Costume Coordinator Holcomb Keeps Performers Looking Their Best
/Longtime Volunteer Honored with Spearman Award
Longtime ASC volunteer Pam Holcomb (left) received the 2021 Margaret Spearman Memorial Volunteer of the Year during ASC’s volunteer Night on March 17, 2022. Theater Programs Manager Lindsey Collins (right) helped to present the awards.
Sequined gowns that sparkle under the stage lights, brightly colored skirts that twirl just right when the actor moves, textures and layers that create the illusion of a human transformed into an animal — these are just some of the ways that you might see costumes used in a theatrical production. But how do these garments come to be? Who is responsible for making sure that each actor has exactly what they need when it comes to clothing? And how on earth do quick costume changes happen?
Costume coordinators are often considered to be the fairy godmothers of the theater, and one such lady that I would love to introduce to you is Ms. Pam Holcomb. Enter one bright eyed, enthusiastic, sweet voiced woman with a knack for making everyone feel warm and fuzzy inside. Ms. Pam has volunteered as Costume Coordinator for 11 years here at ASC. To know her is to love her. You can usually find her handing a home cooked meal to a crew member that hasn’t had time to eat all day, chasing down a cast member to inquire about their shoe size, or getting lost in the racks of the costume shop.
Ms. Pam first began volunteering for ASC when she was asked to help out with costumes for Razzle Dazzle: Feeling Good in 2009. (Razzle Dazzle is ASC’s biennial variety show fundraiser.) Of course, we loved her so much, we asked her to help with the next year’s production of Razzle Dazzle: Feeling Better and then every Razzle Dazzle after that: “Gone Country,” “Memphis to Motown,” “Big Time,” “Simply the Best” and most recently, “The Show Must Go On” in 2021.
Ms. Pam is a mainstay in ASC’s theater program. In addition to all of our Razzle Dazzle productions, she has also played a huge role in several other productions including Sister Act, Legally Blonde The Musical, A Christmas Story, 9 to 5: The Musical, The Miracle Worker, You Have the Right to Remain Dead, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood. Ms. Pam also helps backstage for the annual Miss South Arkansas and Miss South Central Pageant.
Pam Holcomb (left) put the finishing touches on the robin hood costume Worn by Dorian Hunter in ASC’s production of “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin hood” in March 2022.
Over the years, many of the theater family and ASC staff have grown increasingly closer with Ms. Pam. Not only has she helped us with creating incredible costumes, but she has also been a shining example of a strong and kind woman. Ms. Pam never fails to make everyone she meets feel loved and important. It doesn’t matter if you only come onstage a handful of times- you (and your costume) are just as important as the lead actor, and Ms. Pam makes sure that you know it. She is the first to see when someone needs uplifting, the one who ensures that every child in the building is being watched over and loved on, and the person who jumps in when she sees something that needs doing. We here at ASC are so incredibly grateful for Ms. Pam, and the feeling is mutual.
“I am so thankful that God chose to plant me at ASC,” Ms. Pam said. “I am so blessed to be a part of this family.”
Mom, Mimi, Costume Coordinator, Quick-Change Dresser, Keeper of the Safety Pins, Last-Minute Costume Fixer-Upper … Ms. Pam has many titles. Every year, ASC hosts a Volunteer Night to honor and recognize all of the volunteers that make our organization successful. This year, Ms. Pam gained a new title … our 2021 Margaret Spearman Memorial Volunteer of the Year.
Ms. Pam had been chosen unanimously to receive the Spearman Volunteer of the Year Award by ASC’s Performing Arts Committee and Executive Director Dr. Rachel Miller. In the spirit of surprise, we did not tell any of the award recipients that they had been chosen for their respective honors and when her name was announced, happy tears were shared by many in the room.
When asked if she had anything to say, our beloved Ms. Pam simply told us the same endearing thing that she does nearly every time we see her, “I love you all so much. Always remember to smile.”
Crystal Jennings (from left), Pam Holcomb, Keiren Minter, Bethany Gere, Jeff Collins, and Joel Anderson were recognized for their volunteer efforts at the Arts & Science Center during ASC’s Volunteer Night awards reception on March 17, 2022.
During our Volunteer Night celebration on March 17, 2022, we also honored recipients of the “Good Egg” Award: Joel Anderson, Jeff Collins, Bethany Gere, and Crystal Jennings. We also presented Keiren Minter with the Catherine M. Bellamy Award for the Performing Arts. He is the youngest person to ever receive this award, and we couldn’t be more proud.
Of course, Ms. Pam was first in line to give each of them one of her infamous hugs and a huge congratulations.
Kayla Earnest is the Gallery & Theater Assistant at The ARTSpace on Main. Contact her at kearnest@asc701.org.
