3RD WARD ALUMNI ALERT // Hunter Kaczorowski designs costumes for The Human Comedy in Queens, heads to Yale

One of Kaczorowski's design sketches for The Human Comedy.Hunter Kaczorowski, a 3rd Ward alum, puppet designer and award-winning costume designer, has some big things on the horizon...

First: He outfitted the characters in the Astoria Performing Arts Center's production of The Human Comedy, which debuts at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church this Thursday, May 5.

His designs are not your easy razzle-dazzle costumes, but more subtle pieces that carry the telling details of everyday life. Here's an excerpt from an interview about his work on the musical:

My role in this production is looking at how these characters dress themselves and thinking about where they get their clothes.

Since the central story of The Human Comedy is about family, I’m also looking at where things are hand-me-down clothes.

As a designer, I want to make this world as specific as possible and particular to these characters. A lot of what I’m doing is carving out how these characters live, who they are, what they do, where they’re from and trying to inform all that into how they dress.

Read the rest of the interview here and check out Hunter's impressive and diverse portfolio in costume design, puppetry, and craft here.

Kaczorowski is no stranger to the New York costume design scene -- he's contributed to more than 20 productions around the city, and his designs have graced the stages of venues including The Living Theatre, St. Ann's Warehouse and the Midtown International Theater Festival.

Soon, though, he'll be saying goodbye to the Big Apple and hello to New Haven, Connecticut, where he's entering the Yale School of Drama to earn an MFA in Costume Design. Congrats, Hunter!

And make sure to check out The Human Comedy this month in Astoria. It runs from May 5 through May 21 at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, with shows at 8pm Thursday through Friday and 2pm and 8pm on Saturdays. Grab your tickets here.

-- John Ruscher