Clothing can reflect an individual's personality, culture, and preferences. Sometimes, people's outfits are the first thing others notice about them. On Friday, July 9, and Saturday, July 10, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Penn Manor Theatre group will host a costume sale. The event will take place at Manorfield Farm, 1411 Prospect Road, Columbia.

The costume storage room and some other theater spaces in Penn Manor High School (PMHS) were emptied for a deep clean in 2019. Considering the upcoming phase of the PMHS construction project, it was necessary to remove items from the campus entirely. At that time, Melissa Mintzer, assistant director of the PMHS fall play and spring musical and director of Thespian Troop 274, and Carole Shellenberger, director of the PMHS fall play and former director of Thespian Troop 274, asked theater families to take bags of clothing home. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, work was paused, and the items have been in storage ever since.

For the past two weeks, all the items in storage have been evaluated, and Mintzer and Shellenberger have identified several items to sell. The items for sale are from PMHS' "costume inventory," but consist of a collection of clothing that spans many styles and time periods.

"This sale will be the perfect opportunity for those interested in cosplay, vintage clothing, and formal event wear," stated Mintzer. "We will be selling fur coats, ball gowns, trench coats, purses, and more."

All sales will be cash only. Buyers will be able to fill a bag for one flat fee. Certain items, such as authentic fur coats, will be priced separately. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Penn Manor theatre group's booster club.

"I'm looking forward to finding good homes for our costumes," said Shellenberger. "I experienced a lot of nostalgic feelings going through everything."

For some of the items that are specific to shows, Mintzer will contact other Thespian troupes and high school directors. Those items have been separated from the sale. "A local district is planning to perform "Beauty and the Beast," so we're happy to pay it forward whenever possible," stated Mintzer.

PMHS is planning to have a live performance for its fall play in November. It will be the first live theater production on the new stage. For more information, email melissa.mintzer@pennmanor.net or carole.shellenberger@pennmanor.net. In the event of inclement weather, the costume sale will be pushed back by one week. Updates for the costume sale will be posted on social media. Search for "Penn Manor Theatre" on Facebook or @pmtheatre on Instagram.