From KCRW Santa Monica and KCRW.com, it's The Treatment.

It's The Treatment. I'm Elvis Mitchell. You can also hear this show at KCRW.com.

And if you're a person of a certain age, you still remember the entrance of bring on the noise, bring on the phone. I got a smile for my guest. The Emmy, Tony, and Oscar Award-winning costume designer, Paul Taswell. Was that your first show? Your first picture? That was my first Broadway show, yeah. Okay, I wondered about that. We know him now, of course, for many things, including the Wiz Live, for which he won

the Emmy and Wicked for which he won the, what they call it, or the Academy Award for Best

Costume Design.

I can't thank you enough for being here.

There is something about your costume that sort of invites people to move.

And I think about the way Elfurt's costumes are designed for both drama and for movement.

And they expand as her world expands on her.

And in very interesting, subtle ways.

They move her out of being in the shadows and into the center of the room just by virtue of size, don't that?

Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

I mean, movement goes all the way back to when, well, I was in high school, early high school

years, and I wanted to be a performer.

So I was studying dance and acting with the performing arts program that I was in and singing, you know, all of that.

And I was going to take Broadway by storm.

Well, you did.

Well, in much different way that I originally imagined, I carry that interest, that engagement, you know, into all the work that I do.

But also interesting because it's something that comes, I think, in this way, certainly, I think, in Bring on Noise, Bring On the Funk, but also in the Wicked Films, people wanting to be seen in uniform.

You know, I need to conform, but I also want to be seen in these things.

And sort of understanding people's psychology and that you have to be part of a group.

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