Sharaff, Irene (1910–93), designer. The Boston‐born costumer studied in America and in Paris before serving as assistant to Aline Bernstein at the Civic Repertory Theatre. Working alone or with distinguished collaborators, she later created the stylish, color‐splashed costumes for such shows as As Thousands Cheer (1933), Life Begins at 8:40 (1934), Jubilee (1935), Idiot's Delight (1936), On Your Toes (1936), The Boys from Syracuse (1938), Lady in the Dark (1941), The King and I (1952), Candide (1956), West Side Story (1957), Funny Girl (1964), Sweet Charity (1966), and the 1973 revival of Irene. The Theatre Development Fund annually honors costume achievement with the TDF/ Irene Sharaff Award, named after her.
The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.