It started as a few bolts of curtain fabric, four boxes of stuffing and rolls of trimmings and tassels. After two weeks of spending hours in front of the sewing machine, freshman Rachel Drobetskiy and sophomores Emma Wilkinson and Fin Rindner had produced most of the set for the winter play “Arabian Nights.”

Prior to this year, the Drama Department had typically hired outside companies to produce its costumes and props, with the stage crew assisting in minor alterations or repairing any damages incurred. But according to prop director Casey Clack, the “latent potential” she saw in her stage crew’s ability to creatively improvise and solve problems inspired her to form a team for the production of costumes and props.

Drobetskiy said her experience in costume and prop production made her realize how she could apply her love of sewing in many different ways.

“[Producing costumes and props] allowed me to have a place where I fit in, to find friends who share the same passion as me,” said Drobetskiy. “Even though this is my first year at [Glenbrook North], being [on the team] has actually took away some of the stress of adjusting to high school by giving me a place to have a free range of expression.”

The team’s efforts, though, have not been without obstacles. Wilkinson recalled a time when she had to work with an unfamiliar fabric to create a pillow.

“I don’t think we realized how the velour would stretch, so I approached it like it was any other fabric,” said Wilkinson. “When I sewed the pieces together, the pillow was all lumpy because of the stretching, and we couldn’t use it for the set.”

The team also faces challenges including a lack of proper equipment, a disorganized prop room and no official space for sewing and production. The buildup of old and neglected props has become a growing problem.

“I once fell into the pit of no return, which is a corner of the [prop] room stacked with old furniture, props and fabric, and got lost under a table for a while,” said Drobetskiy. “One of our priorities is just getting a space for production so we won’t have to deal with these kinds of problems.”

For the future, Rindner said they and their team want to eventually create all costumes and props for GBN productions. Although their goal may not be immediately attainable, their passion for the team is what propels them.

“You are committed to a schedule, and you must have a certain work ethic,” said Rindner. “But it’s ultimately worth it because you have a place to do what you love, and that’s what matters the most.”