Piecing together a triple Puccini

Giacomo Puccini's "Il Trittico" triple-play is rarely performed all in one sitting, so Hawaii Opera Theatre fans are getting a treat. Consider -- in "Il Tabarro (The Cloak)," what today would be called "boat people" wax passionate aboard leaky barges in the Seine; in "Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica)," a group of nuns deal with an unexpected fetal attraction; and in "Gianni Schicci," a family of gold diggers can't wait for the rich relative to kick the bucket. The evening ranges from soul-baring passion to wildly humorous, with all stops in-between, and hops from one century to another as well as skipping locations.

'Il Trittico: The Trio' Giacomo Puccini's three one-acts presented by Hawaii Opera Theatre » Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall » When: 8 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday » Tickets: $28 to $100 » Call: 596-7858 or visit hawaiiopera.org » Also: A "Lanai Lecture" on "Il Trittico" occurs an hour before showtime on Friday. At 1 p.m. Saturday, there is an open house and tour.

In other words, the costumes had better have zippers.

Although Helen E. Rodgers is costumer for HOT's current season, she points out that's it's not quite the same role as designer, her primary function. Yes, she sews, but her responsibility is the overall look of the production. As costumer, she's mostly a procuress.

It must be working out pretty well; although Rodgers' home base is in New York, this is her fifth season with HOT. As designer, she also created the costumes for "Susannah," "La Bohème" and "Cosí Fan Tutte." She has also designed costumes for Florida Studio Theatre, the Mannes Opera, the Chautauqua Opera and Opera Memphis, and was costume consultant for "Cosí Fan Tutte" at the Lincoln Center Festival and for Baryshnikov Productions' "Doctor and Patient."

Other company credits include New Orleans Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Virginia Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera Delaware, New York City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular in New York.

The first step, said Rodgers, is to consult with the director about meshing with his vision of the production. "For Il Trittico, Henry Akina had his ideas about how each piece would play. Directors generally are focused on the characters' identities; it's up to the designer to translate that into an artistic result," Rodgers said.

The challenge here was to create three separate mini-productions that were tied together thematically.

"'Il Tabarro' is set in a specific period, around the turn of the century, and it's dirtier and grubbier than most operas," Rodgers said. "These are essentially boat people, down on their luck. We decided to set it in 1907. Because of the subject matter, it just wouldn't work as an 18th-century light opera! The only bits of light and color come from factory workers, so it's pretty grim.

"The next piece, 'Suor Angelica,' is populated almost entirely by nuns, all from the same order except for one. The colors are based on what nuns were wearing in Paris at the time, and the habits are cut full to allow a full range of movement, but they can still hide their hands in their cuffs. It's a pretty consistent look.

"The last piece, 'Gianni Schicci,' is set during the Renaissance, with all the color and texture that brings to it. It's a comedy, so it's not only a good way to close the evening, it's a feast for the eyes."

The traditional way of costuming an opera is in the time period it was originally produced, Rodgers said.

"Sometimes, it's an artistic decision that changes the direction, and sometimes it's economic," she said. "This show is a good example of obtaining costumes from various sources. The nuns' habits in 'Suor Angelica' are basically my design, but the basic habit was rented from a costume supplier, and the details were built here in the islands. Others, particularly the Renaissance costumes, came from a supplier in Toronto we have a long relationship with. You can't just pick costumes according to size, however; you have to go to the supplier and pick them out yourself to make sure they're suitable."

Speaking of sizes, what about when the fat lady sings? How are they fitted?

"The actors are already chosen before we procure the costumes, and they provide their sizes," Rodgers said. "There have been some cases where actors showed up somewhat bigger than we expected. But some show up smaller, too! Shrinking ladies! We do basic alterations when that happens, and we have some terrific seamstresses."

The actors often have preconceptions about suitable costumes, Rodgers said. On the other hand, many actors form their concept of the character only after being fitted for a costume.

"It really made a big difference to the nuns, who realized that the only personality they'd have would be reflected through their faces. They'd have to paint their personalities solely through their features -- like real nuns."