Teaching Costume Design and Costume Rendering: A Guide for Theatre and Performance Educators [1 ed.] 9780367608408, 9780367608415, 9781003102502

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Teaching Costume Design and Costume Rendering Teaching Costume Design and Costume Rendering: A Guide for Theatre and Performance Educators clarifes the teaching process for Costume Design and Costume Rendering courses and offers a clear and tested path to success in the classroom. Drawing on the knowledge and experience of the author’s twenty-fve years of teaching as well as many decades of work by multiple other educators, this book provides a clear roadmap for teaching these two popular theatre courses. It includes information on pedagogical theory, creating syllabi, preparing and structuring classes, crafting lectures, and analyzing students’ work, with a heavy focus on specifc teaching projects that have been proven to work in the classroom. All aspects of teaching costume design and rendering are considered, including body awareness, cultural sensitivities, script analysis, elements and principles of design, psychology of dress, choosing fabrics, period styling, and requirements of dance costumes and working with student designers. Included in the appendices are sample syllabi, and additional reading and research resources. Teaching Costume Design and Costume Rendering is a guide for theatre and performance educators ranging from secondary education to undergraduate programs and graduate studies. It is a valuable resource both for costume educators approaching costume design and rendering classes for the frst time and for experienced instructors looking for new material for these courses. Jennifer Flitton Adams, B.A. Liberal Arts, Sarah Lawrence College; M.F.A. Theatre/Costume Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer also studied art and fashion design in Florence, Italy at the Centro Lorenzo de’Medici and the Accademia della Moda, and has been a costume designer for over thirty years. She has taught and designed as an Associate Professor of Theatre/Costume Design at Shenandoah University since 1999, in addition to professional design work at many regional theatres around the United States.

Teaching Costume Design and Costume Rendering A Guide for Theatre and Performance Educators

Jennifer Flitton Adams

Designed cover image: Front: Still Life project, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University Back: Taylor Ann Vanaman and Alexus Campbell, photo by Jennifer Flitton Adams First published 2023 by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 and by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Jennifer Flitton Adams The right of Jennifer Flitton Adams to be identifed as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-0-367-60840-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-60841-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-10250-2 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502 Typeset in GillSansStd-Light by Apex CoVantage, LLC

For James Berton Harris – mentor and friend

v

C O N T E N T S

List of Figures List of Tables Foreword Preface

CHAPTER 1

xv xxi xxiii xxv

OVeRARChING CONCePTS

1

INTRODUCTION

1

TeAChING STUDeNTS hOw TO ReSeARCh eFFeCTIVeLY

1

CReATIVITY AND eVALUATION

3

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND COSTUMe DeSIGN IN The CLASSROOM

5

SeNSITIVITY ISSUeS FOR COSTUMe DeSIGNeRS

9

CHAPTER 2

STRUCTURING The CLASS

13

INTRODUCTION

13

BUILDING BLOCkS Writing a Syllabus Planning a Class Schedule Costume Design: What to Cover? Costume Rendering: What to Cover?

13 13 19 20 21

CONSIDeRING YOUR AUDIeNCe Graduates vs. Undergraduates

21 21

CLASS TOOLS Using an Online Platform Writing Relevant Lectures Using Textbooks Production Critiques and Discussion Boards Using Abstract Collages

22 22 24 25 26 27

vii

viii

Contents

Using Research Boards Using Pinterest and Other Online Systems TeAChING MeThODS Online Teaching Incorporating IDE and Inclusive Pedagogy CHAPTER 3

COSTUMe DeSIGN: The CLASS

28 28 29 29 30 35

INTRODUCTION

35

COSTUMe DeSIGN AS A STAND-ALONe CLASS FOR UNDeRGRADUATeS

36

LeCTUReS FOR The COSTUMe DeSIGN CLASS

38

LeCTURe ONe – COSTUMeS AND COSTUMe DeSIGNeRS: whAT IS TheIR FUNCTION? What is a Costume? What is a Costume Designer? The Stylist Function of a Costume

39 39 39 40 41

Design for the Theatre

42

LeCTURe TwO – The ROLe OF The COSTUMe DeSIGNeR IN The TheATRe STRUCTURe Requirements of the Costume Designer Organization of a Theatre The Fully Staffed Costume Shop: Who Works There?

44 44 44 47

LeCTURe ThRee – The DeSIGN PROCeSS Designer Receives an Offer to Design a Show Reading the Script The Costume List and Plot Meeting With the Director and Other Designers Research The Character Color Fabric Choices Renderings The Ideal Build Process The Dress Rehearsal Process Opening Night

48 48 48 49 51 51 53 53 54 54 56 56 57

LeCTURe FOUR – The eLeMeNTS AND PRINCIPLeS OF DeSIGN Elements of Design Principles of Design The Script and Its Style

57 57 62 65

Contents

ix

LeCTURe FIVe –The PSYChOLOGY OF DReSS Beginning of Modern Fashion in Western Society Why do Accepted Styles, or Fashions, Change? What Causes Fashion Changes? What Makes Fashions Change More Slowly? What Makes Fashions Change More Quickly? The Psychology of Dress The Psychology of Color

65 66 66 67 67 67 68 72

LeCTURe SIX – DeSIGN STYLeS Different Types of Shows Have Different Styles That can Affect Costume Design Choices How Does Show Type Vary? Realism vs. Stylization Using Period Research Fabric Choices Size of House Type of Show

77 77 78 78 79 79 80 81

LeCTURe SeVeN – ChOOSING FABRIC; FABRIC AND COSTUMe DeSIGN What Makes Up Fabric? What Does a Designer Consider When Choosing a Fabric?

82 82 83

LeCTURe eIGhT – BUDGeTS Considering Period Tracking Spending Costing, or Estimating the Cost for a Show

87 88 88 89

LeCTURe NINe – DIVeRSITY IN The INDUSTRY The Current Industry Does Broadway Let Diverse Artists Tell Diverse Stories? How will Things Change?

90 90 90 91

LeCTURe TeN – The LIFe OF A COSTUMe Conception Development Realization The Fully Staffed Costume Shop: Who Works There? Dress Parade Dress Rehearsal Opening Night

92 92 93 95 95 97 97 97

MeASURING kNOwLeDGe ReTeNTION

97

COSTUMe DeSIGN FOR GRADUATe STUDeNTS

98

x

Contents

COSTUMe DeSIGN CLASSeS FOR SeCONDARY eDUCATION AND NON-DeSIGN MAJOR UNDeRGRADUATeS

98

COLLABORATION IN The DeSIGN CLASSROOM

100

BIBLIOGRAPhY Diversity Articles

101 101

CHAPTER 4

COSTUMe DeSIGN PROJeCTS

103

INTRODUCTION

103

PROJeCTS Projects for Beginners and Non-Majors

104 104

ReSeARCh PROJeCTS CULMINATING IN DeSIGN

114

SCRIPT ANALYSIS PROJeCTS Semester-Long Design Project Projects That Use Music Projects That Use Art Projects That Use Fabric and Swatching Projects That Explore Character Development Projects That Utilize Well-Known Figures Projects That Use Diverse and Non-Western Cultures

118 120 122 124 127 130 140 145

CROSS-LISTeD PROJeCTS Diverse and Non-Western Projects from Other Sections and Chapters Other Projects That Use Music Other Projects That Use Fabric and Swatching Projects More Appropriate for Graduate Students Scripts

146 146 147 147 147 147

CHAPTER 5

COSTUMe ReNDeRING CLASS: The CLASS

149

INTRODUCTION Learning Outcomes Evidence of Student Learning

149 150 150

whAT TO COVeR IF YOU ONLY hAVe ONe CLASS

150

wORkDAYS, FeeDBACk, AND GRADING

151

The FIRST CLASS

152

CLASS SUPPLIeS

153

Contents

xi

CLASS TOPICS Pencil and Charcoal Drawing From Life Approaching the Human Figure Watercolor Faces Hands and Feet Still Life and Fabric Painting Digital Rendering Figures in Motion

154 154 154 155 157 158 160 160 161 163

TeAChING A MORe ADVANCeD COURSe

164

PReVIOUS CLASS PROJeCTS OVeR The YeARS

166

TeAChING A MeRGeD COURSe

167

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND AND SheNANDOAh CONVeRSATIONS

167

weBSITeS

170

CHAPTER 6

COSTUMe ReNDeRING PROJeCTS

171

INTRODUCTION

171

PROJeCTS Modern Designers and Copywork Artists, Fashion, and Copywork Rendering Figures in Motion Representing Character in Rendering Styles Projects Working From Life Projects That Work with Color Projects That Use Art Projects That Use Fabric

171 172 173 175 177 178 181 183 186 188

CROSS-LISTeD PROJeCTS

190

CHAPTER 7

CONNeCTING COSTUMe DeSIGN AND FAShION hISTORY CLASSeS

193

INTRODUCTION

193

DeCeNTRALIzING AND The COSTUMe CLASSROOM

194

COMBINING COSTUMe DeSIGN wITh FAShION hISTORY

197

COSTUMe DeSIGN PROJeCTS TO AUGMeNT A FAShION hISTORY CLASS

198

xii

Contents

BIBLIOGRAPhY Referenced Scripts Referenced Websites CHAPTER 8

TeAChING COSTUMe DeSIGN FOR DANCe

201 202 202 203

INTRODUCTION

203

hOw DOeS DANCe COSTUMe DeSIGN DIFFeR FROM TheATRe?

203

wORkING wITh ChOReOGRAPheRS

204

The COSTUMe CLASS FOR DANCeRS

205

PROJeCTS FOR The COSTUMe CLASS FOR DANCeRS Group Dance Costume History Presentation Reading Assignment and Discussion Music Video Design Project Video Critique

206 206 207 207 208

The LeCTUReS FOR A COSTUMe CLASS FOR DANCeRS

208

FUNCTIONS OF DANCe COSTUMeS What is a Costume? What is a Costume Designer?

209 209 210

Primary and Secondary Associations Movement Communication

210 211 211

LIFe OF A DANCe COSTUMe Conception Development Presentation Realization The Fully Staffed Costume Shop: Who Works There? Dress Parade Dress Rehearsal

213 214 215 217 217 218 219 219

DANCe PROJeCTS FOR COSTUMe DeSIGN STUDeNTS

220

CHAPTER 9

MeNTORING STUDeNT COSTUMe DeSIGNeRS

223

INTRODUCTION

223

APPROAChING The MeNTORING ReLATIONShIP

223

GUIDeLINeS FOR STUDeNT DeSIGNeRS AND ASSISTANT DeSIGNeRS

224

Contents

xiii

The DeSIGN PROCeSS

226

The GRADING PROCeSS

228

MFA PROGRAMS AND The TheSIS

229

SeCONDARY eDUCATION AND COSTUMe DeSIGNeRS

230

Conclusion and Acknowledgments Appendix A – Facebook Groups for Costume Designers and Educators Appendix B – Useful Websites Appendix C – Syllabi Index

231 233 233 233 247

F I G U R E S

1-1. 1-2. 1-3. 1-4. 1-5. 2-1. 2-2. 2-3. 2-4. 3-1. 3-2. 3-3. 3-4. 3-5. 3-6. 3-7. 3-8. 3-9. 3-10. 3-11. 3-12. 3-13. 3-14. 3-15. 3-16. 3-17. 3-18. 3-19. 3-20. 3-21. 3-22. 3-23. 3-24. 3-25. 3-26. 3-27. 3-28. 3-29. 3-30.

Oberon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream “harmful Practices” “helpful Practices” Name Your Adjective Project Agnes, The House That Will Not Stand Minnie, Flyin’ West Peaseblossom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Collage for Flyin’ West Conchita, Anna in the Tropics Sylvia 3, Sylvia Color rough for Bunnicula Color palette for Niccolo and Nicolette Rough sketch for Penny, Hairspray Color rough for Bunnicula Final rendering for Fannie, Flyin’ West Line and Shape examples Shape examples Cleopatra 2, Caesar and Cleopatra Passer-by, The Cherry Orchard Color wheel, Complement, and Value Scales Guiding the eye 1 – Cinderella dress Repetition, Alternation, and Gradation examples Guiding the eye 2 – bodice Guiding the eye 3 – converging Lines Balance – Symmetrical examples Balance – Asymmetrical example: “zircon Dream” Proportion: Period Forms Project, elizabethan woman harmony: Dolly, Hello, Dolly! white: Anya, The Cherry Orchard Black: Cleopatra, Caesar and Cleopatra Red: Cleopatra, Caesar and Cleopatra Orange: Goods, Everyman Yellow: Alma, Summer and Smoke Green: herod, Jesus Christ Superstar Blue: Good Deeds, Everyman Purple: Queen Aggravain, Once Upon a Mattress Madge and hal, Picnic Lady Macbeth, Macbeth Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

8 9 10 10 11 20 21 27 31 38 38 54 54 54 55 58 58 59 59 61 62 62 63 63 64 64 64 65 73 73 74 74 75 75 76 76 77 77 77 xv

xvi

Figures

3-31. 3-32. 3-33. 3-34. 3-35. 3-36. 3-37. 3-38. 3-39. 3-40. 3-41. 3-42. 3-43. 3-44. 3-45. 3-46. 3-47. 3-48. 3-49. 4-1. 4-2. 4-3. 4-4. 4-5. 4-6. 4-7. 4-8. 4-9. 4-10. 4-11. 4-12. 4-13. 4-14. 4-15. 4-16. 4-17. 4-18. 4-19. 4-20. 4-21. 4-22. 4-23. 4-24. 4-25. 4-26. 4-27. 4-28. 4-29. 4-30.

elizabeth, Mary of Scotland Realistic Fabric: Passer-by, The Cherry Orchard Anachronistic Fabric: Sir harry, Once Upon a Mattress A realistic drama, “Victoria and Albert” A musical comedy, “Victoria and Albert” A classical ballet, “Victoria and Albert” A TV Farce, “Victoria and Albert” Small Textured Fabric Versus Flat Cotton Fabric Printed Vs woven Pattern Fabric Painting Project example of budget spreadsheet for Something Rotten! Rough sketch for Penny, Hairspray Color rough for Bunnicula Color palette for Niccolo and Nicolette Final rendering for Fannie, Flyin’ West Spring, The Four Seasons Summer, The Four Seasons Fall, The Four Seasons winter, The Four Seasons The Daughter, The Family Project The Father, The Family Project Music Video Project 1 Music Video Project 2 Spring, The Four Seasons Summer, The Four Seasons Fall, The Four Seasons winter, The Four Seasons Color wheel, Complement and Value Scales Clytemnestra, Electra Using Line Project Lois, Kiss Me, Kate Bianca, Kiss Me, Kate Don Quixote, Camino Reale Sancho, Camino Reale kilroy, Camino Reale esmeralda, Camino Reale Sylvia 1, Sylvia Sylvia 1, Sylvia Sylvia 1, Sylvia Goods, Everyman Frank, Flyin’ West Fannie, Flyin’ West Abstract, Opera Project Magda, La Rondine herod, Jesus Christ Superstar herod’s Backup, Jesus Christ Superstar Madge, Picnic hal, Picnic Fra Angelico, The Annunciation

80 80 80 81 81 82 82 84 84 85 88 93 93 94 94 99 99 99 99 105 105 106 106 107 107 107 108 108 109 111 115 115 116 116 116 117 119 119 119 120 121 122 123 123 124 124 126 126 127

Figures

4-31. 4-32. 4-33. 4-34. 4-35. 4-36. 4-37. 4-38. 4-39. 4-40. 4-41. 4-42. 4-43. 4-44. 4-45. 4-46. 4-47. 4-48. 4-49. 4-50. 4-51. 4-52. 4-53. 4-54. 4-55. 4-56. 4-57. 4-58. 4-59. 4-60. 4-61. 4-62. 5-1. 5-2. 5-3. 5-4. 5-5. 5-6. 5-7. 5-8. 5-9. 5-10. 5-11. 5-12. 5-13. 5-14. 5-15. 5-16. 5-17.

