Fee, Fie, Foam Fun

What do an ugly giant and a pretty tiara have in common? In the case of Steven Inskeep, the answer is simple: foam.

As a designer for Ballet Pacifica’s production of “Jack and the Bean Stalk,” Inskeep had a big task--to create the set and costumes for 26 performers on a $550 budget.

No problem.

He used chunks of foam, cut, painted, adorned in glitter and wrapped in fabric.

The results were emerald headpieces, 12-feet-tall legs for a giant and a cluster of leaves that hid leaf fairies and “grew” onstage.

Why foam?

Inskeep says it’s inexpensive, easy to repair and versatile in size and shape (Need a gold harp? Foam’s your source, he says).

“We were doing ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and needed a cat mask. There were existing ones that were awkward and flat, so I sculpted one--with big eyes--out of foam and covered with fur.

“We also needed seven Rat King heads for the ‘Nutcracker,’ so I made some that are snarly, mean and nasty. A wrinkle in foam makes the masks evil looking.”

Foam is lightweight, another plus. Dancers can move easily in it, and sets are less dangerous. “If dancers bump into it, they won’t get hurt,” Inskeep says.

Inskeep, who lives in Irvine, has also done designs for non-ballet dance companies and weddings.

His next project for Ballet Pacifica is “Crayon,” a children’s ballet.