By BetteAndTinaForever

L-WORD.COM SET VISIT

• Photos
  • Alice's Bedroom
  • Bette's Office
  • Shane and Jenny's House
  • Bette and Tina's Bedroom
  • Bette and Tina's Yard and Pool
• Set Visit Report
• Interview with Pam Grier
• Interview with Rose Troche
• Interview with Cynthia Summer

I should warn you all that though I didn’t get any major spoilers about the storylines, the interviews contain some minor “spoilerly” answers and certain hints about the upcoming Season 6. So, if anyone reading this is a hard-core unspoiled fan, you might skip certain answers but don’t skip the entire interviews because all three women I talked too are very fascinating professionals and individuals with a lot of great insights about the show and the life outside of it.

Cynthia Summers, the costume designer for the show, was working at her office, and we stopped there so I could talk to her. As it turned out, Cynthia is very knowledgeable, not only about what’s going on in the wardrobe department, but also what is happening on the set. We talked about clothes and characters, and Cynthia dropped a few little hints about season six.

B&TF: How do you choose the clothes for the characters? I see the boards with all the characters and notes…

CS: This is for inspiration. At the beginning of the season, I do a big inspiration board for everyone before we have any scripts. And now that we’re in Season 6 and all of our characters are established, it’s easier to shop for them now because we know who they are. And so, it’s just the newest fashions that pertain to that character.

And then at the beginning of the Season, we get our scripts and the script kind of dictates who’s going to wear what, with whom, and where. So, after we break down the script, that’s what we do. We just go shopping for that character, for that situation based on our storyboards.

B&TF: Do the actors give you some idea of what they want?

CS: Sometimes, if there’s a story point and they’ve had their director’s meeting and they’ve talked about it and think there’s something personal that they want to bring to the character there, a lot of times they will, yes. They’ll say, “Oh, I was talking with Ilene, and there’s this and this happening there, I’d really like to have this scarf in this scene… or this pair of shoes… or this pair of earrings… or this bra… or if I’m taking my clothes off. What do you think?” And so usually it’s okay. As I said, we all know the characters really well now, so they don’t usually ask me for anything that’s unreasonable.

B&TF: So if you give them things that they don’t really want to wear and they mention that, would you change it or say, “No, you have to wear this”?

CS: Sometimes we compromise because you don’t really want anyone to get in front of the camera feeling really uncomfortable. That’s a big part of my job is acquiring the look that everybody’s looking for and having everybody comfortable with it. But mostly with the cast member who has to get out there and work in it, I, basically, want them to get out there and go to work and forget about the wardrobe and just do their job. If they have to think about anything, whether it’s wardrobe or a prop or the set that’s bugging them or anything, they’re going to be distracted and it’s just not going to work.

B&TF: It brings in mind a scene in Season 4 when Shane was doing this underwear ad for Hugo Boss and, of course, Shane looked uncomfortable. Was it the same for Kate or was she just acting and having fun?

CS: (laughing) I think it was a little bit of both, you know. I think whenever anybody – I mean they all get naked to some degree on this show – but whenever the scene comes up and they actually have to do it, there’s a little apprehension, I think. They’re all slightly modest, and so they have a little apprehension with that and I think it shows a little bit. Once they get out there and doing it, I think they remember that it’s their character that they’re portraying and not themselves. It’s the same old crew from every season, so they know we’ve all seen them (laughing). So, then they’re more comfortable.

B&TF: This question came up from several people – what’s up with the matching outfits? Like in Season 1 when Dana and Tonya are dressed the same and then in Season 5 Alice and Clea Mason were wearing sort of the same outfits, and then Bette and Jodi when they were breaking up…so what’s up with that?

CS: The twin-ing; we call it twin-ing and it’s apparently an archetypal thing in the lesbian community where when two women are spending a lot of time together, they start to look the same or to dress the same, and/or even start to wear each other’s clothes. And so, we’ve chosen points in episodes to make a point with that; at important points. So, for instance, when Jodi and Bette are not getting along in that scene, it’s important for us to show them looking a lot alike, even though they’re moving apart. Like it’s sort of a turning point and the same with Dana and her partner, it was because Dana was really being manipulated, whether she knew it or not, but for the rest of us, we could see it because it’s starting to show and be apparent in her clothing.