Romeo, Romeo and Juliet Juliet, Romeo and Juliet Dolly, Hello, Dolly! Macbeth, Macbeth Lady Macbeth, Macbeth The witches, Macbeth Marian 1, The Music Man Marian 2, The Music Man Marian 3, The Music Man Marian 4, The Music Man Anna, New Girl in Town Name Your Adjective Project Name Your Adjective Project Cleopatra 1, Caesar and Cleopatra Cleopatra 2, Caesar and Cleopatra Cleopatra 3, Caesar and Cleopatra Cleopatra 4, Caesar and Cleopatra Cleopatra 5, Caesar and Cleopatra Cleopatra 6, Caesar and Cleopatra Othello, Othello Desdemona, Othello Anya, The Cherry Orchard A Realistic drama, “Victoria and Albert” A Musical comedy, “Victoria and Albert” A Classical ballet, “Victoria and Albert” A TV Farce, “Victoria and Albert” hoss, The Tooth of Crime Crow, The Tooth of Crime Madonna as Lena horne, Actor to Actor Project The Princess kosmonopolis, Sweet Bird of Youth helen of Troy, The Trojan Women Chorus, Medea Drawing from Life – warm-up exercise 1 Drawing from Life – warm-up exercise 2 handout for eight head Figure Period Forms Victorian woman Period Forms Victorian man Color wheel, Complement and Value Scales Face in pencil Face in charcoal Agnes, The House That Will Not Stand Creon, Medea Mannequin with dress for Still Life Project Still Life Project Fabric Painting Project Digital rendering Digital rendering Digital rendering Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

xvii

127 127 129 130 130 130 131 132 132 132 133 135 135 136 136 136 137 137 137 138 139 139 141 141 141 141 142 142 143 145 145 146 154 155 156 156 157 157 158 159 159 159 161 161 161 162 162 162 163

xviii

5-18. 5-19. 5-20. 5-21. 5-22. 6-1. 6-2. 6-3. 6-4. 6-5. 6-6. 6-7. 6-8. 6-9. 6-10. 6-11. 6-12. 6-13. 6-14. 6-15. 6-16. 6-17. 6-18. 6-19. 6-20. 6-21. 6-22. 6-23. 6-24. 6-25. 6-26. 6-27. 6-28. 6-29. 6-30. 6-31. 6-32. 6-33. 6-34. 6-35. 6-36. 6-37. 7-1. 7-2. 7-3. 7-4. 7-5. 8-1. 8-2.

Figures

Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Prince in the style of Georgie Ripper, Princess and the Frog Project The Princess in the style of Georgie Ripper, Princess and the Frog Project Copy of a portion of Young Love, painting by Norman Rockwell Marker sample Copy of rendering by willa kim; Beth Bowles, Echoes of Harlem Period Forms Project, elizabethan woman Period Forms Project, Tudor man Copy of Godey’s Lady’s Book illustration, Copy of Godey’s Lady’s Book illustration Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Odette, The House That Will Not Stand Odette, The House That Will Not Stand Odette, The House That Will Not Stand, The Princess Styles Project, The Princess in the style of kate Greenaway, Princess and the Frog Project The Prince in the style of e. h. Shepard, Princess and the Frog Project The king in the style of Terrie Fry kasuba, Princess and the Frog Project Lucile, The Rehearsal The Countess, The Rehearsal Mannequin with dress for Still Life Project Still Life Project Still Life Project Still Life Project eurydice, Antigone (Black and white) eurydice, Antigone (Color) Mary, Mary of Scotland elizabeth, Mary of Scotland Ariste, The School for Husbands Léonor, The School for Husbands Lisette, The School for Husbands Pasquinot, The Romancers; a copy of Thomas Gainsborough’s painting The Countess Mary Howe Percinet, The Romancers; a copy of Jean-honoré Fragonard’s painting The Progress of Love: The Meeting The Goddesses, The Tempest Ariel, The Tempest Ariel, The Tempest Fabric Painting Project Conchita, Anna in the Tropics Marela, Anna in the Tropics Mary, Mary of Scotland elizabeth, Mary of Scotland Rendering for The Daughter, Family Project Lily, Kiss Me, Kate kate, Kiss Me, Kate Music Video Project Rough sketch for Penny, Hairspray

164 164 164 166 166 172 174 174 175 175 176 176 177 177 178 178 178 179 180 180 180 181 181 182 182 182 183 184 184 185 185 185 186 186 187 187 188 188 188 189 190 190 198 199 199 200 200 207 215

Figures

8-3. 8-4. 8-5. 8-6. 10-1–10-5. 10-6–10-10.

Color rough for Bunnicula Color palette for Niccolo and Nicolette Final rendering, Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Using Line Project Costume Design Syllabus Costume Rendering Syllabus

xix

215 216 216 220 234–238 240–244

T A B L E S

1-1. example of Rubric 3-1. Class schedule for Costume Design class 3-2. example of costume plot for Little Shop of Horrors 4-1. Adjectives for Abandoning the Color wheel 4-2. Characters for Abandoning the Color wheel 5-1. Class schedule for Rendering class with graphic arts 5-2. Class schedule for Studio 3 5-3. Class schedule for Design/Rendering combined class 7-1. Design program class fowchart 7-2. Class schedule for Design/Fashion history combined class 8-1. Class schedule for Costuming for Dance Class (design portion) 10-1. Class Schedule – Costume Design 10-2. Class Schedule – Costume Rendering

4 36 51 112 113 150 165 167 194 197 206 239 245

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F O R E W O R D

Impressive title! Several (!) years ago I was asked to teach as an adjunct at The Theatre School at DePaul University. I kept declining because I wasn’t sure that I could teach costume design even though I had been designing then for almost a decade. I felt it was instinctive and not really something that could be taught. (I hadn’t yet completed my MFA.) But ultimately teaching those classes was a real revelation. I learned as much from my students, if not more, than I taught them. Teaching made me reevaluate how I learn and how I see. I was and am a voracious reader. Because theatre refects life, history, culture, and society, the study of it has opened new doors with research into different eras and cultures. I am encouraged to delve into the world of a project that often means learning about new people, times, and places. while there are defnitely some areas of design that are instinctive and come from natural talent, there are also some basic rules or methods that can guide a student onto that creative path. Motivating creative thinking and discovery by providing specifc information to ground and structure the students’ endeavors is an important aspect of teaching any subject but is incredibly important in theatrical design. Think about it – design is all about choice. Dealing with text or ideas,

analyzing who, what, where, and why and understanding the implications of choice is essential in this collaborative endeavor whether for a play, an opera, a musical or a dance piece. You have to go beyond the pretty pictures found in research and question their validity for the project in hand. what is a costume? It tells a story, an insight into character whether fctional or real. why did you pick up this book? Did you play with dolls when you were a child (or do you still)? Did you make doll clothes from cloth or paper? was your creativity sparked by your favorite books, their characters and descriptions? Did you design their clothes in fact or in your imagination? Appreciate that process and pass it on! Professor Jennifer Flitton Adams has written this book to give you the tools to teach, hopefully with inspiration, exploration, and a sense of fun so that you and your students create together. Jessica hahn Professor emerita University of Michigan Department of Theatre & Drama

xxiii

P R E F A C E

There are many wonderful books on how to be a costume designer and practice this craft (and many of them are cited in this book), but, to my knowledge, there are few that explain how to teach this art form. I, like many of my fellow costume design friends who are teaching costume design and rendering in higher education, completed my Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Costume Design in preparation to teach, as well as to be a professional costume designer. It was not an education degree. I had the beneft of serving as a teaching assistant and teaching two of my own classes (Stage Makeup and Introduction to Costume Design and Technology) while working on my graduate degree, and this is more than many MFA costume students experience. My graduate school sent me to a one-weekend teaching workshop (they flmed me teaching and said, among other things, that I talked too fast . . . I’ve been working on that ever since). But this was not the same as taking classes in education. I didn’t even know what the word pedagogy meant. This book is for all those students completing their graduate degree and taking on their frst higher education teaching position in costume design (undergraduate programs, graduate, or both). It’s for those teaching highschool students, who are searching for where to start when approaching teaching about costumes. It’s for professors who are looking for new ideas and projects, and different ways of approaching material. It’s about using the craft of that big word, pedagogy. In short, it’s the book I wish I had had when I started teaching twenty-fve years ago. This book shares costume teaching strategies and projects that work. bell hooks, in her book Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, says, “engaged pedagogy does not seek simply to empower students. Any classroom that employs a holistic model of learning will also be a place where teachers grow and are empowered by the process” (hooks 21). I love this focus on the holistic nature of the classroom; the idea that skills in teaching are a lifelong process, and that we as teachers learn from our students just as they learn from us. This is a book on pedagogy, or the study of teaching methods, specifcally in costume design

and costume rendering. It is not a student textbook or a how-to-design-and-draw book; there are plenty of worthy books out there. This book is meant to help in understanding how to teach these subjects. It will cover syllabi, preparing and structuring classes and lectures, analyzing students’ work and giving constructive feedback to help them learn to be costume designers, and it will have a heavy focus on specifc teaching projects for both costume design and rendering. But this book will also include the holistic approach to teaching that hooks covers so beautifully in Teaching to Transgress, discussing inclusive pedagogy, cultural appropriation in the design classroom, and the concept of decentering dominant viewpoints, sometimes referred to as decolonizing. I would be remiss if I did not point out that over the years, in my classes, I have often used, with permission, the projects I was taught at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign by James Berton harris (JB) who retired in 2007. As I collected projects for the book, both my own and those I had used from other professors, I realized that I wanted to document as many of JB’s projects as possible. JB has been a mentor and friend for many years, and he has had a huge hand in shaping my career. he has been extremely generous in allowing me to use his projects, and in working with me to reconstruct them. Some I have used, sometimes with adaptations, in my own classes; others, I experienced as a graduate student. All are worthy and deep explorations of the art of costume design and rendering. Some projects came from other professor friends and from the USITT Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology, volumes 1 and 2. I have experienced every project in this book, either as a student, a professor, or in many cases, both. These are not theoretical projects that have never seen the classroom; they have been used for years, often by multiple professors. each one, in addition to the description, has notes from me and from others about our success working with them over time. whether you are a recent graduate or a seasoned educator, I hope you will fnd something useful in this book. It speaks of the love I have for the craft of costume design and xxv

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Preface

rendering, for teaching that craft, and for all the students, past and present, who have worked with me and let me practice the art of pedagogy in their classroom. Jennifer Flitton Adams Associate Professor of Theatre/Costume Design, Shenandoah University September 2022

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK In the nine chapters that comprise this book, we will look at structuring costume design and rendering classes as well as class projects. Chapter 1 covers overarching topics such as research, creativity and evaluation, cultural appropriation and the classroom, and issues such as body awareness, designing for multiple shapes, and cultural sensitivities in the ftting room. Chapter 2 covers syllabi, lectures, class schedules, online platforms such as Canvas, textbooks, and classwork like show critiques, abstracts, and collages. Chapter 2 also includes discussion of online teaching as well as inclusion, diversity, and equity and the use of inclusive pedagogy. Design projects are specifcally covered in Chapters 4 and 6.

Chapters 3 (Costume Design) and 5 (Costume Rendering) break down the classes themselves, in terms of lecture material and approaching the class. Chapter 7 discusses the role of Fashion history classes in educational costume design as well as the role of decentering in the design classroom, and Chapter 8 deals with costume design for dance, and the differences in teaching dance and theatrical costume design. Chapter 9 covers the role of the mentor for student costume designers. The book concludes with syllabi examples and other resources.

BIBLIOGRAPHY USITT, ed. Judy Adamson and Martha A. Marking, Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium (A Project of the USITT Costume Design and Technology Commission, Volume 2), Liverpool: USITT, 2012–13 hooks, bell, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Price of Freedom, New York: Routledge Press, 1994 USITT, ed. Patricia Martin, Anne hoste, Donna Meester, and Pam Rehberg, Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium (A Project of the USITT Costume Design and Technology Commission), Liverpool: USITT, 1998

CHAPTER 1 O V E R A R C H I N G

C O N C E P T S

INTRODUCTION This chapter addresses concepts that I believe are germane to both costume design and costume rendering classes. They are issues that I think are critical, each for their own reasons, for any costume educator to consider and include in the classroom. These are the topics that will be included: •

Teaching Students How to Research Effectively – research will be necessary for any design project in either class, and teaching students how to research is complex and ever-evolving.

•

Creativity and Evaluation is a big subject, applicable to any class in the arts – included are my methods and how I address it in class.

•

Cultural Appropriation has become a huge national conversation, as well as in our industry; I explain my viewpoint, with help from others, and how I have approached it as an educator.

•

Sensitivity Issues for Costume Designers – fnally, there is discussion of the role of the costume designer in terms of issues such as body awareness, designing for multiple shapes, and cultural sensitivities. Costume designers work closely with actors, and students should think about how their designs impact those who wear them.

DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-1

TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY Research for costume design has changed a lot in the past 20 years. When I was in graduate school, things were on paper. You went to the library, you found books, maybe you xeroxed portions of them for class assignments. But even then (1996–9), people were beginning to use the internet for research. Since then, the ability to research online has absolutely exploded, to the point that I sometimes wonder if our students ever make use of the university library. That’s not a criticism, but a reality: there is so much at our fngertips, and with search engines, it is so easy to fnd things. In the past, I used to do a costume scavenger hunt as part of the Costume Design class to encourage effective research techniques (What is a tricorne? What is the phone number for Mood Fabrics in New York? When was the modern bra invented? etc.). The class divided into teams, I gave them a list of questions and a time limit and sent them to the library. The frst team to show me all the answers they had found won a small prize. The last time I tried this, which was a while ago, they all used their phones and there was a winner in under ten minutes. Clearly that project was no longer effective in that incarnation. However, the more relevant issue for students today is sifting through the vast amounts of information available online and learning what is accurate and what is not. For the research book for the semester-long design project, a student once turned in photos from a costume-rental-house website

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for costume research for The Scarlet Letter. This research was not accurate, but he was a non-major and didn’t realize how potentially inaccurate it was. Should he have done more research? Yes, but the point is, students, and all of us, can forget that anyone can post online, and there are few flters to keep misinformation from getting out there. This is the glory and curse of the internet – anyone can contribute as they see ft, for the most part. How do you help your students to determine what is legitimate research? For one thing, encourage them to make use of “old school” printed books as well as online research. See if your library has a collection of books that will help your students with costume research. Remember, these are not just fashion history books. Request that the library buy specifc titles. This is also a way to help defray textbook costs; our university’s library will allow me to place books (both mine and theirs) on reserve for a class for up to a full year. If you have a collection of books of your own, you could share them this way. Books have the advantage of having been vetted through editors, publishers, and reviewers. The information is generally (but not always) dependable. As students amass a body of knowledge, they’ll be better equipped to spot and question anomalies. When researching online, encourage students to avoid Wikipedia and .com sites whose information may be skewed to sell something, and look for.org and .edu sites. Vintage clothing sites can also be problematic, as the vendor may or may not be advertising accurately. Teach students to question research, and not just look for that which supports what they want to be true. Good research allows for questions and new information that changes whatever hypothesis we are centering. There are marvelous websites out there, especially from museums that have beautiful pictures of their clothing collections. This is good primary research – do your students know the difference between primary and secondary research? The analogy I like to give: a tomb painting or carving of Cleopatra (if one could be found) from ancient Egypt would be considered primary research. It’s from its period. A movie star like Elizabeth Taylor made up to look like Cleopatra is secondary research, and the latter is overlaid with the beauty ideals and values of the period in which it was made. This can be diffcult to detect – but what costume designer doesn’t enjoy picking apart a historical flm that got the clothes wrong? We often don’t have enough perspective to see the anomalies until years later. But if we look at Taylor’s Cleopatra today, the infuence of 1960s fashions is clear. This can be the basis of interesting class projects, especially if you teach Fashion History. Assign

a movie for students to watch and analyze for accuracy, to sharpen their historical eye! You also might consider doing something similar with books from specifc time periods, so that students get a sense of what people wrote about themselves and their times. Introduce the topic of what to do with design research – for example, using visual research to inform design choices, but developing your own ideas rather than just copying a picture of a dress you found. This is especially true when looking at other designers’ work. Encourage students not to look at photos of other productions when designing from a specifc show, as there is defnitely a trap in seeing someone else’s brilliant solution, and not being able to get that out of your head. And it is unethical to copy someone else’s design – students may not be profting from their classwork and it may have a limited audience (unless it ends up on their website) but making good choices about not pirating others’ work are a lesson that should be learned early in one’s career. What if you discover that a student has copied another designer’s work? This should be taken seriously and a private meeting with the student would be appropriate, to talk about why this is unethical. One tricky thing about some plays, and especially, musicals, is that the show’s costumes may be designed in a way that has become traditional, which may or may not be in the script. Many years ago, I designed the musical Chicago, and had to rent large feather fans for one number. I did not know, and the script did not say, that each dancer traditionally has two fans. Needless to say, once the choreographer arrived, I had to call the rental source back and order another set of fans! If I had looked at pictures of the original production, I might have caught this. With student designers, I often suggest that they look at pictures of the original production after they have done some research and have their own ideas in their head. The treasure hunt that is research is one of my favorite parts of designing costumes. In Chapter 3, we’ll cover teaching students about multiple arenas for research, not just the historical one. Research is certainly easier now – I remember designing an Agatha Christie murder mystery years ago, and being completely stymied by a reference to a “tussah silk” suit a character was described as wearing. It took me quite a while to track that down, but I found it. For comparison, I just Googled “tussah silk”, and had a defnition within seconds. It’s also very easy to contrast and compare research, which helps to sift out the wheat from the chaff. The thrill of the hunt and the opportunity to expand what I know is one of the joys of what I do. Encourage your students to see research as a puzzle they are putting together, working with the script, the characters, and the

Overarching Concepts

period/style of the show, to come up with their vision of what the show should look like.

CREATIVITY AND EVALUATION Grading creativity – this is a huge challenge! •

Can you grade talent and creativity?

•

Is this fair?

•

Is talent innate?

•

Can you grade students against each other?

•

Is a bell curve remotely fair in the creative classroom?

These are issues I have grappled with since I started teaching. For design and rendering projects, our students present color roughs (a pencil sketch with a quick color wash) the week before a project is due. They receive feedback, which is then incorporated when completing the fnal renderings for the following week. The roughs serve as a low-stakes opportunity for students to see where the project sits for them. Because the roughs are part of formative learning, knowing that they are not graded takes some of the pressure off. If the only time we see the renderings is when they are complete, there is no chance to make changes without the student having to completely repaint the rendering. This is less diffcult in a digital format, but that mid-project checkpoint is really valuable. For both Costume Design and Costume Rendering, I do something that I know can be frustrating for students: I don’t grade any of their rendering projects until the end of the semester. I grade papers, exams, critiques, etc., as each is turned in, but I wait to grade the renderings. When renderings are due, each student presents their work to the class. I believe training them to speak in front of a group and discussing their projects is crucial, so when they get to those meetings with the director, the production team, actors, and their costume shops, they can speak succinctly and powerfully to convey their intentions. It’s important to stress that their work will be out there in public, and reactions might not be what they expect or are prepared for. The classroom is a safe zone to practice dealing with these situations. At the end of their presentations, with the student’s permission, I invite constructive criticism from the rest of the class, followed by my thoughts (my comments are last so I don’t say everything before students can give feedback). The presenting student has veto power for student feedback. I still remember a

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stinging critique from a fellow student in a life-drawing class, and how angry I was that the professor let him hang me out to dry. Whether his critique was valid was not the point; he made me feel horrible because he was so dismissive of my work. If students only want my input, they have the power to decide that. If they are willing to open up the discussion to include the rest of the class, it is made clear that constructive criticism is expected. It doesn’t have to all be positive (and really, how helpful would that be?), but no one tears a fellow student down in class. I have to say that in these classes, students tend to be very supportive of each other, which in turn, I believe, helps them feel encouraged to take risks. Encourage students to go beyond “I like this” or “You did a great job!” Yes, this makes the presenting student feel good, but it’s not terribly helpful as a critique. Instead, students can talk about how the design made them feel, reacting to the use of color, for example, or how the presenting student interpreted the character – how did it differ from their own interpretation? My belief is that criticism should always be constructive, and although it’s hard, students should really try to not take criticism personally. Can they step outside themselves and truly see and hear the critique, both positive and negative? They don’t have to agree with negative critique, and if they can keep an open mind and respond thoughtfully, it can lead to a great class discussion. This is a good place to discuss the role of your own taste and design eye, and how to use it (and not to use it) when critiquing. Personally, I do not want to turn out a lot of cookie-cutter designers that design and render like me. While there are defnitely benchmarks they need to hit in the projects in this book, ultimately I am interested to see what each individual brings to the project. If you have it in your head that there is only one way to accomplish a certain character’s costume, that closes your mind to all the permutations of analysis that students may take. It’s also extremely valuable for students to see how other designers approach the same project. It is defnitely best for me when I have around ten students in the class. As my friend and fellow costume design professor, Gypsy Ames says, it’s a trade-off between more creative input from others and giving appropriate time to each student – and it also depends to some degree on the level of the class. Keeping an open mind as an educator is important not just for your students, but for you as well. Don’t become a professor who calcifes their projects to the point that there is only one way to do it “right” in your eyes. Projects often grow and change based on student input. Sharing the power dynamic in the classroom is challenging, for sure, but it just might open your eyes to new ways of approaching any of these topics.

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At the end of the semester, I divide the work up by each student into piles, spread out each pile one at a time, and look for growth. For example: •

Where did they start; did their design and rendering style evolve over the course of the class?

•

Did they take direction, and is that visible moving from project to project?

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How well did they interpret the script, the character, and the intention of the project?

If it’s helpful, you can take notes during their presentations to refer to; I fnd that I clearly remember my feedback even several months later, because of my familiarity with my projects. It’s good to make notes for yourself about the assignment, such as script references and other goals that you expect them to acknowledge both in their presentations and in their renderings. There are some things that are less negotiable; for example, a specifc line reference to a costume, but others are more open to debate, and as long as the student acknowledges script references and can justify why they have changed them or not incorporated them, be open to their ideas. This is the joy of these projects for me: how do different students approach the same project? Creative problem solving is an art form in itself!

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When grading, I don’t look at multiple students at once because it would not be equitable. Some of our students are costume design majors, others not. Students move at different paces; they bring different skill sets to the onset of a class, and they grow at their own rate. To compare them would only compound the anxiety they already feel about their work and that of their classmates. They do compare themselves to each other, make no mistake. Some will have stronger skills than others, be it design ability, graphic arts abilities, or both. This haunts the ones who fnd design and graphic skills challenging. How can you support everyone with equity (not equality)? For me, this is grading students against themselves, not each other. Giving a letter grade for a creative project is a real struggle. So much is encapsulated in that lone letter. My undergraduate work at Sarah Lawrence College was infnitely meaningful to me because instead of a class grade, I received a brief, personal paragraph from every professor discussing my work over the course of the semester. That was a gift in immeasurable ways. For me, the in-class oral critique carries the most weight. The student can then apply it to the next project, without being hung up on what the grade was. Of course, you could come up with a grading rubric for every project. A rubric is a scoring guide that delineates how the assignment is graded. Here is an example of a rubric from the Shenandoah Conversations project in Chapter 5. This format can be adapted for any sort of assignment.

Example of Rubric

Objective

5 – excellent

4 – Good

3 – Satisfactory

2 – Fair

1 – Poor

QeP learning Objective 1 Students will be able to effectively communicate their own point of view related to a social issue and/ or presented encounter.

Demonstrates ability to thoroughly explain and justify their own perspective.

Demonstrates ability to adequately explain and justify their own perspective.

Demonstrates ability to explain and justify to a limited extent their own perspective.

Demonstrates ability to minimally explain and justify their own perspective.

Does not demonstrate ability to identify their own perspective.

QeP learning Objective 2

Demonstrates ability to thoroughly explain and justify perspectives different from their own.

Demonstrates ability to adequately explain and justify perspectives different from their own.

Demonstrates ability to explain and justify to a limited extent different perspectives from their own.

Demonstrates ability to minimally explain and justify different perspectives from their own.

Does not demonstrate ability to analyze and represent differing perspectives.

Students will be able to explain a perspective different from their own related to a social issue and/ or presented encounter.

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Because I prefer to give oral assessments in class, I don’t use rubrics for design projects. I can, however, see the value if it is shared with students in the grading process. But I’d rather speak in the moment to what moves me about a student’s work and be spontaneous rather than checking boxes. I believe it enables me to approach each student and their work individually, which to me seems more equitable. If you decide not to use a rubric for design assignments, be sure to have a conversation with students about expectations. This is where building color roughs as a part of the design project creates a low-stakes, ungraded way to provide assessment, which students can then incorporate into the fnal, graded project. For written assignments, a rubric can be very useful. When giving an oral critique, strive to create a safe zone for students in the class, so they don’t feel exposed and humiliated in front of their peers – the way I felt in that drawing class. We don’t want to cultivate fear in the classroom. In giving an oral critique, look for what they are ready to hear. Some criticism might be valid, but be sure they are ready to process it frst, because too much criticism can make students shut down. You don’t have to say everything that you observe. To that end, always fnd something positive to say, and I’m not talking compliment sandwich, which I think is disingenuous. This is when a criticism is slipped in between two compliments. Students will make similar mistakes; after you have used a project more than once, you will know exactly what to anticipate. In that sense, being the frst to present is hardest, because that student doesn’t know what to expect. I applaud those brave students – and I applaud those who take risks, even though they don’t always succeed, because it encourages growth. Ultimately, you want students to be able to take in and apply criticism and celebrate their victories. This starts with cultivating a sense of trust in the classroom, and this takes time. A student working with you for the frst time is probably going to feel somewhat guarded at the beginning of the class. This is where a class survey can really help you to get to know your students and for them to see that you care about their education. Including a statement in your syllabus about what students can expect from you is also helpful – an example, called My Pledge to You, is included in Chapter 2. I have had fellow faculty tell me about introducing challenging material in class, such as that related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and express frustration that students were minimal in their contribution in response. For students to feel free to share things that are personal (and how are creative projects not personal? They are an expression of who we are; they are our art), they need to know that the classroom is a safe space for their vulnerability. Figuring out

