Costumes kept a secret to entire audience

One of the best-kept secrets about "Alien" is how outlandish the costumes will look. MFA costume design student Kristen Held came up with the designs based on Jonathan Yukich's descriptions in the play.\nAlthough reporters have been clamoring to get a preview, especially of the alien costume itself, their requests have been turned down. \n"People have seen sketches, but nobody has seen the actual (costumes)," Noah Tuleja said. "They were told, 'if you want to see the alien, you have to come see the show.'"\nSome of the outrageous costumes the roles demand have proved a challenge for actors to work with. Senior theater and drama major Kacie Leblong plays Ginger, one of the pair of escaped convicts disguised as Siamese nuns. For her role, she has had to re-learn how to move around the stage while chained to her acting partner.\n"At first we had a lot of trouble. The first rehearsal all we did was try to run," Leblong said. "We had to do it about 15 times ... and then afterward we had these huge bruises."\nAnother complication Leblong faced was her involvement in more than one aspect of the production. As part of a costuming course she is taking to fulfill her theater requirements, she has ended up sewing her own nun costume. \n"I'm worried that if I mess it up, I'll be messed up," she said.