention “a red dress, … or a straw hat”. He also consults Google to get an idea of the cast size, and the era or decade the production is typically set in.
Next Andrew meets with the artistic director to find out “their approach” as the production is ultimately the director’s vision. Andrew then researches the history of the show. Last season, Andrew was responsible for wigs, costumes and shoes for Buddy. Andrew gathered images and did as much reading as he could on Buddy Holly. He looked at documentaries. What did he wear? What inspired him? Which items of Buddy’s were auctioned off? This is where he starts to get an idea of a character.
Andrew explained that every show is a little different, so his design process varies, but he begins by sketching on his iPad. Then there’s a lot of back-and-forth between himself and the director as everything Andrew does must meet their approval. His sketches progress into mood boards. Once Andrew receives approval to proceed, he works towards his due date with his final designs. It’s important for Andrew to have “the casting” by the time he has done this preliminary work as variables such as: body types, height, skin tone, and allergies to fabrics impact his design choices.
With his design process behind him and his “blueprints” in a row, Andrew moves straight into the production phase. This is where the Head of Wardrobe and “stitchers” come on board. We met Sarah Grindal, Head of Wardrobe, who is “thrilled” to be back with The Grove this season, and we had two volunteer stitchers amongst us, Catherine Bridgman, and Marilyn Dixon. Amazing! Andrew referred to Sarah and his sewers as his “dream team”. How many times have we heard these words in reference to The Grove Theatre?
They shop, start “making” things, and manage fittings and adjustments. Andrew described the “boring things” as men’s pants, and “fun things” as decorative trims. This is when the costumes “start to come to life”.
And then there’s the paperwork, or “computer work” as Andrew calls it. Every purchase, every costume, every accessory, and every pair of shoes must be tracked.
Sometimes Andrew provides digital or paper patterns or other costumes to reference, other times he may have a “cutter” who interprets everything from his sketch. It was interesting to hear that Andrew doesn’t credit himself as being a top-notch sewer. His expertise has evolved from having to do “costuming” e.g.: developing techniques to allow completion for a show in two weeks. He describes his style as “unique” sometimes resorting to a glue gun or staples instead of thread, lol!
These short cuts come in handy when more than one performer plays a single character, or when adjustments are necessary late in the game. They can also help for quick changes in between scenes. Other tricks include: the use of grommets, and lacing down the back of garments. Lacing allows the costume team to quickly–take in, or let out a costume to enhance fit.
There are other challenges faced by designers and wardrobe personnel. Since Andrew is costuming both mainstage productions this summer, he needs to adapt his designs for extreme temperature variances. He said a show like “Spam” (…alot) is both tricky, and difficult because Medieval-style costumes have a lot of layers. He needs to source more breathable fabrics that are, for example, open weave—no thick wools. If it’s a cool day, then performers can wear undergarments that not only offer extra warmth, but protect the costumes from sweat.
A note on shoes—Andrew described them as being the worst part of costume design (and men’s pants as the most boring). Shoes wear fast and performers need to break them in. Shoe fittings are done on the first day of rehearsals for this reason. Andrew has been known to reinvent shoes by painting them (!), or covering them with fabric.
Last year during The Buddy Holly Story, Andrew said they had to do a lot of shoe repairs, which is typical of a show that has a lot of dancing. Ah oh—we heard from Kerry Gage last month that Spamalot boasts a lot of dancing – even tap dance! This responsibility will fall on Sarah’s shoulders as Head of Wardrobe.
Speaking of Kerry Gage, the other person Andrew works closely with is the choreographer. Together, he, Kerry, Allison Bjerkseth (Production Manager) and the Director will collaborate through dress rehearsals. Andrew stated it’s the opportunity to “see how it all works on stage”. The performers recite their lines with choreography, with lighting and props, and set changes. The next “period” which Andrew referred to as the “revision phase” addresses issues that surface during rehearsals. Two of the many things he looks at, at this stage, is “colour and costume changes”. Fabric colours are affected by stage lights, sometimes looking “washed-out”. Scene change may happen faster than anticipated, in which case Andrew will bring in another wardrobe hand to choreograph a quicker change. These sorts of refinements happen until opening night. Opening night is when Andrew’s contract is complete.
In “the end”, Andrew had pleasure written all over his face. He seemed to have enjoyed himself just as much as we did. He most definitely approaches his work with the exuberance of a kid in a candy store. Andrew brings a fresh taste to his designs, while addressing the many practicalities of the performance, and budget. We, as Guild members, were grateful for the education, and we look forward to seeing more of his work on the Grove stage this summer.
And who knew that “costuming” was a verb?