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what that takes is a career-spanning journey, but I highly recommend further reading in this area, particularly the work of bell hooks. Her Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom is one of the most powerful books I have read as an educator. Covering inclusive pedagogy in its entirety is beyond the scope of this book, but in future chapters I will discuss ways to make use of it in the classroom, as well as other pedagogy titles that I have found helpful. You can also reach out to your Center for Teaching and Learning department if your school has one; this is a tremendous resource that not all faculty take full advantage of.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND COSTUME DESIGN IN THE CLASSROOM What is cultural appropriation? This is commonly understood as making use of things such as art or cultural traditions from a culture to which the user does not belong, and often refects a lack of understanding/respect of that culture. The concept of cultural appropriation is very prevalent in the arts as I write this, and the role costumes play in this discussion is a complex one. As I have learned more about this subject, it has become clear to me that these discussions are vital to enabling an industry that acknowledges and respects the sources of our designs. There is very little that can be said to be completely new in clothing; everything is derivative to some degree. Our students are the next generation of costume professionals, and if my classrooms are any indication, this subject is on their minds. If positive change is to happen, we as educators have a responsibility to give them the tools to contribute to that change. My frst direct encounter with the concept of cultural appropriation at my university was during a production of Lysistrata Jones, a modern musical’s take on the Greek original. In this version, a college basketball team replaces the men going to war, and the wives become cheerleaders and girlfriends. The director had asked the faculty designer to provide a wig for a white character with cornrow braids, based on a current picture of a white singer. One of our students of color, a costume design major, strongly objected to this, calling it cultural appropriation. The designer asked him to clarify and explain, as she was not familiar with cultural appropriation. She then reached out to the director to voice concern. To the director’s credit, he immediately agreed to change the style of the wig, explaining what he wanted to say with the cornrow choice could be done in a different way. This would have been an even trickier situation with a student designer – the power dynamic between a student

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designer and a faculty director is one that can make a student feel very vulnerable. I later attended a seminar at the 2018 USITT National Conference, titled Cultural Appropriation in the World of Costume Design & Technology. One of the questions asked was if using a turban on a white character in the 1910s was appropriate, seeing as it was historically accurate. The answer from the panelists was that it was cultural appropriation then, and wasn’t there a way to say the same thing about the character with a different, period-accurate head covering? Valerie St. Pierre Smith, a White Earth Ojibwe descendant, designer, and scholar, who was one of the panelists, comments in her article, “The Three Sisters: Lessons on Inspiration, Appropriation, and Design”, published online on Howlround, First of all, let us call a spade a spade. Cultural appropriation has occurred since humans of varying nations and cultures began interacting. And it fows both ways; the hubris in assuming that dominant Western cultures are the only appropriators is overly simplistic . . . The point is: cultural appropriation happens. The sooner this can be accepted, the sooner the discussions can move on to how it can happen constructively (St. Pierre Smith, The Three Sisters). Lauren Michele Jackson agrees, commenting in her book White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue . . . and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation, Appropriation is everywhere, and is also inevitable . . . So long as peoples interact with other peoples, by choice or by force, cultures will intersect and mingle and graft onto each other . . . The idea that any artistic or cultural practice is closed off to outsiders at any point in time is ridiculous, especially in the age of the internet (Jackson 2). Clearly the question is how cultural appropriation is approached, rather than trying to avoid it altogether, which as St. Pierre Smith and Jackson point out is diffcult, if not impossible. According to St. Pierre Smith, the frst question we as designers need to ask ourselves is, whose story is being told? She likens designers to gatekeepers who present the visual world of the story to the audience. “We as designers are the stewards of what people see” (St. Pierre Smith, Cultural Appropriation in Theatre Design). Is the owner of the story from the dominant culture, or are they seen as the “other”? What is our own accepted norm? Cultural appropriation is a huge part of what designers do – often we are designing for stories and cultures and communities that are not our own. We, or the playwright, may be

reinforcing a negative stereotype about a character. How can we as designers react to this? She suggests that we question everything, in collaboration with the design team and the director. Paper projects are great opportunities for students to explore these issues before they encounter them in an actual production. Our current students at Shenandoah are very aware of the concept of cultural appropriation. As an educator, this subject is going to come up in the design classroom, and the more prepared you are to have meaningful conversations, the more students will perceive that yours is an equitable learning environment. St. Pierre Smith stresses the importance of the classroom in the national discussion: To begin rethinking and reworking our Western design processes, we need to look at our conventional training models: university and college programs. Pedagogically, these programs would beneft from and help break the cycle of oppressive design and production practices by including training in how to dialogue with community, how to analyze and synthesize inspiration and research with a more accurate and authentic understanding, and how to develop relationships with the source community that creates channels of input through all aspects of production (St. Pierre Smith, Three Sisters). One big debate on social media is the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation. That is a tricky and problematic one. Cultural appropriation has to do with the role of power and historically marginalized groups. The dominant culture may appreciate the art of a marginalized group, but this does not give them unfettered access to it. James O. Young, in his Cultural Appropriation and the Arts, makes a strong argument against censorship of artistic activity, but acknowledges that the conversation needs to include the role of power and privilege: One ought not to cause widespread profound offense, especially not to members of a culture that has already suffered serious harms and affronts, and especially not if one can make a living in a way that is not the source of offense (Young 143). Jackson comments, “If appropriation is everywhere and everyone appropriates all of the time, why does any of this matter? The answer, in a word: power” (Jackson 3). When I saw the relationship between power and cultural appropriation, I began to understand that it’s more than the object or piece of art itself – it’s who’s using it and who’s profting from it. Cultural appreciation, then, acknowledges the creator of the art, rather than focusing on the piece of art in a vacuum.

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Does this mean that unless we are part of such a group, we can’t design using the fashion and clothing of that group, or be the designer for a play or musical by a marginalized playwright? In 2020, I invited St. Pierre Smith to present a webinar on Cultural Appropriation in Theatre Design to the Theatre Design and Production student and faculty body at Shenandoah. She is a wonderful speaker, and she gave us many resources, stressing the importance of respect and research when approaching a culture not your own. She believes that there is a difference between appropriation and misappropriation, explaining that the frst is something we all do as designers, but the second represents personal gain, including fnancial, with no regard for the culture being appropriated. “Appropriate” appropriation refects respect and compensates and supports artists from that culture. St. Pierre Smith asks, how are you using the culture, what are you portraying, and how are you accessing what you are using? (Smith, Cultural Appropriation in Theatre Design). Young stresses the importance of artists understanding the culture they are making use of, citing training, research, and practice of their craft. He adds, “In evaluating a work of art we need often to know the culture of which it is an authentic expression” (Young 62). This is true of the research we do to create our own designs as theatrical artists. I don’t really think there are any hard and fast answers to the questions at the beginning of the previous paragraph, but for those of us who are dominant-culture designers and educators, creating space for PGM (People of the Global Majority) as well as for members of other marginalized groups, be they designers, students, or artists we are buying from, is a huge part of the conversation. Do I think I, as a white designer, should be designing a realized production of Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel, a play about a Black dressmaker at the turn of the 20th century? I don’t know that I would be comfortable doing so. Do I think I can teach that play as a project? With appropriate research and respect, yes, I do, because if I only teach dominant-culture plays, what is the message (and resulting educational experience) for students? Young points out, “A failure to represent a culture can be just as harmful as certain representations” (Young 109). But could I bring in a Black designer to be a guest speaker in class, when covering such a show, without tokenizing them, and compensate them appropriately? I’m a big fan of students hearing from multiple voices. Students should design class projects for a wide range of plays, playwrights, and cultures and stories. And there are many plays out there which have characters that are from PGM and other marginalized groups, but the story may encompass many cultures. I

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don’t think bringing down walls around shows in terms of who can design them is productive, but I do think student designers need to understand the power dynamic involved when they design for characters from a culture other than their own, especially when this culture has been historically marginalized. Young comments of his book, “A goal . . . is to show that there can be no blanket condemnation of cultural appropriation” (Young 28). How can you introduce the subject of cultural appropriation in your class? Build discussion into a project that makes use of non-dominant culture plays and periods. For example, in Chapter 6, there is a project (Figures in Motion) that uses A Midsummer Night’s Dream and encourages students to set their version in a non-Western culture. Before students begin the project, set the stage, so to speak, by having an open class conversation about the role of cultural appropriation for costume designers. You might be surprised by what your students bring to the table. For example, students may ask, if you’re saying that Black designers should design Black stories, doesn’t it follow that white designers should design white stories? This would be a good opportunity to talk about white privilege and about how many shows about Black experience are actually produced. See the lecture on Diversity in the Industry for more information. Another important point to talk about in class is how a play fts into a new period or culture. It shouldn’t just be a question of aesthetics – for Midsummer, for example, the choice has so much to do with the three “worlds” of the play: the royals, the rustics, and the fairies. It isn’t a matter of just choosing a culture that looks pretty or interesting; the choice needs to reinforce the story being told and hopefully encourage viewers to see the play and the culture in a new light. They should complement each other and deepen our understanding of both. As St. Pierre Smith reminds us, intention is vital, and sometimes a choice is not a good idea, even with justifcation. She says even well-meaning intentions can color our gaze. Talking about cultural appropriation is not a one-anddone session – it should be a thread throughout any class that utilizes design. If you don’t have a library of diverse plays to draw on for projects, see Chapter 7 for a list of plays by diverse playwrights. The topic of cultural appropriation should include an emphasis on who profts from it. I grew up in the Southwest, and I have worn Indigenous jewelry for most of my adult life. After going to the USITT webinar referenced above, I seriously questioned whether I had the right to do this, and I talked to the panelists about it. Ultimately, I concluded that many Indigenous artists in the Southwest make their

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living and support their families by selling their jewelry, and so by buying their jewelry, I was helping to support them. I committed, for the future, to only buying from Indigenous artists, and to researching what I wear, and never wearing anything with religious signifcance (the panelists stressed this). This is my comfort level. For others, it will be different. What do your students think: have they thought about where their clothes come from, who designs them, and whose cultures are being “borrowed”? As St. Pierre Smith pointed out at her webinar for our students, it’s important to remember that we as designers, including student designers, are also audience members, consumers, and community members. How are we contributing to all of those areas, and are we trying to make a difference with our voice? Talking about these issues in the classroom and in our industry is what will engender positive change. If you can talk with students about how to research cultures, and how, when designing an actual show, to create those costumes in a way that supports the culture they come from, like purchasing clothing and supplies directly from artists, hopefully we are educating our design students to approach all cultures with respect. St. Pierre Smith had a lot of good points to make about the research process that can be shared with students. For example, consider the viewpoint of the community whose culture is part of the story. Can you reach out to that community, locally or online? Think about whether your work makes them feel seen/beautiful/that their history is being told, not the dominant one. As Jackson points out, “When appropriative gestures fow to the powerful, amnesia follows” (Jackson 6). Creating communication with communities can arrest the amnesia she is referring to. When researching, often we unconsciously look for images that corroborate what we want to design. Think about how our own viewpoint, our lens, impacts our research and thus our designs. Are we questioning our research or just accepting what someone else wrote or documented? Here are some specifc tips St. Pierre Smith gave for student designers conducting research:

•

Think about who wrote or documented it. What was their lens?

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Consider social media alternative fashion sites; there are many who focus on specifc communities.

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Create a body of non-Western-centric research (books, bookmarks, Pinterest

boards) so when you need something, you know where to fnd it. •

When searching online, consider the keywords you are using – go beyond common words like “fashion”.

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Consider if the research parameters are too broad; for example, “africa” is an entire continent, not a country, and encompasses many cultures. Think about cultural specifcity.

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What is the historic context of the script itself? How has it been depicted in its history? If something is problematic, how can you avoid this pitfall in your design? (St. Pierre Smith, Cultural Appropriation in Theatre Design).

Recently, students were working on Figures in Motion, and one of the sophomore students, a costume design major, was very concerned about the role of cultural appropriation

Oberon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Brianna Jarvis, Shenandoah University

FIGure 1-1

Overarching Concepts

in her using a culture she was not familiar with. Through discussion, it became clear that she did not perceive she had time to adequately research a culture she did not know in order to design costumes for Midsummer with respect for that culture. And this made me realize that when I designed the syllabus for the next class offering, I needed to build in much more time for student research and for discussion of research strategies for the project. Ultimately, she did choose to set her show in Korea, and her renderings were lovely. But the point was an important one. We shouldn’t be cherry-picking interesting research without understanding the culture and stories behind it. And that takes time. Respect for the time that research takes should be built into any design and rendering class. For me as a designer, research is one of the most meaningful parts of the journey. If you can share that love with your students, approaching cultural appropriation can be a source of inspiration and respect. As St. Pierre Smith said at her webinar for our students, “Appropriation is representation. And representation matters” (St. Pierre Smith, Cultural Appropriation in Theatre Design). For more discussion of this subject, see the referenced texts at the end of this chapter.

SENSITIVITY ISSUES FOR COSTUME DESIGNERS Body Awareness and Designing for Multiple Shapes It’s easy, with paper projects, to fall into patterns of rendering styles. For example, all white, all thin, predominantly young. In class, I encourage students to think about the variety of forms the human body takes, at all stages of life, and to try to break out of patterns when they render. In the project Period Forms, I had been providing pictures of poses for students to draw from, since previous classes had had trouble articulating more complex poses. I searched on the internet for sources to share and was dismayed to fnd that all the models on websites for fgure drawing seemed to look the same. No racial diversity. All thin people in their 20s. No acknowledgment of the disabled community. With some help from the Costume Educators Forum, I found some sources for both body shape and disability, but I could not fnd any website for PGM models, so I started a Pinterest board of my own for my students. Links to these sources can be found in the Period Forms project description. My point is, I wanted students to think about the people they were designing costumes for – not a mannequin, but living actors, who don’t all look like the standard eight head

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croqui. It was encouraging to see them making use of these resources throughout the semester. Costume designers can get themselves into trouble when they always use the same body shape for their renderings, because the actor may or may not look anything like that, and when the costume is realized, it may or may not fatter the actor or look like the rendering the director approved. Any actor should be able, when seeing costume renderings, to see themselves and the other actors as those characters. And no actor should ever be made to feel that they need to apologize for their body or made to feel ashamed of it. Fat shaming is a very real thing in American society, and it is terribly detrimental to young performers, particularly women. Meredith Magoun, Dr. Natashia Lindsey, and Lara Southerland Berich presented a session entitled All Shapes. All Sizes. for the Costume Commission at the United States Institute of Theatre Technology 2021 “Virtually Anywhere” National Conference, and their message was clear: the word “fat” carries negative connotations for all of us, and that needs to change – in every aspect of costume design. This is something that starts, or should start, in the design classroom – we need to normalize acceptance and celebration of all bodies. As Magoun, Lindsey and Southerland Berich noted in their presentation, “Costume designers and technicians are uniquely positioned to fght fat phobia, as our work is directly focused on the body and how the body is perceived” (Magoun, Lindsey, and Southerland Berich, All Shapes. All Sizes). For young designers, you can talk about not using “fatness” as a character trope or a punchline, as the presenters stressed. And the whole concept of “dressing to fatter your body type” usually is code for “looking thinner” why is this the default? We should be encouraging our students not to reproduce these clichés. Figures 2 and 3, created for the All Shapes. All Sizes presentation, are a good way to start the conversation with students.

