Hello, 1774 calling... (Patreon)

As many of you know, I am acting in a historical theater project here in Massachusetts called A Stake in the Ground: 1774. It’s a site-specific trio of 20-minute plays set in Historic Deerfield, where a damaged Liberty Pole exposes the town’s simmering tensions and gives us a glimpse of the colony just before the American Revolution.

I’m not a history buff AT ALL, but if I’m gonna learn it, this is my favorite way: by embodying it. In fact, this is my third historical production. Have I found a niche? I don’t know! But I’m having fun and learning so much.

Anyway, let’s cut to the chase. Let’s talk about THE COSTUME!

Getting dressed in 1774 was no easy task. Ladies, when I say layers, I mean LAYERS. Our costumer is an expert in period clothing, so the garments we’re wearing are as authentic as we can make them. Each one is custom-made and fitted to the actor wearing it.

Now, maybe you know this, maybe you don’t, but I have pronounced scoliosis. At one point my spine takes a 44-degree turn, then twists up and back around to keep my head level. It’s nuts. I mask it pretty well in regular clothes, but I am not truly at home in this body much of the time. I have never had a costume that fit me well, because almost nothing does.

I was excited by the prospect of being measured, observed, and adjusted for. I was also terrified to be measured, observed, and adjusted for. The scoliosis is not something I can control or fix, and this devastates me more often than I care to admit. But having an artist really look at what my body does and make clothing that fits has worked a little magic on me. The alterations required to accommodate the twist and torque weren’t all that drastic. More importantly, Brittney just didn’t freak out about it.

Unlike every chiropractor, massage therapist, and spinal surgeon I’ve ever seen, she did NOT say, “Whoa! That’s some curve!” Or: “Hey, guys, get in here. You’ll want to see this!” (Yes, that happened in a chiropractor’s office.)

This is what I was bracing for, and praise God, Brittney didn’t go there. But neither did she pretend I was symmetrical. She stretched the tape, called the measurements out to her assistant, and showed up a couple of weeks later with skirts that hang right, a gown that fits my shoulders perfectly, and a costume that forgets Tracy Grammer entirely. Instead, it announces Mary Stratton Stebbins, who is doing everything in her power to de-escalate town tensions—and male stupidity—before they lead to war.

I could not be happier.

The layers, from the inside out:

Chemise, underwear, socks, and shoes. Put the shoes on first, because once you get the stays on, you’re not gonna be bending over much if you value air.

Stays—the 18th-century version of a corset.

Slip—a full cotton underskirt.

Pocket—a separate tie-on pocket worn beneath the petticoat.

Petticoat—a heavier cotton skirt.

Gown—the fitted, open-front garment worn over the petticoat.

Stomacher—the triangular panel pinned over the stays between the open edges of the gown.

Fichu—a kerchief worn over the shoulders and tucked into the gown to cover the neckline, protect the skin from the sun, and absorb sweat.

Linen bonnet.

Half-dressed, in chemise, stays, socks, slip, petticoat, pocket, and shoes.

The full outfit

It takes me about 45 minutes to dress and do my hair for a 25-minute scene, but it’s so worth it. And though we do get warm—we are performing outside—the clothes are actually quite comfortable.

Audiences have been responding to the experience of watching these stories unfold on the ground where they took place, and to the not-so-subtle parallels between pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts and our own political divides. There’s plenty of levity, too. I hope you can join us!

More soon, friends. I hope you are well and working on something that excites you, too. Thanks as always for your support of my art, in all its many forms and fashions. xotg

ADDENDUM 7/17/26: A photo of some of our young ne'er-do-wells, Elihu Ashley and David Dickinson. Elihu (right) kept a detailed diary at the time the Liberty Pole was erected and playwrights relied on it heavily in creating our dramatized historical plays.