History Dinner Theater: Undressing the Historical Lady

Be it the Colonial era (1750-1790) or the Regency period (1800-1820), Mrs. Roberts' discussions of fashion and the clothing of the time makes sense out of what women wore. Her talk begins fully dressed in the clothing of the desired period, and as each layer is removed she shares the origins, reasons and historical anecdotes for each article.Age old questions about the 'why' and even 'how' certain garments were worn are answered in this educational and entertaining presentation, suitable for all audiences. Mrs. Roberts offers a 45 minute presentation followed by a 15 minute Q & A session. Maggie Roberts is a seamstress and historical costume enthusiast who originally hails from California.She originally started out on the California Ren Fair and vintage ballroom dance circuit. Miss Waterman participated in the San Francisco Dicken's Fair, one of the largest such fairs on the West Coast, one that encourages theatrical excellence through authenticity, participation and playfulness. While in California, she was also a member of the Northern Chapter of the Guild of St. George, Inc. a group that prides itself on its quality of performance and its adherence to an authentic representation of the court of Elizabeth I. It was in these groups that she honed her first person interpretation, improv skills and working with the public. Eventually her love for historical fashion lead her into the 18th and 19th century and to Tennessee. When asked what she likes so much about her new time periods of choice, Maggie replies, "I love the elegance and the grace of the regency, along with the polite mannerisms seldom seen in the 21st century." Maggie is the head of the women's costume department for the female interpreters at Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky. She also spends her free time pouring over fashion plates, scouring books on historical clothing, fighting with commercially produced patterns and cursing her sewing machine.