“Harmful Practices”, slide from USITT 2022 Virtually Anywhere National Conference, “All Shapes. All Sizes” session, Meredith Magoun, Dr. Natashia Lindsey, and Lara Southerland Berich

FIGure 1-2

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Overarching Concepts

“Helpful Practices”, slide from USITT 2022 Virtually Anywhere National Conference, “All Shapes. All Sizes” session, Meredith Magoun, Dr. Natashia Lindsey, and Lara Southerland Berich

FIGure 1-3

Magoun notes that these “Harmful” and “Helpful” practices slides were developed by the three of them based on their research. Magoun collected over 150 personal testimonies of actors on fatphobic and fat-positive experiences. When I was doing my undergraduate work, I was frst trained to draw 12 head fashion fgures, and I didn’t get out of that pattern until I entered graduate school. Very few people look like a 12 head model! When doing theoretical projects, it’s easy to lose sight of the actor and how they infuence the costume design. But if an actor is presented with a rendering that looks nothing like their body, the message is that they are not part of the creative picture. This is tricky in a paper project class because there usually is no actor to work with or draw from. But making use of a variety of body shapes and sizes, and a variety of races/ethnicities and ages, helps students keep in mind that we don’t all look the same. Several of the projects in this book use specifc people or performers: see Sweet Bird of Youth/The Trojan Women, Actor to Actor, Victoria and Albert, Name Your Adjective, and The Tooth of Crime. Name Your Adjective, in particular, asks students to design for each other, which is a great way to introduce the consideration of body shapes when designing.

will experience through production assignments, often in tandem with a Costume Design class. Preparing them for what to expect and how to foster a positive atmosphere is part of their training. Any talk of the process a designer takes should include the relationship between the costume designer and the actor, because, of course, we don’t design in vacuums, and our costumes are worn by real people, not just mannequins in the costume shop. When talking about this in the classroom, and when introducing new projects, it’s crucial to include the culture of the play and the potential actors. For example, if it is a play about Black culture, I would hope that we are assuming that Black actors will play these roles. If the students in your class are not Black, do they understand the culture of this play? Do they understand modern Black culture? (If you have Black or other PGM students, or students from any marginalized group, don’t tokenize them by expecting them to speak for their culture.) This should be part of the research process, not just researching the fashion of the period of the show. See, for example, The House Will Not Stand project, and the Shenandoah Conversations project I piloted with it.

Cultural Sensitivities This issue really dovetails with the Cultural Appropriation discussion earlier in this chapter, but here it focuses more on the actor, and seeing them for everything they are. As covered above, it’s important for young design students to consider who they are designing for, and who will wear their costumes. In the class lecture on the role of the costume designer and the design process, there is a discussion of working with actors, something young designers

Name Your Adjective Project, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

FIGure 1-4

Overarching Concepts

Agnes, The House That Will Not Stand, Rachael Wiers, Shenandoah University

FIGure 1-5

Costume Design and Rendering classes are not purely script analysis classes, but scripts shouldn’t just be a vehicle for designing costumes. As my graduate professor, JB, said, clothing is one of the most signifcant non-verbal means of communication we have. Messages may be intended or not but should all be considered in terms of the culture of the script and its characters. A few of the things I have learned from shows I have designed and assisted on: •

The signifcance of the hijab and the way it is worn

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The culture of black hair

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The immense variety of Native american cultures and arts

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The complexity of Japanese kimono, especially the correct wrapping and tying

But I think that as a designer, the shows I have designed over my career have more often than not been by and about the dominant culture, be that race, gender, or anything else. This wasn’t by choice; like many designers, I have gone where the work was. But have I deliberately sought out work about marginalized cultures? And should I, as a member of several dominant cultures? This is a complicated topic that has many permutations. Should this be a topic of conversation in the design classroom? Again, I say yes, it should. I’d like to think that we are educating the next generation of costume designers to think beyond their comfort zones and to recognize the

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world beyond their doorstep. Those of us in dominant cultures tend to become very insulated in our worldviews. I teach at a PWI (Predominantly White Institution), and I feel a responsibility to continue to educate myself by reading scripts by diverse playwrights and looking for ways to use them in the classroom, by going to conferences and webinars, by talking to people and reading literature on social justice and inclusive pedagogy. My goal is to have an inclusive classroom in which we can create meaningful connections in the classroom between scripts, cultures, and actors through the medium of costumes. What is the role of the arts in issues such as social justice? I think we all have a profound responsibility, as artists and educators, to recognize the role the arts play in shaping our collective mindset as Americans.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Feldman, Joe, Grading for Equity: What It is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms, Thousand Oaks: Corwin, 2019 Gannon, Kevin M, Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto, Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2020 hooks, bell, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Price of Freedom, New York: Routledge Press, 1994 Jackson, Lauren Michele, White Negroes: When Cornrows were in Vogue . . . and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation, Boston: Beacon Press, 2019 Magoun, Meredith, Lindsey, Dr. Natashia, and Southerland Berich, Lara, “All Shapes. All Sizes”, United States Institute of Theatre Technology “Virtually Anywhere”, National Conference (virtual), March 10, 2021 Scafdi, Susan, Who Owns Culture: Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law, New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2005 St. Pierre Smith, Valerie, The Three Sisters: Lessons on Inspiration, Appropriation, and Design, Valerie St. Pierre Smith was originally published on HowlRound Theatre Commons (https://howlround.com/three-sisters) on November 1, 2018 St. Pierre Smith, Valerie, “Cultural Appropriation in Theatre Design”, Shenandoah University, 2020, Address Young, James O., Cultural Appropriation and the Arts, James O. Young, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010 upcoming: Decolonizing Design: Reframing How We Approach Inspiration, Appropriation, and Representation as Creatives, Valerie St. Pierre Smith

Chapter 2 S T R U C T U R I N G

T H E

C L A S S

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION If you have not built a costume class before or only taught classes that were handed to you, creating your own class can seem overwhelming. It is also exhilarating! You’ll be able to share everything you have learned, both in school and through direct experience. I fnd that I rework classes every time I teach them, to incorporate what the previous class and its students have taught me. But where do you begin? In this chapter, we will examine the steps to take to build a class from the ground up. This chapter looks at structuring classes from a broad perspective.

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Production Critiques and Discussion Boards

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Using Abstract Collages

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Using Research Boards

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Using Pinterest and Other Online Systems

Teaching Methods •

Online Teaching

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Incorporating Inclusion, Diversity, Equity (IDE) and Inclusive Pedagogy

to be covered: Building Blocks

BUILDING BLOCKS

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Writing a Syllabus

Writing a Syllabus

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Planning a Class Schedule

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Costume Design: What to Cover?

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Costume Rendering: What to Cover?

If you work in higher education, it is probable that your school has a syllabus template that you will be encouraged, or perhaps required by your institution to use. Before delving too far into creating your own syllabus, reach out to your direct supervisor or department chair, as there is probably very specifc information you should include. Syllabi have changed since I started teaching, and there is a lot of basic information included that I never saw when I was in school. For example, my school, Shenandoah University (SU), includes statements on:

Considering Your Audience •

Graduates vs. Undergraduates

Class tools •

Using an Online Platform

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Writing Relevant Lectures

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Disability services and links

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Using Textbooks

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The SU Academic Integrity Code (plagiarism and academic dishonesty)

DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-2

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Structuring the Class

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Student conduct

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This will help you when revising future syllabi.

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Inclement weather plans

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Cell phones and technology use policy

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Copyright

Always keep a copy of old syllabi in a folder on your computer; this will be helpful not only for building future classes, but for tenure and rank promotion.

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Religious observance policy

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Student complaint policy

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Student privacy and FERPA (the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, which guides the release of student educational records)

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Student support services links, such as the Institutional Computing Help Desk, counseling resources, and links to our online platform, Canvas, and online library resources

Your name and what you want to be called, and your pronouns, if you want to share them Your office location, and that of the Costume Shop. Office hours or appointment booking link •

If you post offce hours, make sure you are there! It’s very frustrating for a student to come to your posted offce hours to fnd your offce dark.

Contact Information

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Policy regarding recording classroom activities (particularly applicable since the Covid pandemic)

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It’s up to you to decide what contact information to share with students in addition to your school email – offce phone? cell phone?

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Health Issues (expectations of student care)

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Policies about the use of campus email (the official mode of communication at our school)

Everyone has a different opinion about this; personally, I do not put my cell phone number on my syllabi, although I do share it with some students.

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Foundation statement (the mission statements of the University and the Conservatory)

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Title IX statement

If you do share it, put some parameters around its use – for example, no calling/texting on weekends, or after 10pm.

We also include Learning Outcome bullet points which are specifc to the class, and which we build ourselves; followed by bullet points that indicate Evidence of Student Learning for each learning outcome. This is a lot of information to keep track of, but SU tracks the changes and updates the syllabus template every semester, so I can paste it into my syllabi. Every school is different, so be sure to check and see what is recommended/required for yours. Examples of my syllabi for Costume Design and Costume Rendering can be found at the end of the book, if you would like to see specific wording.

What Should Your Syllabus Include About Your Class? To Start: The class information – the class title and where and when it meets. The relevant semester and calendar year

Course Description •

Use what is found in your online course catalog so both descriptions match and are clear to students.

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Make sure the catalog describes your class appropriately (description, number of credits, prerequisites), as making changes can be time consuming and may have to go through multiple curriculum committees.

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Indicate the mode of instruction for the class: face-toface, asynchronous, online, or hybrid.

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Indicate number of credits and all pre- and/or corequisites on your syllabus so there is no confusion. o o

Is the credit level and requisite meeting time appropriate? If this is an existing class that you are taking over, those two things are probably already set. Try teaching the class with that format before asking your supervisor for changes.

Structuring the Class

• In my early years at Shenandoah, I taught an advanced class that covered draping, flat patterning, and advanced sewing all in one semester. After teaching it once, I had a good argument for why that was not effective, and now the course is split into two semesters. If you work in higher education, you need to know that altering a class takes time (up to a year at my school) to go through all appropriate channels and committees.

If they have to order supplies online, build that time into your class projects – you may not be able to start drawing on the second day of class.

Attendance and Late Work Policies •

You may be able to set these yourself, or they may be dictated by your school or program. o

o Course Objective Statement •

Include a Course Objective so students understand why they are taking this course.

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For example, for my rendering class, the Course Objective is, “To give students a working knowledge of multiple media, the ability to draw the human fgure as well as fabric textures and colors, and the ability to express themselves in a variety of styles as artists”.

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You may choose to make use of the Learning Outcomes and Evidence of Student Learning to cover this.

List all Instructional Materials •

Try to keep these reasonable from a fnancial perspective.

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Are there lab fees to cover certain materials? Be sure to list them and to talk to your school about how they get paid. You may need permission from your supervisor or chair to have a class fee.

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List all scripts being used for projects, as well as any links if they can be found in the library or on library databases, such as Drama Online.

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Talk to your campus bookstore about providing supplies in addition to written material – for example, can they provide art supplies?

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Research where art supplies are available in your town – where will students be buying supplies, if not at your bookstore?

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If your program or department has a standard policy, this is a lot easier for students, because having to remember multiple professors’ policies can be confusing and diffcult. Attendance policies should refect the meeting times of the class; having one blanket policy for classes that meet once a week, twice a week, or once a month is not equitable.

My policy is to penalize a certain number of unexcused absences by lowering the grade one full letter grade, and then failing the student if further unexcused absences occur. For example, for a class that meets twice a week, on the third unexcused absence, the grade is docked; on the fourth, the student fails the class. The lowered grade serves as a wake-up call for the student. If a student nears, or hits, those benchmarks, I let them know privately. I calculate two tardies to be equal to one absence. Some professors are much more lenient than this, believing that the students who are committed and engaged will show up regardless of policy, and that students are adults and if they choose not to come to class, that is their choice. If they know the material and do the work, that is what counts. I would argue that we need to consider all of our students, not just the ones that are engaged. Some students need a framework to get them to commit to attending class regularly. An attendance policy like the one above is the stick, not the carrot, but it’s only part of the picture. If students understand that absences can

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Structuring the Class

be excused if their life blows up, or if they have disabilities, the message is that their health and well-being are valued. Another consideration is having a policy that varies by the content of the class that day. For example, workdays could be asynchronous, virtual, and/or optional, with no penalty.

What about late work? When I choose due dates for projects, I try to space them so projects don’t overlap each other. But I don’t necessarily know what else is happening in students’ lives. The week a project is due, one student might be in tech week, while another student might have plenty of free time. During tech/dress week, that is where most of their energy was going. Allowing them to turn in the project later lets them focus on their classwork and create something that reflects their investment in the project. Ultimately, that was what is important to me. I insert due dates, and on the first day of class, tell students that if they choose, they can meet with me privately and set their own due dates for the semester. Once they choose those dates, unless they have an emergency, if they don’t turn in work on time, the late policy is 10 percent off the grade for the first week, 20 percent off for the second week, and after that the work will not be accepted. They can’t choose the end of the semester for all dates, as they need to be studying and working on final exams at that point. It doesn’t work for every assignment – for classes in which rendering projects are presented, the presentation and the critique are a big part of the grade, and I want all students to see each other’s work at once. But sometimes things are beyond a student’s control, so having a policy that is flexible enough to allow for legitimate issues creates an environment in which students don’t panic if something happens to them. Should policies be hard and fast? No, of course not, because life happens – to all of us. If a student needs an extension, as long as they let me know before the assignment is due, I will most likely grant it. Should you

excuse absences? What is required to excuse an absence? Should documentation be provided by the student? Some educators have a negative mindset that students will take advantage of any opportunity given to them and will thus lie about absences and late work. I assume the best of students unless they prove me otherwise. But I do point out to them that they have a certain number of unexcused absences before their grade is affected. Keeping the conversation open about excused absences is important, so that your criteria for them is transparent. Students will get into crisis situations. If you can create a classroom environment that makes them feel supported, hopefully they will come to you if things are falling apart and they need help, ideally before things really come to a head. The best advice I can give is to listen to them, rather than just waiting for a chance to respond, and to involve your school’s counseling system if it’s more than you can handle. It’s helpful, when going over class policies, to explain the why. If students understand, for example, that letting assignments pile up will overwhelm them and keep them from being able to focus on doing their best work, they will be more cognizant of why late work won’t be accepted after two weeks. Students appreciate transparency from their teachers. It is also good to be proactive about asking students what they need, and to keep your word when you commit to honoring those needs. Disability Letters •

Does a student have an accommodation letter for a disability? Include a statement on the syllabus encouraging students to share such letters.

