She has been at her 249 Meyer St. location for six years and in the costume business for 20, offering a vast assortment of costumes and accessories "from cavemen forward," she said.
A tour of her shop winds through a maze of rooms, corridors and nooks, all bulging with clothing and accessories: fringed '20s chemises, feather boas, sequined belts, hundreds of shoes, wigs, hoop skirts and formal gowns. One section contains hippie outfits and another, cowboy gear.
There are sewing rooms, too, for creating costumes to order and for repairs.
Sullivan started her business in her home in 1987 when directors Jerry Miller and Dawn McConnell, then directing Theatre Out of a Suitcase, asked her to costume their show, "Taming of the Shrew." This was followed by Noel Coward's "Private Lives," in which she had a small part. But acting was not for her; she was much more interested in dressing the cast.
"I just wanted to play dress-up," she said.
Soon her inventory outgrew her home. "There was no more 'home' there," she said. She rented a shop on Orange Avenue and later moved out to the present warehouse.
Sullivan came to Chico from San Diego with her two young sons in 1980, following the breakup of a marriage. Explaining her four failed marriages, she quipped, "Hey, I'm an optimist! I believe in marriage!"
She learned about costumes in books, online and in studying period paintings, which she says offer solid information about clothing. She studied library science and art at Sonoma State and Chico State universities.
"My costumes are historically correct," she said.
Sullivan has worked on productions for nearly every local theater, including Birdcage, Chico Cabaret, Chico Theater Company, Blue Room, and Theatre on the Ridge. Children's theater and school events, and the public, have their special needs as well.
One recent theater job Sullivan particularly enjoyed was "The Secret Garden," with two of her favorite directors, Dan Valdez and Pat Kopp. In accord with their wishes, she designed costumes in black, white and gray, varying the effects with textures.
For the final scene, bright color added to each costume created a splashy, colorful garden and provided great dramatic impact.
During summers, when there is less theater and school activity requiring her skills, Sullivan goes to renaissance faires in Northern California. Typic-ally, a fair takes up her entire weekend: She travels to the location on Friday, sets up her tent and sleeps in it, and displays her costumes and accessories for sale to fairgoers on Saturday and Sunday.
"I curl my hair, because fairies have curly hair," she said, "and take on the character of Crispy Crinkle Fairy," a non-threatening persona through whom she can interact with the many children who attend the fairs.
She creates and sells children's renaissance costumes. However, she makes certain to have some 25-cent items in her booth so children can purchase something with their own money.
Late Sunday afternoon, when the fair closes, she packs up and heads home.
Alter Ego is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for "Ren Faire" weekends, and by appointment. Call 894-1346.
