Kid Confidential

Costume Designers Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 892: “Never work with animals or children.” W.C. Fields’ advice wasn’t just part of his grumpy persona, he knew audiences gravitate to the adorable actors. Not only can they steal every scene, their nature is in a word—unpredictable. We spoke to three costume designers about their experiences with young thespians. Catherine Adair’s show, The Mysterious Benedict Society, premiered on Disney+ in June 2021. Soyon An has won a Daytime Emmy for Julie and the Phantoms, as has Cynthia Summers for her work on The Baby-Sitters Club. They give us a glimpse of what it is like working with a pint-sized cast with powerhouse energy.