By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
As area theater companies began to cancel productions due to gathering restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, Theatricks owners David Johnson and Kateri Kline-Johnson went from making costumes to making masks.
“It was an easy switch,” said David Johnson during an interview at his costume shop Theatricks, 2136 Plainfield Ave. SE. “As theaters closed, we just went from making costumes to making masks. We didn’t think much of it. We figured we would probably make about 100 to 200 masks.”
About ten weeks and more than 2,000 masks later, Johnson said the shop has been able to make enough masks to stay open during the pandemic, keep the three employees — himself, his wife, and another employee — employed, plus cover all the building’s utility costs as well as the supply cost for the masks. Johnson owns the building that his business is located in.
“We have not had to take out any government loans or layoff any employees,” Johnson said.
The group decided to offer up a basic mask, made of two pieces of 100 percent cotton with non-adjustable elastic straps. This mask comes in small, for children 2-11, and adult regular and large. They also make a mask with a pocket to place a filter and adjustable elastic straps.
As surgical and N95 masks became harder to find along with the Michigan guidelines that residents should wear a mask while in public places, cloth masks became the answer. According to the Mayo Clinic, cloth masks can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by people who have COVID-19 but don’t realize it.
“One of the hardest things we ran into was getting the supplies needed to make the masks,” Johnson said. With only word-of-mouth and social media as advertising for the store’s masks, Theatriks was inundated with requests.
This coupled with the fact that many had taken up making homemade masks, made getting the needed elastic for the masks tough. So the Johnsons innovated and started making masks with a tie made from corset lacing.
Johnson said they listened to customers about specific needs such as how the elastic on a mask could start to hurt the ears after long periods of use. So they designed a mask with the elastic going over the head instead of around the ears.
Then a customer came in with the suggestion of making a headband with buttons on either side for the mask’s elastic band, which the store started making as well.
While costs for materials have gone up, Johsnon said the couple made the decision early on to keep the price for the masks low, which start at $3 for a basic mask and goes up for the speciality masks.
“We honestly, really did not think that it would take off as much as it did,” Johnson said, adding that they have had individuals come in to buy a few masks to churches and organizations ordering more than 100.
Having been in business for 39 years, Theatricks is known for building and providing costumes to community, college, and high school theater productions. The store staff also makes period pieces for those who participate in Civil War reenactments and Renaissance festivals.
“We actually have had a few people coming in to have costumes made for the Renaissance fairs for when they start back up again,” Johnson said, adding he usually has a booth at the fairs for costumes and other related items. Johnson said he is hoping that the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly, Mich., will still take place in late August.
Also over the past few weeks, local theater companies have been reaching out as well as they look ahead to their upcoming productions and the possibility of being able to open in the fall, Johnson said.
Still it is quiet in the store with Johnson spending a portion of his time cutting elastic in the north corner of the shop that is filled with costumes, masks, wigs, make up and jewelry. The actually sewing area is a clean room with only those making the masks allowed in.
“It’s all done by hand,” he said with a laugh as he measured out the elastic strips. We chat for a few minutes and then I gather up my prize — five brand new masks.