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Be sure you understand how your school handles accommodations, and what the student needs – and of course, keep this information confidential.

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Consider whether students have disabilities or other issues that may or may not be documented, and which they may or may not be comfortable sharing.

You could add a statement to your syllabus like this one from Becca Ciancanelli at the University of Denver: Is there anything I can do as your instructor to make this course work best for you? Examples include slides posted prior to class, you need a notetaker, you need to be able to stand and move around during class, you need recorded lectures, you need recorded lectures to be transcribed, you

Structuring the Class

have another job and my offce hours won’t work, you are a caregiver, etc. Note: I do not require any documentation for these, and will accommodate them to the best of my ability.

List all course requirements and how they are weighted in the grade •

Becca includes this question as part of an accessibility survey she sends to all of her students prior to the class starting. For more information and help creating your own survey, see Incorporating IDE and Inclusive Pedagogy, later in this chapter.

Creating an atmosphere in which students can ask for what they need, and share what they are ready to share, helps them to succeed in your class. Inclusive pedagogy techniques can help you to create a learning environment that is equitable for all. If you are not familiar with this term, the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), Georgetown University’s website (https:// cndls.georgetown.edu/ip-toolkit/pedagogy/) has a wealth of information about inclusive education.

For example, “Fabric Painting Project – 10%”, and include a grade scale that shows numerically what is considered an A, A–, B+, etc. o

I use a minimum grading system: 90–100 = A 80–89 =B 70–79 =C 60–69 =D 50–59 =F

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This is a more equitable system than the traditional format, and research has shown it does not lead to grade infation (Feldman 85).

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Students need to know how they are being graded and what sort of workload to expect from your class. Rubrics can help with this.

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In the class schedule samples in this book, a color rough due date is built in for most design and rendering projects. o

Tardy Policies I value every minute I have with students and want to use every bit of class time. Students walking in after class starts is distracting to all of us. At the time the class starts, the classroom door is shut – if a student enters after that, they are tardy. Be clear about this policy on the frst day of class. If a student approaches you about a tardy after class, and it’s a legitimate reason, excuse the tardy. If the student ignores the fact that they were late, document it. Be sure to encourage students to speak up, as they may be afraid or embarrassed to approach you. This is a good thing to discuss on the frst day of class. Cultivating an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect, with clear guidelines, will go a long way towards students being willing to approach you when something comes up for them. Having a policy with no fexibility is never a good idea, but it’s important to be equitable, and be sure you can’t be charged with arbitrary or capricious grading, for example. This means that you are grading based on something outside the class standards that you set. Transparency is quite a buzzword right now, but there is a reason for that.

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o

o

What is a color rough? It is the original pencil sketch with an indication of color choices. This is not a complete painted rendering, but a quick wash of color for the purpose of showing others before design decisions are fnalized. Students receive feedback that can be applied to the fnal renderings. The color rough is not part of the grade for the project. It is a low-stakes opportunity to get input about choices. Another option is to allow students to redo assignments for a higher grade, if there are a lot of problems.

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Having a schedule doesn’t mean you can’t make changes. Include the statement, “Class schedule subject to change” on all syllabi. But try not to throw extra work at students who are planning their semester based on your syllabus.

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When grading group projects, grade students individually, and allow students to work independently of a group if that is their choice. Students really hate being in a group with someone who isn’t pulling their weight, especially if that impacts everyone’s grade. Ask students in a group to turn in a paragraph about their contributions when the project is due.

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Structuring the Class

Students have a lot of grade anxiety. I really wish all schools could do what Sarah Lawrence College (SLC), my undergraduate college, does – they do not use a grading system for classes or assignments. Instead, professors give students a written evaluation of their class progress. As a student, I found this much more helpful than a letter. I certainly recognize that large classes would make this format diffcult (SLC only had about 900 students at the school when I was there), but if your class is small, perhaps this could be incorporated in addition to the letter grade. Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman addresses the question of grading in a very thoughtful book which encompasses grading scales, the use of zeros, minimum grading, bias-resistant grading, late work, summative versus formative assignments, and intrinsic motivation, among many other topics. The book largely discusses secondary education, but much of it is applicable to higher education.

UNGRADING Consider meeting with students to give them a voice in their fnal grade. have them review the semester in terms of attendance, work, etc. What do they think they learned and earned? If you have the ability to consider it, ungrading is a concept that decenters the grade from assessment. It takes many forms, but one idea is to not grade assignments, and have students write refective letters or journals about their assignments. at the end of the semester, the professor and the student meet to mutually discuss an appropriate class grade. professors should note that usually students are harder on themselves than we are! there is a lot of good information online, if this interests you. here is one resource: www.jessestommel.com/ungradingan-faq/.

Inclusion Statement Recently, I have begun to include a statement about inclusion, belonging, and what is called My Pledge to You. The latter is from a document created by Donna Mejia in the Theatre and Dance Department at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is a response to the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity work going on at SU. I loved what Donna had written, and with her permission, adapted it to refect what students could expect from me. This is the working statement:

Inclusion is the advancement and presence of an environment where diverse individuals and groups can fully belong and participate. Belonging or being fully human means more than having access. Belonging entails being respected at a basic level that includes the right to both co-create and make demands upon society. (Dr. Hakeem Leonard, Assistant Provost for Inclusion, Diversity & Equity; Associate Professor, Music Therapy at Shenandoah University) For SU’s nondiscrimination policy, please see: (link included) My working ethos: All theatre and dance artists should believe and see that their voices and narratives matter and are heard and valued.

MY PLEDGE TO YOU: (Adapted with permission from author/ originator Donna Mejia) •

I will be encouraging and humorous (to the best of my abilities) in my offerings.

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I will offer citations for what I have learned and concede openly what I have not yet learned.

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I will ensure a welcoming judgmentfree and inviting environment where counterpoint ideas can be exchanged diplomatically.

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I intend to create a safe space for your creativity, in which you will feel empowered to take risks.

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I intend to give you tools to increase your conversancy, expand your boundaries, and nurture independence as a theatrical/dance artist.

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I have no interest in telling you what to think or how to be creative. Rather, I am passionate about helping you ask better questions so the world can reveal its many self-evident truths to

Structuring the Class

you without interference from socially indoctrinated filters. •

I will respect our differences in and out of the classroom.

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Your dignity and comfort are important to me, and in return I ask for your courage, diplomacy, open thinking, and active involvement.

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I will hold myself accountable to the same caliber and standard I am requesting of you.

Donna Mejia Renée Crown Wellness Institute Inaugural Chancellor’s Health and Wellness Scholar in Residence Associate Professor, Department of Theatre & Dance Affiliate Faculty, Women/Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies, and the Center for Teaching and Learning University of Colorado Boulder donnainthedance.com

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This was part of the second email blast: As you meet with your classes for the frst time this week and go over your syllabi, consider, when feasible, involving students directly in syllabus and pedagogical choices. This can be as simple as asking for feedback on your class schedule and the way you are covering your subject. You may not be able to accommodate all feedback, but if students perceive that their voice is relevant to you, they will have that much more investment in your class. Georgetown University’s website notes that ‘studies show that, while students may at frst be unsure about how to help shape a course, giving them the opportunity to do so can increase student investment in learning, their sense of empowerment, (and) positive perceptions of the professor.’ (The Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), Georgetown University (https:// cndls.georgetown.edu/ip-toolkit/pedagogy/). Touch base with students at the midterm to see how they think the class is going. This gives you the chance to make and apply changes, if you choose, before the class ends. It’s good to be aware, during the semester, of how the class is progressing and to be open to making changes as the class evolves. Sometimes the best-laid plans must be altered for the best interests of the class!

planning a Class Schedule Be sure to talk to your department and/or program chair, as there may already be an inclusion statement for either or both. In this case, you would want to use that version. When going over this part of the syllabus, if you include something like this (and please reach out to Donna if you would like permission to use her verbiage), encourage students to react to what is said. What do they think? Ask if they have questions, or feedback that might encourage changes to the class. Daily class schedule with assignments, topics, and due dates, which is the subject of the next section. Finally, one option some instructors use is a quiz or scavenger hunt in class to ensure that students read the syllabus. Spend time in the frst class going over the syllabus. Don’t just read it to them – explain your choices and invite their input. Recently, I spent a semester writing email blasts to all Conservatory faculty encouraging them to make use of inclusive pedagogy strategies.

Please, please include a class schedule in your syllabus with all relevant topics, assignments, and due dates. This can alternatively be housed in your online class platform. Students have complained to me over the years about other classes in which they never had a comprehensive syllabus and never knew what to expect for assignments . . . until the day they were assigned. Honor that your students have other classes and commitments besides your class, and they have the right to expect to know their workload from day one. This can certainly be fuid, as we sometimes have to rearrange the schedule due to any number of reasons – for example, snow days, the Covid pandemic, the class moving at a pace we were not anticipating, recognizing that the workload is too onerous and needs to be adapted. Give as much advance warning as possible if you have to shift the class schedule, and no “surprise! due-next-class assignments”. Take notes yourself about how long an activity takes, so you can adjust the next time you teach the class and note how many students you had in the class. This particularly affects how much time you devote to class presentations. When building the class schedule, look carefully at the workload for the students over the arc of the class so that it

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is manageable and not too much is due on any given week or day. Include some asynchronous work when you know an event will cancel class. It’s nice, if you have the room, to build in a TBA (to be announced) day to give fexibility in the event of a class being canceled unexpectedly. This gives you room to rearrange content. In the sample schedules in the book, there is usually a fnal project that serves as the “fnal exam”. You may wish to give a written exam if there is lecture material. Depending on your institution, you may also be required to log a midterm grade. As you will see in the class schedules, there are often no midterm exams. For the Rendering class, I usually come up with an aggregate grade based on the projects they have completed thus far in the semester. For classes that have lecture components, if I choose to test on lecture material, the test is a take-home open-book exam. I’m not interested in making students cram and do a brain dump in a one-hour setting; I don’t think it’s conducive to learning. I’d rather know that they know where to fnd the material they need.

Costume Design: What to Cover? Here is a quick look at the topics I think are important to cover in a Costume Design class. Students should be able to: •

Analyze a script and make appropriate costume design choices

•

Accurately render costumes (ideally a rendering class should come first or in tandem)

•

Understand how the costume industry and theatre structures work

•

Analyze how the psychology of dress can be used as a design tool

•

Understand the design process

•

Lecture 5 – The Psychology of Dress

•

Lecture 6 – Design Styles

•

Lecture 7 – Choosing Fabric; Fabrics and Costume Design

•

Lecture 8 – Budgeting

•

Lecture 9 – Diversity in the Industry

•

Lecture 10 – The Life of a Costume – this is an alternate option instead of Lecture 3 for a class for all theatre majors and would go along with Lectures 1 and 7 only.

The Costume Design class can cover the basics of drawing the human fgure, or it may be covered in a rendering class. This class builds on the lecture material through a series of projects that focus on research, rendering, and design skills. You may be looking at this and thinking, wow, that is a lot of information to cover! Ours is a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) pre-professional degree program, and we are striving to prepare our students to enter the professional industry or graduate school. If you are teaching in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program, I believe that all of this is legitimate to cover, as many MFA students do not come from a BFA program. Our students who have gone on to graduate programs over the years consistently tell us that they were well-prepared to thrive in these programs, often better than their fellow classmates. A course for non-majors, or a class for high-school students, would probably be less comprehensive. In Chapter 3, there are pared-down versions and class schedules for those

The class is lecture- and project-based, with outside reading. The lectures in Chapter 3 cover the following topics: •

Lecture 1 – Costumes and Costume Designers: What is Their Function?

•

Lecture 2 – The Role of the Costume Designer in the Theatre Structure

•

Lecture 3 – The Design Process

•

Lecture 4 – Elements and Principles of Design – if this is covered in an Introduction to Design course, have students give fve-minute refresher talks on these topics to the class, rather than including the full lecture.

F I G U R E 2 – 1 Minnie, Flyin’ West, Azaria Jade Rubio, Shenandoah University

Structuring the Class

teaching non-majors, as well as alternate lectures. There is also a sample class schedule for those who need to combine Costume Design and Costume Rendering in one class. I do not include as many rendering projects in our BFA Costume Design class as in our Costume Rendering class, as much of the frst part of the semester is lecture-based, and there is also a fair amount of reading. Our current Costume Design class has four projects: Name Your Adjective, Sylvia, Using Line, and Flyin’ West, the semester-long project. There are also two research projects: Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and the Diversity in the Industry group presentation.

Costume rendering: What to Cover? What should a student get out of a Costume Rendering class? Ideally, they should be able to: •

Draw the human figure

•

Draw and paint clothes and fabrics on the figure, including fabric movement

•

Draw faces

•

In more advanced classes, be able to draw in a variety of styles and with multiple graphic media (different paints and drawing materials)

to focus on our undergraduate population. However, my lectures and many of the projects in this book were drawn from those taught by JB Harris at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I completed my MFA in Costume Design. JB’s classes had a mixture of undergraduates and graduates. When I began teaching at Shenandoah in 1999, I drew heavily on what I had learned from JB in preparing my classes. I reached out to him to ask his permission to use his projects, which he very graciously permitted. Over the years I have used and adapted many of his projects, as well as coming up with my own, and I have become more attuned to what is successful for the undergraduates I work with at Shenandoah than I was when I began teaching. In the beginning, I tended to give too much work and overwhelmed them. For example, for the Figures in Motion fnal for Studio 3 (the fairies’ entrance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream), I used to require seven renderings: Puck, Titania, Oberon, and the four named fairies. This was stressful for students on top of the rest of their fnals, especially since there are students in that class who are Theatre Design and Production majors in areas other than costume design. For them, costume design and rendering can be a different challenge than it is for majors. I now require the three lead fairies plus their choice of one of the four fairy entourage: Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, or Mustardseed, for a total of four renderings.