B&TF: Last time I saw you in LA, you mentioned how excited you were to see a new character, Clea Mason being introduced, who is a fashion designer. Did you have any input in that storyline?

CS: Inadvertently. Ilene’s very talented so she just observes and writes really and sure, sure that’s the way it went down. It wasn’t like we sat down and I said, “Now, Ilene, this is how it goes in the costume department or as a designer.”

B&TF: Do you think she was based on you a little?

CS: Oh…I mean some of it.

B&TF: Are you as shy as Clea was on that show The Look?

CS: (laughing) You know sometimes…I mean, once you get into the interviews, you get into it but not at the very beginning. I don’t like going down the Red Carpet; I don’t like doing that unless I have to. But, yeah, maybe… (laughing)

B&TF: I read your blogs on Love and Pride website during Season 5 and a few times you talked about some scenes and emotions rather than just what clothes they wore. I remember one blog in particular where you talked about Bette and Tina kiss at the end of episode 504 and you said that everybody cried, pretty much. Can you tell me a little more about it?

CS: Well, you know, as we were all watching the struggle between Bette and Tina, and as you said before that you’re a fan, and if you’re watching that couple in particular, you’re rooting for them because they’re the family. They’re the couple that are the family, they seem to be the figureheads or the most stable in that sort of sense – traditional even – of all the girls. I think Jennifer and Laurel have done such a good job of making these two characters believable as being so in love.

I mean, Bette’s a hard person to live with, I think, she’s pretty tough, she’s always conflicted and she’s always in agony over something and Tina’s just so lovely and giving. I think it was really hard for all of us to watch Bette treat Tina so poorly and Tina stayed very constant, even though she went off the deep end a little bit and dated men. But she remained the same. And I think that all of us, watching them, were like with friends in real life. You see how good they are for each other and you really see that they do love each other. When they’re embroiled in the whole thing, they can’t see it, so you’re kind of wishing that you could tell them. It’s a movie and I think it’s hard being on the outside, kind of secretly going, “KISS HER, KISS HER NOW! YOU’RE BEING AN IDIOT! KISS HER NOW! GRAB HER, GRAB HER, DON’T LET GO!”

So when they finally did, it was like watching some of your best friends who have finally figured it out and you’ve been so invested in this for years now. It was just such a huge relief and it was so touching; I’m going to get teary right now.

B&TF: Every time I watch it, I still cry; even though I know the ending.

CS: I know, right? It’s just one of those moments. Kudos to those two for playing it off and making it believable on a television show that you’ve been watching for seasons and seasons. I mean, it’s not like we’re sitting here watching a two hour movie. I think it’s equally hard to get your message across but you, however, only have to do it once and then it’s done. These characters have had to do it believably for six seasons now.

B&TF: How many takes they did for that kiss, do you know?

CS: I don’t know, maybe three. Maybe they got it the first time. The two of them working together, they’re so in sync now. And they so know their characters and they know their characters’ relationship so well.

B&TF: What about that moment when they kiss and Bette starts crying and Tina is sort of comforting her and then they kiss again. Was that intentional as written in a script, do you think or improvisation?

CS: I think that probably was a little ad lib. I think there was direction in the script to feel that and go in that direction but again, I think it’s the two of them, slightly improving and/or feeling those emotions as the character. Yeah…

B&TF: I think it felt more emotional for me than the sex scenes that followed because it was so unexpected.

CS: Yeah. It was unexpected and it was a true emotional moment. There’s nothing gratuitous about it. It was definitely from the heart. It wasn’t anything really physical; it was completely emotional.

B&TF: And the song that played in the background was perfect. I downloaded it from iTunes.

CS: Did you? I don’t remember what it was.

B&TF: Alice Smith, “Dream”. It talks about you’ll never find another lover like me that loves you like I do. Them kissing and this song playing, it was a perfect moment.

CS: Yeah, yeah…

B&TF: So what can we expect for Bette to wear this season? Because she’s one of those characters where people sometimes they totally hate what she’s wearing, sometimes they totally love what she’s wearing. So, is she going to be alpha again, wearing all these suits…

CS: She’s definitely taken the alpha position but I can’t really divulge her character arch this year, but she again goes through a big shift.

B&TF: Is she still working at the CU?

CS: (laughter) Can’t say – ha, ha! Yes, big shift though. It will take her into the art world in the way that she really truly loves it. So she actually will become a little more glamorous.

