As the curtains of BYU’s Studio Theatre rose on the play House of Desires last year, the intricate costumes transported the audience to 17th-century Spain. Every detail, from the regal brocades to the gold filigree accents on Doña Ana’s deep emerald dress (pictured), recalled the period of the stage play, first performed in 1683.
The illusion was so striking that the designs earned BYU professor and costume designer Dennis M. Wright (BS ’92) the Costume Society of America’s 2025 Costume Design Award, a national honor in design, research, and production.
“I see costume design as an art form that helps tell the story visually,” says Wright, artistic director of BYU Theatre. The clothing Wright and his student team created drew a thematic contrast between the characters’ flamboyant personalities and the rigidity of their society. Making costume choices the character themselves might make helps “the performer create that person,” Wright says. “I love that part of it.”
The costume team took inspiration from paintings from the time period to create a saturated color scheme of forest green, deep blue, and burgundy. “We do lots of research figuring out the period,” Wright says.
A musical fan and Halloween costume connoisseur, Wright worked for Walt Disney World in costume design for 10 years. He then taught at a fashion school in Orlando and later Las Vegas, but he couldn’t wait to return to BYU. “You don’t always get a really great spiritual influence in the arts. BYU is a great place to be.”
