For those searching for the right costume for any occasion, Susan Wideman, proprietor of The Backstage Closet, can help piece together something unique. Located inconspicuously behind The Village at Fairview off Hwy. 5, Wideman’s tin warehouse does not look like it would house the world of make-believe found inside, save for the paparazziesque red carpet leading to the front door. “We have a lot of weird stuff … anything you need,” Wideman said. “Just the other day, the Allen City Council was going to a fundraiser, and it was a ‘dinosaur hunt.’ They needed five pith hats.” No stranger to collectible oddities, the former schoolteacher and her husband also own Bear Market, offering eclectic antiques in neighboring downtown McKinney. Wideman said she had an epiphany one day when a local production company liked a piece in their antique shop. “They only needed it for a few hours, so I thought, ‘This is great. They rent it, and I get it back,’” she said, laughing. Two years ago, as part of a compromise to rid their house of her lifelong collection of costumes, the Widemans decided to open a rental shop. The Backstage Closet is mainly accessible by appointment. With enough advance notice, Wideman said she can fulfill just about anyone’s costume needs. “We do a lot of stuff like school projects,” Wideman said. “They will come in and say, ‘I have to be Albert Einstein.’ We just finished doing ‘Les Miserables,’ outfitting two lead roles.” Her shop has been a disguise depot for local stage productions, TV commercials, magazine photo shoots and masquerade balls. Visitors will find everything from disco to Disney, and from the late comic actress Phyllis Diller to superheroes. The business rents in kids’ sizes, which, Wideman said, is a rarity in the costume-rental business. Wideman’s large collection stems from her obsession with funky and bizarre clothing, she said. Her team scours local thrift stores and estate sales to make sure they have everything on hand to handle even the oddest request. “We carry lots of small props and will supply a lot of the one-act plays that the schools do or even play competitions where they may get extra points for a 1920s phone,” Wideman said. So if a customer is looking for that perfect outfit for a steampunk-themed wedding or just wants to get their teenager that MC Hammer look for spirit week, Wideman said she is happy to help. “It’s really a happy place to work, and you get to see a lot of crazy stuff,” she said. For appointments, Wideman can be reached at 214-383-6707 or [email protected].