Meet Emmie Tuttle, Guest Artist Costume Designer for Detroit

Emmie Tuttle of Macon, Georgia, served as the guest costume designer for Auburn University Theatre’s production ofDetroit. Emmie graduated from The Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Costume Design. After working as the Costume Shop Manager for Gordon State College for a couple seasons, Emmie moved to Atlanta and has since gone on to work professionally in multiple capacities. She told us, “I usually am working five jobs at a time: designing for full shows, operas, working in the shop sewing, or working as a dresser during shows.” She also finds time to teach at the Atlanta International School.

This was Emmie’s first time in Auburn and we were so excited that she was able to provide us with some amazing costumes for Detroit. Even though this show is contemporary and could take place in the present with everyday clothing, there was still research that went into what types of clothing would be appropriate for these specific characters. She told us that a lot of her research was done through film study. “Chris used a lot of film examples,” Emmie said. David Lynch films were a few that Emmie focused on and drew inspiration from.

Having worked with a multitude of theatres from professional to educational, we asked Emmie what were some of the differences, that she has seen, between the two. She told us the main difference is, patience. “It is important to have patience in all things, but these two very different performance areas require varying levels of patience. Sometimes artists can get stuck, bored, or angry; the great thing about working in educational theatre is that students find everything exciting and are eager to work.”

Lastly, as we like to end all of our chats with these amazing guest artists, we sought any advice Emmie might have for the students here at Auburn. She mentions about investing your time in internships and networking. “It’s about keeping a good reputation so people will want to work with you. Even though you have a degree on paper, I get more jobs by word of mouth,” Emmie admits. And for students who are recently graduated, she suggests taking any and every job related to your interest even if it is not exactly what you want to do because eventually you will meet the right people and work your way up.

Check out more of Emmie’s work at https://www.emmietuttle.com/and make sure to stay tuned for more features on the professionals the visit us. Auburn University Theatre proudly welcome several guest artists throughout the year that enrich the theatrical experiences of both the students and faculty.

Last Updated: October 26, 2018