KENT, Ohio – Academy Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell spoke with cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer recently about his creative process for the “Wicked” films, his formative years in Akron and the guiding principles behind his celebrated career.

Tazewell, who also won a Tony for his costumes in “Hamilton,” had plenty of insight to share. In case you missed it, here are five key takeaways from the conversation:

1. Costume as a “second skin” that traces a character’s emotional arc : Tazewell’s guiding principle is that costumes are a “character’s second skin.” He believes his primary task is to understand the character’s environment and then build a “comprehensible emotional arc” for them through their clothing, allowing the audience to connect. This approach goes beyond aesth

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