This is a hands-on class; there are no tests or lectures. Include demos in class when introducing a new skill. The class consists of rendering projects, as one of the best ways to improve one’s rendering skills is to practice. Unlike Costume Design, which currently has four rendering projects, Studio 3 currently has ten rendering projects. Chapter 5 has an example of a modifed class schedule, if you have one semester to teach both graphic skills and rendering. At SU, the rendering class, Studio 3, is preceded by Studio 1 (Basic Drawing) and Studio 2 (Graphic Arts 1). I cover additional graphic arts skills in Studio 3, which are built around costume rendering projects. What if your situation is different? A beginning or more advanced class would have different material, which is covered in more depth later in the book. Approaches to teaching Costume Rendering are discussed in much greater detail in Chapter 5, including a class schedule that merges design and rendering.

CONSIDERING YOUR AUDIENCE Graduates vs. Undergraduates I do not teach graduate students at Shenandoah, as we have no theatre graduate program in our Conservatory, preferring

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F I G U R E 2 – 2 Peaseblossom, a Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sylvia Fuhrken, Shenandoah University

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The original project has additional parts which are wonderful for graduate students, but would be too challenging for undergraduates. In Chapter 4, there is a cross-listing of projects, both design and rendering, that I believe are more appropriate for graduate students than undergraduates. I have adapted some of them, such as the Picnic project, which includes copywork of a Rockwell painting and then assigns characters from William Inge’s play Picnic to render in Rockwell’s style. I love this project – I loved it when I was in school, and I think it’s a terrifc challenge at the graduate level. I have used it several times in rendering classes in the past, and while our students usually are very successful with the copywork, they really struggle to render in Rockwell’s style. I concluded that this project as a whole was more advanced than many undergraduates could handle successfully. I now use the Rockwell copywork part as an introduction to using acrylic paint, and this is working out well. I have indicated on the cross list when there is, in my mind, a way to adapt a project for an undergraduate class, as well as on the project descriptions themselves. Other projects of JB’s are superb for any level of student, and in his notes on the projects, he has indicated ways he has adapted projects, including for high school students. What makes a project better for one group or another? This includes: •

The complexity of the work – does it have multiple parts that build on each other? Such projects may be better for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

•

The amount of research involved – have your students had a fashion history class yet? Will they? o

If they have no familiarity with the period of the script, building in time for research may be crucial, and could be part of the class time.

What are they ready for; what will challenge them at a level at which they have the potential to succeed and thrive? If you teach graduate students, the lectures in this book are very apt for either level of student, both grad and undergrad. You may wish to expand the discussion in some places when teaching at the graduate level. For example, the Fabrics lecture could go into much more detail. JB’s projects, to my mind, all stand the test of time for graduate students. You may think that some of the other projects are too elementary for a graduate program, but read them all – you may fnd something interesting or useful! If you teach undergraduates, you may wish to adapt these lectures depending on: •

Whether yours is a BA or BFA program.

•

Whether your class is all costume design students, or a mixture of majors and nonmajors, or a class for all theatre students, including performers.

•

How specialized you wish to get.

If you teach high-school students or non-majors, see Chapters 3 and 5 for pared-down suggested class schedules, as all the information in these lectures and all of the projects in my current classes might be excessive or overwhelming for them. It depends on your students and their interest level, and the amount of time you have with them. Also see Projects for Beginners for projects appropriate for beginning classes. Our beginning costume class, Introduction to Stage Costuming, has two sections, one for dance majors and one for all theatre majors. The lectures are similar – The Life of a Costume, for example, is used in both courses, but is altered as appropriate for dance vs. theatre.

CLASS TOOLS Using an Online platform

•

The number of renderings required. Asking undergraduates to complete ten renderings in a week, for example, is probably not conducive to their success. Graduate students are better equipped to handle this challenge and thrive – but ideally not every week!

•

Another question is the level of the undergraduate or high school student – first years, seniors, or somewhere in between.

When I started teaching twenty-fve years ago, online teaching platforms were much less ubiquitous than they are now. I resisted them for a long time, arguing that my classes were hands-on and that an online presence would not help me. How wrong I was. Shenandoah used BlackBoard for several years, and then switched to Canvas. After taking two classes through our TTL (Transformative Teaching and Learning) Department to learn how to use Canvas, I could see that it had the capacity to make my courses much

Structuring the Class

•

There is a plagiarism checker, which is very helpful.

•

Administer tests on Canvas, and it will help you to grade them.

•

Enter all assignments, due dates, and descriptions for students.

•

Write your syllabus on Canvas and give it all kinds of bells and whistles in graphic design to make it more accessible and user-friendly.

Weight all assignments and enter grades, so students know exactly where their progress is in the class. Canvas protects their privacy, so students only see their own grades.

•

Design the Canvas class itself with graphics and pictures. For example, you can design the home page to make it eye-catching and relevant.

At the end of the semester, Canvas has calculated the overall grade for each student. No more struggling with math and percentages.

•

When the class comes around again, you can migrate all course material to the new class.

more accessible, as well as simplifying and streamlining my workload. What can you do on Canvas? •

•

•

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Post the syllabus and all handouts. No more trips to the copy machine. A far greener solution! Be sure to contact your school’s TTL or other teaching and learning department for information about how your school handles copyright.

•

If the syllabus or class schedule changes, you can easily alter and repost them.

•

Create an announcement and Canvas will email the whole class as well as post it online.

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Set up reminders about assignment due dates to be sent to students via email.

•

Post links – to articles, to YouTube videos, performances, and so much more.

In the Covid pandemic, many of us moved to holding classes on Zoom and later posting the class recording. We found that the size of the file often crashed Canvas, so I set up a Google Drive for students and posted all class recordings there. •

Hold an online discussion forum – see later in this chapter.

•

Canvas keeps track of class attendance in a very simple and easy way.

•

Students can turn in paper assignments on Canvas. No more emails filling my inbox to keep track of. o

They can also upload pictures of renderings, which was very helpful when SU pivoted to virtual in the spring of 2020. I vastly prefer to see the actual (paper) rendering, of course, but having this option is very helpful.

There is, of course, much more Canvas can do, and I learn more every semester. If you are teaching in higher education, you should have access to Canvas or its equivalent. Reach out to your Center for Teaching and Learning Technology, or whatever your school calls this department, and fnd out if you can take training. Some of what Canvas can do, for example, is not intuitive, and this will save you a lot of time so you can move to implementing your class online. I now post all descriptions for project assignments online so there is no confusion. I am conflicted about this . . . is no one capable of taking notes anymore? Is this good training for the professional world? However, for students with disabilities, and for any student who is prone to lose notes or misunderstand an assignment, this does simplify things and I get less panicked last-minute emails and office visits. I will say that I have thus far resisted posting my lecture notes, which many faculty do. I will post slides and PowerPoint presentations. For the Costume Design class, there are multiple lectures, and the midterm exam or project tests students on this material. Here is a situation in which I do expect them to take notes. Taking notes in class during a lecture is a skill set that all students should have – what is crucial to write down? Is this an illustrative story that I can listen to without scribing it? What

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will the professor expect me to retain from this lecture? If you choose to go this route, some scaffolding to help students, especially undergraduates, is critical. For example, I provide an outline of the lecture on Canvas that students can take notes on. Some instructors suggest having an introductory page in Canvas for tips on taking notes. Can students record lectures? Yes, absolutely, especially when there is a disability accommodation in place. They will still have to retain the knowledge in whatever way works best for them. Be clear at the beginning of the semester that this is available to any student, with or without an accommodations letter. Ask students not to post recordings of lectures anywhere, and stress that these recordings are for their personal use only.

Writing relevant Lectures There is an art to writing an effective lecture. One trap that I and many others fell into when frst teaching was making lectures too dense and trying to encompass too much material. There is also a danger in teaching at the graduate level, since that is what you just came from if you are a new educator in higher ed, and overwhelming high school or undergraduate students, if they are your audience. Giving students information that they are not yet ready to process and use, or drowning them in more information than they need, is counterproductive to their success. The next chapter will cover the lectures for teaching Costume Design. There are no lectures for the Costume Rendering class, as this is more of a skills-based class. I do my best to keep lectures under an hour. That’s about my own limit for listening to someone talk. I also work hard to make lectures interactive and introduce questions to stimulate discussion. I’m sure we all remember professors and teachers from when we were in school, droning on for what seemed like forever, and we just checked-out mentally. Engaging students in the discussion increases retention and values their own lived experience. Consider dividing classes into segments – break up a lecture with activities and discussions. For example, for a class that lasts an hour and ffteen minutes, lecture for the frst half hour, divide students into breakout groups for ffteen minutes to discuss content, and then lecture for the last thirty minutes. Alternatively, the lecture could be the frst thirty minutes of class, and the rest of class can be a hands-on activity or

a workday for a project. For example, for the Psychology of Dress Lecture, instead of lecturing about the psychology of colors, have a workday where students research and present on individual colors. For the Fabrics lecture, we go outside and do controlled burn tests to identify different fbers. For the lectures, it does not matter if it takes more than one class session to complete each one, as long as you plan for this in your class schedule. You may also choose to make use of the concept of fipped learning, in which students read or watch videos outside of class, and class time is used for activities that build on this material. For example, lectures can be recorded for students to watch outside of class. The added beneft is that students can watch the videos multiple times, if they are having diffculty with content, or if you are demonstrating a skill, such as drawing or sewing. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, a) that you need to know everything (you don’t; no one does), and b) that you always have to be right or have the last word. It’s OK to say “I don’t know” if a student asks you and you don’t. But don’t leave it there. Does someone else in class know? You could research it together as a class. You could look it up and follow up at the next class. Don’t just leave it hanging; that is frustrating for all involved. This is a good opportunity for that well-known phrase, “a teachable moment”. I fnd that I can cover about four to fve pages of lecture material in an hour. That isn’t solid text, as it includes time for illustrative stories and class questions. If I try to include more than that, I fnd I’m rushing to get through everything, and that leads me to fall into my personal trap, which is speaking too fast. Especially if students are taking notes and you are testing them on the material, remember that if you go too fast, they are going to give up. Before the frst lecture, communicate that they always have the right to ask you to slow down, clarify, or repeat information. This seems obvious, but students are often too intimidated to interrupt a professor to ask for what they need. I still tend to speak quickly, but I really try to be aware of this during lectures and consciously work to slow down, especially when discussing something complicated or something that has multiple parts, such as color theory. This is where a PowerPoint slide or an old school whiteboard can be helpful. Stories that illustrate a point are great. We all know that. Whether reading a book or listening to a lecture or webinar, it’s always interesting to take a break from information intake and listen to a relevant story. My colleagues and I at SU have many “war stories” from our years in professional and academic theatre, and students seem to particularly enjoy the ones in which I call myself out for a mistake – yes, your teacher is human! Be careful not to throw colleagues and

Structuring the Class

other professionals under the bus; the theatre world is a small one. This may seem obvious, but when you write out your lecture notes, don’t write in full sentences. I didn’t realize that when I started teaching, and it was easy to lose my place in my notes. It’s hard to follow in the moment and leads to dry lectures in which you’re just reading off a page. Bullet points and abbreviated text or an outline are better, so you can be spontaneous and “riff” on the lecture material. This gets easier once you have taught a class a few times! Note: for the lectures in this book, I have written them out more than I normally do for clarity. Of course, visuals help to keep it interesting for your audience, and with the technology we have available it is very easy to put together PowerPoints (PPs) or other visual presentations. When making use of a PP in class, it’s important to cover everything on your slides, including reading the text, to accommodate any disabilities. And don’t show a slide with text and spend time talking about something else that is related until you’ve covered that text. When I’m an audience member, I don’t know if I should read the slide so I don’t miss it, or listen to what is being said, and it’s frustrating. Along the same lines, don’t pack too much text into slides – it can be overwhelming. The real work is the class prep the frst time you teach the class – don’t underestimate the time it will take to write a good lecture and put together your visuals. The frst time I taught Fashion History, I felt as if I was writing a ten-page (two lectures) term paper every week for a whole academic year. But after that it’s in the bag and you can adapt and fne tune every semester as you learn more, and, importantly, as you see how students react to what you are saying. Look around the room as you talk – don’t just look at your notes. Are students engaged? Do you need to involve them more? Don’t be afraid to let the temperature in the room drive what you do. If you don’t get through the whole lecture because an interesting discussion starts, don’t shut it down. You can always fnish the lecture during the next class. And don’t stop learning, yourself. Our industry changes: we as educators need to keep abreast of that and incorporate it into our classes. And we are all changing, as artists and educators, as we design more shows, teach more classes, attend conferences like USITT, and network with peers – don’t stagnate as an educator. Your students will thank you for it!

