Natalie Tabatabai is the new Head of Costume Design for the 2025-2026 school year. Tabatabai first joined the costumes program of the CHS theater in her sophomore year. Since then, she has helped design costumes for 4 different shows, and will do two more during this current school year. After joining the program, Tabatabai quickly fell in love with the craft of designing costumes.
“I’ve been on the costume crew for three years now,” Tabatabai said. “When I first started, it became one of my favorite things I’ve ever done in my life. I was so happy that I found something school related that I actually enjoyed.”
Over the span of three years, Tabatabai has helped design countless costumes, but her favorite holds an important place in CHS theater history through the acknowledgement the crew has received.
“My favorite is probably [Urinetown’s] Pennywise,” said Tabatabi. “I would not say that I designed that completely myself, but I collaborated on it. Pennywise’s apron has so much detail to it. Riley Eichberg, who played Pennywise, was great enough to make it to the Jimmy Awards and got to perform in New York with that same costume.”
But designing costumes for the plays and musicals does not always go as planned. In a live show, mistakes are bound to happen and Tabatabai has encountered quite a few.
“In Urinetown, we had these bunny slipper attachments that we had to attach onto Mr. Claudwell’s shoes every night during his ‘Don’t Be the Bunny’ performance,” said Tabatabai. “Sometimes things would break so every night we would go backstage and watch from afar making sure they would go on perfectly. A lot of times during a show, you have to do things really quick and on the spot. There will be times where something falls off and you have to hot glue it back on or somebody will lose something.”
Natalie credits her motivation and confidence that led her to go for the lead position to those who were previously in her same shoes.
“Former Head of Costumes, Lilly Riggs, gave me a lot of confidence and reassured me that I was prepared to take on the role,” Tabatabai said. “Her opinion was so valuable to me. Her last show at CHS, she asked for my opinion a lot more than she had previously. She wanted to incorporate my ideas which gave me a big boost of confidence.”
Dana Weiss, Head of Makeup in the CHS theater, finds Tabatabai’s leadership admirable.
“She’s my partner in crime,” Dana said. “I’m so glad she can use her creativity to bring the shows to life while teaching others who may take on this role.”
Tabatabai notes that what is most important in leading the costume crew to success and creating a healthy workplace is the light that costumes’ teacher Mrs. Arnow brings to the crew.
“[Mrs. Arnow is] a teacher that anybody could be comfortable with,” Tabatabai mentions. “When I think of her, I think of when moms are like ‘I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom,’ because she truly is [cool]. Costumes is such a fun and safe environment.”
With Twelfth Night later this semester and Seussical in the spring, Natalie has a bright year ahead of her as Head of Costumes.
