For twenty-two seasons Mr. Kaplan has been the Resident Costume Designer for the Sarasota Opera Association, where he has designed over 85 productions including Barber of Seville, The Crucible, Italian Girl in Algiers, Giovanna D’Arco, The Magic Flute, Mice and Men, Hansel and Gretel, Teifland and Pearl Fishers.

His recent endeavors include designing the costumes for Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, Tarzan the Musical, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Three Musketeers and Ring of Fire for Barter Theatre; Barber of Seville, Werther, Cosi Fan Tutte, Eugene Onegin and The Consul for Florida Grand Opera; and Le Comte Ory for the Des Moine Metro Opera.

Design credits include twelve years as the principal designer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College; THE MIKADO at Pittsburgh Public Theatre directed by Ted Pappas ; a futuristic production of MADAMA BUTTERFLY for San Antonio Opera directed by John Delancie; MAN OF LA MANCHA for the Olney Theatre for which he was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award; PIRATES OF PENZANCE for Malabar Limited-Toronto; The World Premiere of SNAPSHOTS, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz for The Virginia Stage Comp; THE CONSTANT WIFE and THREE DAYS OF RAIN for The Westport Playhouse, both directed by Joanne Woodward.

He was a resident designer for both The Alley Theatre, where he designed over 25 productions including the American Premiere of...HENCEFORWARD, written and directed by Alan Ayckborn; and The Asolo Center for the Performing Arts where he created the costumes for over 20 productions including A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and the World Premiere of Horton Foote’s' TALKING PICTURES.

Articles about his work have appeared in Theatre Crafts, American Theatre, Opera News, Style, Sarasota Magazine and The New Yorker Magazines. His renderings are featured in the textbook Costume Design, by Barbara and Cletus Anderson, published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

EXHIBITIONS: From September 2003 - January 2004, The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, St. Bonaventure, New York featured his work as part of an exhibit of “Working Artists”. In September 2016 he was named Master Artist of the Year. A retrospect of his career was displayed in their gallery. The exhibit consisted of 50 renderings from his theatre, opera, and circus projects; and an assortment of costumes, hand props and masks. His clown renderings are part of the permanent display of circus design and history at The Ringling Museum of Art - Sarasota, Florida; and Circus World Museum– Baraboo, Wisconsin. His work has toured as part of an exhibit of circus arts to The New Jersey Transit Authority, and museums in New Haven, Seattle, Washington DC, New York City, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Salt Lake City.

The productions designed for Sarasota Opera have been critically lauded and many are available for rental.

For more information, please email:
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