Behind The Curtain: Richard Gregg - From Big Tops to Broadway and Managing the Costume Shop Sale
The first time Richard Gregg fit an elephant for a costume, he learned two important lessons.
First, don't wear cologne; elephants have extremely acute senses of smell.
Second, if an elephant decides it needs to go to the bathroom during a fitting, "you simply move out of the way."
Richard laughs as he tells the story, remembering his year working for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Each elephant wore a custom-made blanket measuring nearly ten feet by ten feet, individually patterned to fit its body. The blankets were quilted, embroidered, covered in Swarovski crystal, and could cost upwards of $50,000 apiece.
"They were wonderful," he says of the elephants. "Personally, I think the elephants were cared for better than the human employees."
It's one of many remarkable chapters in a career that has taken him from Iowa to Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Disneyland, and eventually to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Today, Richard oversees one of Krannert Center’s most unique resources as Costume Storage and Rentals Manager, and he's inviting the community to experience it firsthand during this year’s Costume and Prop Sale on Saturday, August 29 at Krannert Center.
Following a Childhood Passion
Richard's journey into costumes began long before Broadway or the circus. It started around age eight with Halloween.
"I would pester my mother on helping me make my costumes," he recalls.
Eventually, she taught him how to use her Kenmore sewing machine. Learning how to thread the machine and wind a bobbin, he says, "changed my world forever."
By middle school, he was helping classmates complete sewing projects. In high school, he joined his school's Madrigal Choir, where period costumes introduced him to historical clothing. As a senior, he designed and sewed his prom date's dress.
That passion earned him a scholarship to Briar Cliff University; not as an actor, but because of the costumes he created.
"I had all of these people I'd made costumes for come to my audition [at Briar Cliff]," Richard remembers. "We did a fashion show, and instead of the scholarship going to an actor, it went to me."
After graduation, one opportunity led naturally to another: summer work with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, graduate school at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, costume shops in Los Angeles, Disneyland, the circus, New York City's legendary Parsons-Meares costume shop, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, Broadway productions including Jersey Boys, The Lion King, and Hamilton, and international touring with American Ballet Theatre.
After years of living out of suitcases and working from 8 a.m. until midnight, Richard realized he wanted something different.
"I wanted roots," he says.
One of the most significant turning points in Richard's career came through a chance connection. While helping fit costumes for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, he instinctively stepped in one day to solve a difficult fitting. The production manager, Terri Ciofalo, noticed his expertise and soon hired him to manage the company's costume shop and wardrobe department. Years later, after both had gone their separate ways professionally, Ciofalo reached out again—this time with an unexpected opportunity at Krannert Center, where she had been hired. Richard accepted an interim position as Costume Rentals Manager in 2018, a role that quickly became permanent. Looking back, he credits that relationship as one of the defining threads running through his career, proof that generosity, mentorship, and a reputation for excellent work often open the next door.
When the opportunity arose to come to Krannert Center in 2018, he found the roots he’d been looking for right here in Urbana-Champaign.
"I finally bought a house," he says. "This is home."
A Costume Collection Unlike Any Other
While audiences see costumes under stage lights for only a few performances, Richard spends his days thinking about details far beyond the stage productions our patrons experience. Indeed, every production begins a new chapter in a costume's life. Each garment is evaluated individually. Some are returned to the Costume Shop’s stock, some become part of Krannert Center’s online costume inventory, which outside organizations can rent. Others are retired and prepared for the Costume Sale.
"We literally touch every single item," Richard says. "We decide: do we restock it, sell it, barcode it into the permanent inventory, or dispose of it?"
That meticulous process has helped build one of Krannert's most valuable behind-the-scenes resources while ensuring the collection remains manageable.
Why Sell Costumes?
The answer is surprisingly simple: storage.
"Over a two- or three-year period, we can accumulate 10,000 to 15,000 costume pieces," Richard explains. "Eventually we simply run out of hanging space and we liquidate what we can."
Rather than allowing the collection to outgrow its storage facilities, Richard and his team carefully select costumes that deserve another life.
Some garments have been custom-built by the Theatre Department’s students and staff and remain in the permanent collection for decades. Others, particularly contemporary clothing or duplicate pieces, become available to the public.
That means attendees to the Costume and Prop Sale can discover everything from vintage-inspired dresses and theatrical coats to hats, shoes, jewelry, gloves, suspenders, ties, and one-of-a-kind accessories.
The Costume and Prop Sale: What to Expect
If you've never attended the Costume and Prop Sale before, prepare to arrive early. VERY early. "The last sale [in 2023], people brought lawn chairs and breakfast while waiting for the doors to open," Richard says.
Although the sale opens at 8 a.m., shoppers begin lining up well before the doors open. A $5 admission fee grants access to the Studio Theatre, where the costumes will be displayed. There, visitors will browse approximately 70 double-hung costume racks—more than 140 rows of costumes—along with dozens of tables filled with accessories.
Most items are priced between $2 and $20, with a special Boutique Collection featuring especially elaborate garments priced above $20.
Instead of traditional price tags, garments are marked with color-coded fasteners that correspond to a pricing chart displayed throughout the sale.
Richard expects approximately 5,000 individual items will be available this year.
"There will be wedding gowns, period clothing, shoes, hats, gloves, jewelry, glasses—just about everything except undergarments,” he explains.
The sale has become so well known that theatres from around the country have attended. Broadway productions have purchased authentic period garments, and organizations from across the United States have traveled to Champaign specifically for the event.
For Richard, the Costume Sale isn't simply about making room on the racks. Every purchase helps support student learning.
Revenue from the sale goes directly back into the Costume program, helping fund student employment, inventory management, and production support.
Everything ultimately comes back to Krannert Center’s education mission.
"I want students to learn something," he says. "They're learning costume history, photography, measurement, inventory systems, and professional collection management. The skills we give our students become résumé builders and career opportunities long after they graduate.”
After a career spent dressing Broadway performers, fitting circus elephants, and building costumes for some of the world's most celebrated stages, Richard now measures success a little differently.
"The people, the students, my coworkers—the university is welcoming. It's creative. It's safe," he says. "I'll be retiring from this job because it is such a great place to live and be."
The Krannert Center Costume and Prop Sale will be held Saturday, August 29 from 8am-2pm. Costumes will be in the Studio Theatre, near our Intermezzo Café in the lobby. Prop Shop sales will be held on Level 2 in Krannert Center. Our lobby doors open at 7am.
Admission to the Costume sale is $5 from 8am-12pm (cash or credit/debit card only; no checks); Prop Shop sale admission is free.
At 12pm, the Costume sale will be cleared and re-stocked for 30 minutes. From 12:30pm – 2pm, there will be free admission and “all you can fill” grab bags will be available for $10.
Patrons are encouraged to arrive early for the best selection. No advance admission or sales before 8am.