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Sewing machines hum steadily inside the costume shop at the University of Iowa. Rows of costumes line the room, each piece carefully measured, stitched and prepared for upcoming performances. Students move between dress forms, adjusting hems and pinning fabric as productions take shape.

Today, the costume shop continues to support dance and opera productions across campus. Performances ranging from high-stakes operas to student-produced dance performances rely on the work done in this space. Each costume requires careful measurement, construction and attention to detail. Often, creating these pieces takes long hours of skill and collaboration among designers, staff and performers.

The shop has long been a foundation of the university’s performing arts community, designing, building and creating costumes for a wide variety of productions. For many students and staff, the work feels routine — part of the rhythm of theatre and performance at the university.

But it wasn’t always that way.

June 12, 2008.

A day just like any other quickly turned into devastation.

Rain swept through the University of Iowa, and the campus was quickly engulfed in water. The Iowa river rose to levels no one had ever seen before. Among all the buildings affected by the flood, Hancher Auditorium, one of the top music venues in the country, house rehearsal spaces, production areas, and the costume shop, which supports other departments such as dance, opera, and music.

For the Costume Shop, the flood was a turning point in the reshaping of how they function in the coming years. From their ideas and execution of performances, ranging from high stakes operas to student produced dance performances. Each piece of a costume takes careful measurement, construction and care. Often creating these pieces takes long hours of skill and collaboration among the designers and performers.

Cindy Kubu, costume shop manager for dance and opera, has worked at Hancher since 1987. Her connection to Hancher stretches back even further. She remembers attending shows in the original building with her dad. Little did she know that she would have a career in that same space. She said her work combines creativity, craftsmanship and history.

“I love history and that really feeds me soul... I love it. I can’t believe I get to do what I do.”

Cindy Kubu

In the days leading up to the flood, Hancher staff watched the news and monitored the water levels. All while prepping for upcoming shows. The costume shop was preparing for their summer opera. Cindy said they were uncertain about what would happen as the water levels rose.

“We kept watching the water, literally, and getting reports from the DNR about the water and where it was,” she said. “We didn't really know what the scale was going to be.”

Eventually, University of Iowa officials ordered the building on the west side to be evacuated, and the National Guard was deployed to secure the area.

Staff members had little time to protect or move equipment and materials before leaving the area. Many items were moved to higher levels, but long-term exposure to water caused losses.

Previous Flood Water Levels

Despite those losses, the costume shop adapted quickly. The department was relocated to temporary facilities and continued to operate with minimal resources. Cindy described the early setup as basic and functional. They took everything they had and created a skeleton of the costume shop.

The university leased an empty building and worked with local contractors to create temporary workspaces. Some offices were relocated to a former fraternity house. Production areas were built of temporary walls and equipment. The move pushed staff and students to be flexible, as the routines they had before changed, along with their travel to and from the shop.

The costume shop managed their responsibilities to the performers and their productions. Students still attended fitting and rehearsals, despite the change. Cindy said that the students played a key role in keeping the program running.

“They [the students] carpooled. They took the bus. They got out there to us.”

The temporary relocation lasted for several years, and the university planned and rebuilt a new performing arts facility. Through that time, departments across campus adjusted and worked together to maintain the programs. The costume shop expanded its temporary setup, and began functioning as a full working space, capable of supporting the wide variety of productions throughout the academic year. Throughout the rebuilding process, university staff and leadership focused on problem-solving and long-term recovery. Cindy said the experience required constant adaptation and teamwork.

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“When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade,” she said, recalling a meeting where administrators encouraged the staff to focus on the solutions rather than the setbacks.

Years after the flood in 2013, the construction of the new Hancher Auditorium began. This rebuild marked a key step forward to recovery for the costume shop and all the performing arts departments. Staff were heavily involved in the planning and layout of the new workspaces; they ensured that the faculty would be better supported in this new space. The new building offers modern features, including improved lighting and more storage areas for the costume shop.

When the new Hancher opened in 2016, it was a major milestone for the University of Iowa’s arts community. The new permanent home allowed the departments to resume operations at full capacity. For many of the staff members, the new opening represented resilience after multiple years of uncertainty and relocation.

Cindy reflected on that experience and described the rebuilding process as both challenging and rewarding. She shared that at times it was scary and frustrating, but in the end, they made it happen.

Today, the costume shop looks different than it did before the flood — not just physically, but culturally. The new facility provides improved workspaces, better storage, and more efficient production areas. Staff members now work in an environment designed specifically to support their craft.

The flood strengthened relationships between students, staff, and departments across campus. It created a shared sense of responsibility and teamwork that continues to shape the performing arts community today.

The same spirit that brought students to fittings by bus and carpool during the relocation still exists in the costume shop now — in the way students collaborate, support one another and show up for productions.

The story of the costume shop is not only about loss and recovery. It is about persistence, adaptation and community.

What began as a devastating flood ultimately strengthened the sense of connection that keeps the arts moving at the university.

More than a decade later, sewing machines continue to hum, costumes continue to be built and performances continue to take the stage. And behind every production is a community that learned how to rebuild — one stitch at a time.