Guthrie Theater alum makes history as first Black male Oscar nominee for costume design

Guthrie Theatre alumnus Paul Tazewell made history as the first Black male Oscar nominee for costume design.

“It’s wonderful. I am beside myself. I never thought that I would be in this position,” Tazewell said.

Tazewell’s talents are now on center stage and he calls it “a dream.”

His historic Oscar nomination stems from his costume design work in “West Side Story.”

“I love what I do. I’m very passionate about costume design and the role that it plays in telling stories,” Tazewell said.

His story began 30 years ago designing mostly for theatre.

In 2016, he brought home a Tony Award for his best costume design for “Hamilton.”

Then, he took a shot at television and marched into film.

The transition was seamless.

One of the stops on his journey was in Minneapolis. “Some of my most exciting work has happened at the Guthrie Theater,” Tazewell said.

He brought his sketches and designs to life in the costume shop with a team of creative minds for each production.

“It provided a creative space and a stellar staff of artisans, drapers and tailors,” he said. “I have always loved working there. I’ve always loved the community and the theatre community.”

Tazewell used colors and fabric to tell stories in over a dozen shows at the Guthrie Theater starting in 1995.

His talent and kind spirit left a mark on every show.

“It was always one of the smoothest and easiest experiences that I had with a costume designer because of his level of expertise and also his level of kindness,” Amy Schmidt, Guthrie Theater costume director, said.

Schmidt witnessed Tazewell’s sketches dance off the page in productions like “Hamlet,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Merchant of Venice,” to name a few. 

“I think he’s one of the designers that our folks in the shop just love to hear they were going to get to work with,” Schmidt said.

Tazewell said his career journey has been a rollercoaster, but he explained inspiring others keeps him grounded.

“That’s what I chose to be about, having my work make a difference in other people’s lives or what might touch their heart,” he said.

While breaking barriers, Tazewell is also focused on making the costume design field more diverse.

“When I first started out, I could count on my one hand the number of Black and brown costume designers that I actually met and worked with,” Tazewell said.

But now, times are changing. Tazewell explained he’s focused on inspiring the next generation of costume designers of color.

“That is why I’m on earth to be that kind of inspiration,” Tazewell said.