B&TF: Hmm…will she become an artist? Start painting?

CS: Who knows? Who knows?

B&TF: Because I heard about shooting at the gallery last week for episode 2, so people start speculating – Oh, maybe she’ll start working at the gallery or she will start painting…there are a lot of rumors going on.

CS: Yes, there’s a lot of room for her to grow there. A lot of room for her story.

B&TF: We know they’re bringing in Elizabeth Berkley who is Jennifer Beals really good friend...

CS: Yeah.

B&TF: And we know Marlee Matlin is her really good friend, too. So, there’s speculation that Elizabeth’s character may be another love interest for Bette. Do you think Bette will cheat again after everything Tina and she had been through?

CS: What do I think personally or what do I know? I can’t say what I know. But personally, I don’t think she will.

B&TF: Ok. But what do you know?

CS: I can’t say (laughing)

B&TF: Can we expect maybe some struggle with that situation or will it be actually easy for Bette to decide?

CS: No. It’s never easy for Bette. Bette’s character always struggles deeply with everything and everybody else’s life around her is hell when she goes through these kinds of things. So, I think she’ll struggle. She’ll definitely struggle. She always does.

B&TF: Will Tina be there for her?

CS: Tina does – not to say that Tina never had any backbone – but Tina has always been the giving, pretty easy going person who kind of finds the best way through every situation without a lot of rub. I think this season Tina’s not going to lose that but Tina’s going to get a little more backbone. She’s been through a lot, and now there’s the baby and the baby’s growing up. So I think she’s going to have a little more reserve for herself.

B&TF: Are all of the major characters back? At least the ones on your fashion board.

CS: Yes, everybody is back.

B&TF: Including Max?

CS: Oh, yes, including Max. Max has a huge storyline which I can’t tell you but he/she has a huge storyline this year. I think everyone is going to be shocked and amazed and excited.

B&TF: Which of the characters is the most fun to dress?

CS: Oh, I hate that question. They’re all really fun in different ways. I love shopping for Jennifer because she is such a couture body and she wears great suits. She’s wearing Alexander de Queen and she wears Stella McCartney, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana and she wears them very easily. And, it all makes sense. So, on one level I love shopping for her because I can rely on it and I can rely on the look; whatever it is that’s new this season to be reflective of what we’ve done before, but new for this season because designers always come out with great suit pieces. However for an exciting sort of side, it’s Jenny.

B&TF: Sometimes she wears the weirdest stuff…

CS: She wears the weirdest stuff. Her wardrobe is mainly driven by her character as opposed to fashion; whereas a lot of the other ones are driven by the character initially but now that we know them so well, it’s all about – “Oh, I have this great suit. I can wear this here or I have this great dress or I have this great pair of shoes…”

Whereas with Jenny, every episode it’s like Jenny’s doing this or Jenny’s doing that and then you add Mia to the mix and it’s like a big party every time we have a wardrobe fitting because there’s just so many bits and pieces that we throw in. We make it up as we go along. So, it’s pretty exciting. We definitely improvise with her.

B&TF: Is it true that, even though they wear high heels all the time, they hate them and change them as soon as possible?

CS: Ah, yeah because they have long days, they have 12 hour days. They’re not going to have the heels on for 12 hours. So, they put their uggs on in between and their flip flops (laughing). My fabulous set person has to unfortunately carry around all the shoes with her all the time because any moment that they call them back in, they have to throw the shoes back on (laughing).

B&TF: Another thing that you also mentioned in that blog that you were in Salt Lake City working on another movie.

CS: We were actually shooting in Provo, in the mall. “American Mall” is the movie. It was a great project, it actually just premiered in Los Angeles on Monday night and I was there. That was the first time I saw it on the giant screen and complete, because, of course, I always see dailies or rough cuts or director’s cuts. And I was happily surprised because you know, it’s the sister show to “High School Musical”, same producers but it’s for MTV.

The characters are that year before college; they’re all between 18 and 19. So, they’re a little bit older and the music’s a little more rock and roll; it’s not Disney. It’s MTV so it’s a little more rock and roll, a little bit edgier and shooting in Utah was great. It was amazing. It was my first time ever doing that, shooting in that state. I had a great time. Again, watching the movie and everything that was going for me personally there - it completely brought it all back.

Thanks to Cynthia Summer for her time. Be sure to check out American Mall in addition to The L Word Season 6!