JENNIFER OBERG
Jennifer Oberg has been a Designer, Master Dressmaker and Costume Technician for 30 years.
She started her career in acclaimed theater companies. She was on staff in the costume shops at Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger (King Lear, Richard III, Othello), Washington Opera in Washington D.C. (La Boheme, Magic Flute), and Old Globe in San Diego (Forever Plaid). She began as a Stitcher in the shops and worked her way up to First Hand, then Cutter/Draper. She worked with Tony Award winning costume designers Martin Pakledinez and Zack Brown, among others.
An opportunity to work on a new television series brought her to Hollywood, where she built costumes for film, television and commercials. She worked with Emmy Award winning costume designers Robert Blackman and Kathy O'Rear, and Academy Award nominated costume designers Aggie Guerard Rodgers and Arianne Philips, among others.
Shows she worked on include Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Inventing the Abbotts, Star Trek Generations, Babylon 5, Lois and Clark, Frasier, A Civil Action, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Star Trek: DS9 and Voyager, Quiz Show, Last Man Standing, and Tank Girl.
Performers she worked with include Liv Tyler, Wynonna, Ashley and Naomi Judd, Darryl Hannah, Kevin Costner, Melissa Gilbert, Jane Seymour, Connie Selleca, RuPaul, Malcolm McDowell, Angie Dickinson and others.
She is a member of IATSE Local 705, Motion Picture Costumers in Los Angeles, as a costume manufacturing foreperson, the highest level in the custom-made section of Local 705. She supervised up to 25 costume technicians, working on multiple productions at once.
She studied Apparel Manufacturing Management at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, and Professional Patternmaking at the London College of Fashion in the UK.
In 2001, Jennifer relocated to Maui with her husband, to start a family away from the chaos of Los Angeles.
Not having any luck breaking into the tightly-knit Maui theater scene, she opened Jennifer Oberg Atelier, a professional sewing and design studio, in Makawao Town. She started making custom wedding gowns for Maui clients instead.
Then in 2019, Maui actor/performer Eric Gilliom found her, and asked for help to make his costumes for his new show White Hawaiian. She worked with him again in 2023 for his role in Rocky Horror.
In 2021, the Executive Director of Alexander Academy of Performing Arts Danelle Keenen also found her, and asked for help with costumes for their new production of The Nutcracker Ballet.
Jennifer is now the Costume Director for Alexander Academy of Performing Arts, having worked on Midsummer Night's Dream and The Nutcracker Ballet, with Swan Lake to follow in Summer 2024.
She is also the founder of The Sewing Hui of Maui. Started in 2020 to address the need for medical grade face masks for healthcare providers on Maui, this dedicated group of sewing volunteers has gone on to make a variety of items for the Maui non-profit community. Over 30,000 items have been made by this group - including blankets,wheelchair bags, face masks, costumes, curtains, pillowcases and Christmas stockings for those affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires, and more.
Jennifer is grateful to have a wonderful Executive Assistant in Yasmine Lindskog. She has a creative background that blends seamlessly into her work. She holds a BFA in dance from California State University Long Beach and a MA in Contemporary Dance from the London Contemporary Dance School. She has performed throughout the USA, Europe, and China, performing works by Shobana Jeyasingh, Tony Adigun, FLOCK, Hagit Yakira Dance, Kaeja d'Dance, Robert Moses, and cia Jordi L. Vidal, amongst others. As a teaching artist, Yasmine has taught dance workshops in the USA, the UK, Belgium, Czech, Italy, and Portugal. Coming from an extensive dance background she brings practical experience working together with nonprofit arts and dance organizations in arts administration. She worked as a dancer and co-director for the community outreach programs for Adaptations Dance Theater, Maui’s professional contemporary dance company.
Jennifer lives in an imaginative household. Her husband Craig Mullins is a concept designer, illustrator and artist. Their son Micah and daughter Sara have both shown an interest in theater, both in acting and the technical side of production. Micah has performed at ProArts Theatre in Kihei and Maui OnStage in Wailuku, and with Alexander Academy. Micah works with Jennifer in the sewing studio, and he is showing great promise. Sara is finishing up high school at Seabury Hall, where she has been involved in various productions. She is applying to colleges to study Technical Theatre, specifically lighting design. The family has 4 cats - Purrlo, Nifty, Mimi and Angel. A peahen adopted them on Christmas Eve and lives in the yard. Their house is not perfectly clean and organized, however there is an abundance of jolly creativity going on.
Best of Weddings by The Knot for three years in a row!