September 25, 2024

Cosmetology student Bejou Leifeld has brought her colorful talents to the theater as she volunteers as a Costume Designer for the William Shakespeare play King Lear at the Theatre in the Round. Bejou completed her undergraduate degree in Theater Design and Technology at the University of Minnesota and wanted to expand her creative talents in cosmetology. She started taking cosmetology classes at SPC and is now pursuing her passion for a career as a costume designer in the film industry, either in Los Angeles or Atlanta.

Exuding a creative flair, Bejou enjoys coloring hair with unique styles and colors, applying makeup, and taking care of nails. She loves ethical fashion and was excited to take on this Costume Design volunteer position. Bejou describes ethical fashion as clothing that’s environmentally responsible and manufactured ethically. She couldn’t wait to collaborate with the director of King Lear after they pinpointed the play’s vibe as historical, dark, or ornate with glamour. This exciting direction gave her a wealth of options for creating unique costumes for 14 actors with 28 different outfits! As the oldest theater in the Twin Cities area, Theater in the Round offers one of the more extensive inventories of costumes in the Twin Cities area, which gave her options and endless creative opportunities for designing appropriate costumes.

Photos: Top and left by Tom Tainto; right by Aaron Mark Photo Film.

Bejou worked with SPC Theater Instructor Patti Gage to design costumes for the recent campus play, “13 Ways to Screw Up an Interview.” Gage also serves on the Theater in the Round Board of Directors and was instrumental in helping her connect for this excellent learning opportunity at this historic theater. Bejou is scheduled to receive her Associate’s Degree in Cosmetology this spring and is very excited about her future endeavors with this invaluable hands-on learning experience in her back pocket.