Mark Zappone on the Costumes for Grassville
Behind the Curtains Q&A
Recorded in August 2025 during Mark Zappone’s time spent with choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and the Saint Louis Dance Theatre. Transcribed and edited lightly for clarity; we’ve preserved Mark’s exact word choices wherever possible.
STLDT: How did Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s initial vision for Grassville translate into your first sketches?
Mark Zappone: “Annabelle is influenced by Salvador Dalí’s painting Woman with a Head of Roses and asked me to interpret that look for the dancers. We started with a variety of plant headpieces, then decided it would be more unified if the costumes were consistent, so the focus would be on their heads. The drawing I created comes directly from that inspiration.”
Woman with a Head of Roses, 1935, Salvador Dalí.
STLDT: What should audiences expect to see and experience from the costumes on stage?
Zappone: “Annabelle always likes a little shimmer, so I tried to give the dancers an asymmetrical look. There’s a wrap around the neck, inspired by the painting, with one side pleated and gathered—stretch shimmer—and the other side a beautiful ombré-dyed fabric that looks like the base of a plant. Together, it creates that surreal, scenic effect.”
Designing the costumes for Grassville
STLDT: Did the unique physicality of the work influence your choices?
Zappone: “This time it was a little reversed—we came up with the look first, and then Annabelle choreographed around it. My sketch mirrored Dalí’s painting, even the pose, and the first video she sent back had the dancer standing in that pose. Some of the earlier headpieces were heavy, so we made the new ones lighter. It’s all about finding the balance between theatrical effect and dancer comfort.”
STLDT: Did the music affect your design process?
Zappone: “I wasn’t very familiar with the music at first—it came later. But we already had the visual world in place. The score is moody, and I think it fits, but really the look guided us from the start.”
STLDT: How does your own artistic identity come through in your work?
Zappone: “I keep my mind open to whatever the choreographer is leading. I listen to what she’s trying to say and incorporate that into my process. Of course, my own experience informs it, but each piece is always different. Even though I’ve been doing this a long time, every costume is a new challenge—and that’s the intrigue.”
STLDT: You’ve worked with Annabelle before?
Zappone: “Yes, this is probably my fourth piece with her. We first collaborated in Seattle, where I’m based, and then on works for The Washington Ballet. I also helped build the costumes for her Chanel piece in Hong Kong last year. It’s been a rewarding partnership.”
STLDT: What image or feeling do you hope audiences take home from Grassville?
Zappone: “I’d say the surrealistic quality. That off-kilter feeling—something that pushes your imagination in a new direction. That’s what I hope stays with them.”
STLDT: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Zappone: “For the plant heads, I looked at the plants around where I live, then at artificial plants in stores. Combining different leaves and colors sparked ideas. One headpiece feels like hair flowing down; another was inspired by lavender fields. The first version of Grassville even used tall fake grass. There’s humor in that, but onstage, it grounds the dancers in a natural, scenic world.”
Plant head inspiration for Grassville costume design
STLDT: This season’s theme is Love Languages. What’s yours?
Zappone: “My love language is the joy of what I do and the fortune to create with performers, choreographers, and designers. I also help build costumes for other designers’ pieces. That collaborative spirit—that’s my language.”
STLDT: You brought a “bag of tricks” into rehearsal. Can you share a little about it?
Zappone: “People joke that I’m like Mary Poppins—I show up with a big bag and everything comes spilling out. This time I had the mock-up costume: one side a shimmery mesh, the other a sinewy ombré fabric, plus the wrap at the neck. Sometimes I add boning to keep the neck upright, but I left one side open so dancers could move freely. And yes, I had extra fabrics and plants in there, too. The costumes are all in earthy brown tones, so the individuality comes through in the headpieces and the personalities they create.”
Experience a World Premiere in St. Louis
See the world premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Grassville at the Fall Series, Nov. 14–16, 2025, at COCA’s Catherine B. Berges Theatre.