Using textbooks This is a subject I have found very challenging over the years, due to the rising cost of textbooks. Choose textbooks

25

carefully with an eye towards helping costume students build a relevant and useful library that will serve them as students and eventually as working professionals, while not creating prohibitive and unreasonable costs. For technology classes, such as Pattern Drafting, I always require textbooks, since students work on projects with complex skill sets outside of the classroom and need that guidance when I am not there. Students can, of course, rent or share these books. For our Rendering class, I have gone back and forth over the years because the class requires a lot of art supplies which get costly. They also need to purchase the scripts used for the projects, although you can put them on reserve in your school library. Because of all of this, I’m currently on the side of not requiring a book for Costume Rendering. It is not a lecture class, and I post handouts for things like fgure drawing. Be sure to inquire about copyright policy at your school, especially when posting on an online platform. You can also inquire how your school sets class fees, as it can be cheaper to buy rendering supplies in bulk to provide for the class in return for a class fee. These fees are often covered by scholarships, grants, and fee waivers, which helps students with class costs. For Costume Design classes, I have required different books over the years, including The Magic Garment by Rebecca Cunningham, The Costume Designer’s Handbook by Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey, and The Art and Practice of Costume Design by Holly Poe Durbin and Melissa Merz. These are all worthy books and if you aren’t familiar with them, I highly recommend that you read them. Costume Design by Barbara and Cletus Anderson is also a very useful and well-written text. These books will defnitely inform your lectures. Is it necessary to require a textbook in a Costume Design class? Different professors have different opinions about this – certainly, supplemental reading allows for a deeper discussion, and can include material that you may not have time to lecture about in class. In recent years, I have found it more benefcial to make use of interesting articles and videos I have found online and in magazines. This allows me to incorporate new material as I fnd it. Here are some potential titles I have seen recently:

•

“Navigating POC Politics in Production” (Porche McGovern, Stage Directions, March 2020)

•

“The Language of Thinking About the Whole . . . With Designer Susan Hilferty”

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(Howard Sherman, Stage Directions, December 2019) •

“The History of the Broadway Costume Business” (Triffin Morris and Gregory DL Morris, USITT Theatre Design and Technology quarterly, Winter 2011)

•

“Costume Conversations at USITT” – stage floor interviews with Rafael Jaen, William Ivey Long, and Carolina Jimenez Flores (Stage Directions, August 2018)

•

“Costume Design Gets Its Due: Moscow Exhibition, Costumes at the Turn of the Century 1990–2015, Showcases the Transformational Impact of Design” (Alexandra Bonds and Susan Tsu, USITT TD&T, Winter 2016)

•

“Working in the Theatre” video series, American Theatre Wing, YouTube

Be sure to look at your school’s copyright policy when sharing these resources. These articles and videos are dynamic, relevant, and timely. I think they have the potential for discussions that would be lively and thoughtful. If you require outside reading, are the students going to do it if you don’t fnd some way to track their followthrough? I have never forgotten something another grad student told me when I was in my frst year of my MFA: “Reading is the frst thing to come off the table when things get busy.” So how are you going to make sure students complete the reading? Years ago, I would give short quizzes to confrm reading had been done. This was abysmally ineffective, and stressful for all involved. I now make use of the Canvas discussion-board feature and require students to post a refection on the reading for the frst due date, and a thread response to another student’s post for the second due date. This could also be done live in the classroom. I send feedback about their posts and threads separately after the last due date. For videos, we have an open class discussion, as there is defnitely value to that as well – they had very strong opinions about a video I chose recently. Whether to have discussion boards, live discussions, or both (my choice) very much depends on the climate in your classroom and the relationship you have with your students. Trust on the part of students takes time to cultivate. That video discussion was later in the semester, when we had had time to gel as a class.

production Critiques and Discussion Boards I always assign critiques for current shows produced by our Theatre Division for the Costume Design class, so the students can apply what we have been talking about in class to a realized production. We cover two shows, one in our proscenium space and one in our black box theatre, so that students think about house and theatre sizes and how they affect costume design. Our black box is small enough that the audience is very close, and it is somewhat like designing for flm in terms of small details (but no close-ups).

FILM CRITIQUES Critiques were challenging in Spring 2021, during the Covid pandemic, as we had no indoor shows with audiences and were not building in our normal fashion. That semester, I assigned the one realized outdoor show, as the rest of our season, except for a staged reading, was filmed and streamed, and the timeline to release shows was very unpredictable. For the other show, I made a short list of movies with interesting costumes. Choices included Clueless, Dangerous Liaisons, Marie Antoinette (the most recent version with Kirsten Dunst), Moulin Rouge, Edward Scissorhands, and several others. This is a great website for ideas: www.denofgeek. com/movies/top-50-movies-with-ingenious-costumedesign/. We took a vote in class, and the class chose Moulin Rouge. Film costume design is quite different from theatrical costume design, so if you go this route, be sure to include a discussion of both. It would be very interesting to contrast and compare the movie Moulin Rouge with the musical adaptation. There are quite a few good books on film costume design if you need more information. Two recent examples are Designing Costume for Stage and Screen by Deirdre Clancy, and Costume Design 101: The Business and Art of Creating Costumes for Film and Television by Richard La Motte. Depending on where you and your students’ interests lie, you may wish to focus more on this topic. For all the class critiques, students cover at least three characters, using the lecture material as guidance. The frst critique is not due until the lecture portion of the class is

Structuring the Class

complete. Were the costumes effective (or not), and why? Stress that they do not have to like costume choices, but they must be able to defend their criticism – “I just didn’t like that costume” is not a valid critique. We also don’t want a critique that consists of a description of the costumes. Tell students to think of themselves as writing a review, like a newspaper critic, but focusing on the costumes. Now, your students may very well be critiquing shows for which you designed the costumes, so be prepared! Cultivate an atmosphere in the classroom that encourages students to be open and honest. It can make for a lively and interesting class discussion, but also has the potential to make the designer uncomfortable. Take care if the show was designed by a student, especially a student in the class. Constructive criticism is always more helpful, so talk about this when you assign the critiques. Since we started using Canvas, I have been making use of the Discussion Board feature for critiques. I create a discussion board for each show and include the assignment description and due dates: posting the initial critique the week after the show closes, and the thread response a week later. You can close the string automatically so students cannot post late, and you can see exactly when they turned in both the critique and thread. The thread is a few sentences long, in response to another student’s critique post. I like this because students are reading each other’s work and not writing in silos, and because it’s a peer-to-peer discussion that I am not involved with, as I would be in a live discussion in class. This format is one in which shyer students seem to feel more encouraged to participate. The discussion-board format seems to create a level peer-to-peer playing feld. After the last due date for the thread, I read all posts and send feedback – usually the thread is worth 20 percent of the total grade for the critique, and as long as they write a thread and it is thoughtful, they get the full number of thread points: typically, 20 for the critique and 5 for the thread. Does this take the place of live discussion in class? Should it? I don’t think it’s an either/or, but a “yes, and . . .” situation. There are benefts to both. I fnd that participation is more consistent in the discussion-board format, but there are always going to be students who space out the thread response. Emphasize, when giving the assignment, that this is a critical part, so that they see what other students wrote and thought. Many students will post multiple thread responses.

Using abstract Collages An abstract collage is a reaction to a script, a piece of music, a character . . . a way to respond artistically, without having anything that is representational. It uses some or all of the fve elements of design: line, shape, mass, color, and texture.

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I’ve used this idea liberally in many classes. For example, using music, it’s a good informal warmup for fgure drawing. The idea is that nothing is recognizable. This concept is part of the Semester-Long Design Project in the Costume Design class. Students read the assigned script and create an abstract work of art in reaction to the play. They are encouraged to go beyond paint; any material that will stick to a surface is acceptable, as long as they can explain it. Students present and discuss their collages in class. Many of them struggle with the abstract concept, and one thing I stress is that they are not designing costumes, or a show poster, nor is it a research board. Have students in the class offer reactions before the presenting student shares their intentions behind the collage. Recently I used Pearl Cleage’s Flyin’ West for the semester-long design project, and the abstracts students created were extraordinary. They could hang on a wall in an art gallery. The collage in Figure 2–3 is by Azaria Jade Rubio.

F I G U R E 2 – 3 Collage for Flyin’ West by Azaria Jade Rubio. Photo by the author. Flyin’ West is a story about Black pioneers in Kansas in the late 19th century.

Of her collage, Azaria says that she approached it as a work of art, with multiple art media and textures. For her, this made it easier to ultimately translate the collage into her costume designs. She says that the collage is metaphorical for the story of the script and the truth it tells for Black families and what they have generationally endured and overcome. The beads represent Black people breaking the mold and the ties holding them back, and the beads spilling out of the bag, as well as some being broken, suggest

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Structuring the Class

that no one comes through trauma intact. The gold frame, in contrast to the rustic nature of the collage, reflects the art of Black culture; its beauty and the good that comes with it despite the pain that has been endured.

So why use this as part of the project? The next part of the assignment is to create rough sketches and fnal plates of the assigned characters, making use of the abstract collage they created. They will have to explain how they used the collage when they present their renderings, which is the harder challenge. By thinking abstractly, we view the original script differently, and pull things to the surface that we didn’t know were there. Rather than focusing on historical research and practicalities like a reference to a hat, our minds are freed to react, artist to artist, to the work in question. The creative challenge is then to fgure out how to make use of this imagery, and talking through it in class is a very productive way to help students pull these ideas into concrete design decisions for their costume renderings. The Electra project also makes use of collages and is a smaller project.

Using research Boards Making a research board is, I’m sure, something you have done in your design process. Teaching students how to create a useful research board links back to teaching students about how to research. Many projects in this book make use of research boards, including Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Kiss Me, Kate; Medea; and the Semester-Long Design Project. I make research boards for every show I design, as it’s a useful tool for me, my assistants, the costume shop, and for collaboration with the design team and the director. It’s important to discuss this in class so research boards don’t just seem like busy work to students.

ANALOG BOARDS When I first started teaching, these were physical boards, with xeroxed research that we cut out and taped to poster board sheets. I still have piles of these in my office! With the advent of Pinterest and other online methods, analog boards are a thing of the past for us. Online boards are faster, greener, easier to alter and share, and all in color!

Research boards can be by character or by group; for example, a female ensemble. Students should be careful not to have too many images that are overly similar, a danger with Pinterest, where it is very easy to pin multiple images very quickly. I cap the number of images per board so that students must curate their research body. Research should usually be primary, although there are certainly exceptions, depending on the nature of the show and the planned design. It’s helpful to include notes about the research on the board as appropriate. Here is the assignment that students receive for the Semester-Long Design Project: Research Book – using your list and plot, create a Pinterest board of research for costumes for each character. Everything on your costume list needs to be researched and shown on your boards. The period is XX. Remember that you need to use primary, i.e., from the period research. You should have a minimum of 10 pins, max 15 for each board. Please label your boards with the character’s name and add notes as necessary to explain your choices. You can also require students to pull their Pinterest images and curate them into a PowerPoint format or Google slides for better visual presentation and organization. The list and plot are covered later in the book; every designer has their method – I share what works for me and what I teach.

Using pinterest and Other Online Systems I started using Pinterest about eight years ago to streamline the makeup morgue project in our Makeup class. I now use it exclusively for research boards, since I can pin images of my own, not just the ones I fnd on Pinterest. Students’ reactions to moving to digital boards were very positive, since it saves them a lot of money spent on colored ink. Here are some of the things I like about a digital research board: •

Greener – it’s not a huge waste of paper.

•

Easy to share with directors and design team, especially with guest artists who may be out of town.

•

Easy to make changes as new or different things are needed.

•

Everything I want in color is in color, except for black-and-white images.

•

Researching online is much faster and broader, if you know how to evaluate your research.

Structuring the Class

•

Pinterest allows you to pin your own photographs, so I can still use my print library as needed.

•

Pins have links to their sources, although it may take a little work to get to the original source.

•

Pinterest allows you to sort and organize your pictures with labels.

•

Online boards are accessible anywhere, as long as I have my phone or laptop. No carrying large poster boards.

•

Online boards can be used as part of lecture presentations in your classes.

There are other online systems that allow you to create research boards; so if Pinterest doesn’t work for you, there are many other options, such as Prezi, Canva, Google Slides, using Google Drive, or, of course, PowerPoints. Pinterest has improved a lot since I started using it, and it’s now much easier to label pictures and make subcategories within one page. If you decide to go the online route, encourage students not to limit themselves to searching on Pinterest! There are so many excellent resources online; here are just a few: •

The Victoria and Albert Museum

•

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

•

The Fashion Museum at Bath

•

The National Portrait Gallery

•

The Library of Congress

•

The Kyoto Costume Institute

•

New York Public Library

•

Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) – Fashion History Timeline

•

Ancestry.com

•

Google Images

•

Online fashion blogs

TEACHING METHODS Online teaching Prior to March 2020, like many of my theatre-educator colleagues and friends, I had never taught online. I had begun to make greater use of Canvas, but I had certainly never

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taught a class on Zoom, other than making use of that technology for out-of-town guests. But like everyone else, suddenly, during our spring break that year, I had to pivot to teaching completely online for the rest of the semester. In the fall of 2021, some of my classes were live, some completely online, and some were a hybrid. The latter was the most challenging. Having experienced hybrid classes both from an instructor and a student point of view, of the three options, hybrid classes have the most potential for problems. For example, do you have a mic to capture sound in the classroom? If not, the students online may be able to hear you, but not hear other conversations in the room. If you ask all students to join on zoom, whether live or remote, everyone must mute and unmute depending on who is speaking, or there is a bad reverb issue. It is easy for instructors to forget about the online students, and not make sure they can see everything that is happening, or forget to call on them during discussion, or miss a raised hand. As the student, having to continually remind the instructor that you are there is incredibly frustrating. Hopefully, you have a camera in the classroom and standard technology, but not all schools have the same, consistent technology for their students. Shenandoah provides a MacBook Pro to all faculty and students, which makes online classes much easier, but I have spoken to costume faculty friends across the country who battled issues of not having common technology, consistent access to Wi-Fi, and other problems. 360 video technologies can be a huge help, if you have access to them. I also received a document camera from our IT department, and this has been terrifc for demonstrating both makeup and rendering skills and techniques. It hooks up to my laptop or iPad and can be set up so that it demonstrates what my hands are doing. We do this in a Zoom room, whether live or remote, so all students can see the demo from their laptops. We also demonstrate machine and hand-sewing techniques this way in the live classroom, which keeps us from having a large group of students gathered close together and allows everyone to see clearly. These demonstrations are recorded and posted on our Google Drive so students can refer to them as they work, and this has the added beneft of students not needing to have us repeat demonstrations as much. Many of us have also created step-by-step tutorials that can then be posted. We have found that videos posted on Canvas tend to crash, so we have used Google Drive instead. At this point, most of us are very Zoom-savvy, so I won’t belabor a discussion about using Zoom as a classroom, except to say that the chat feature can be a way to encourage shy students to ask questions and post their thoughts. Our students are often reluctant to ask live

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Structuring the Class

questions of a professional guest in a Zoom setting, but if I encourage them to post questions in the chat for me to read aloud, the questions roll in. Breakout rooms are very helpful for dividing students into smaller groups for discussion. I also use them when giving feedback during tests in the Makeup class. When students are presenting renderings in an online format, having them snap a picture of the rendering and then share their screen is vastly preferable to having them hold up work on camera. This is true for makeup work as well. Lighting varies so much and affects colors, so a picture works a lot better.

TEACHING ABOUT FABRIC ONLINE In many cases projects had to change and we had to be creative in figuring out how to make material effective online. For example, when teaching Stage Costuming for Dance, I have a lecture about fabrics and their qualities, in which I have always passed around samples of different fabrics to help to explain fibers and structures. I also have larger pieces of fabric to demonstrate how fabrics move and drape. When I had to teach that class online, I didn’t think holding up pieces of fabric to the camera was going to be useful or engaging for students. Instead, I shortened the lecture and created an assignment. Since the students were all dance majors, what I wanted them to think about was how fabric affected movement, how it moved with their bodies, and how it revealed or obscured the latter. The assignment was to find a piece of fabric in their house, as they were all at home by this point, wrap/drape it on their bodies, and make a video of themselves moving and dancing with the fabric. In the next class, they each played their video and we discussed them. It could be as simple as a bedsheet if this was what they had access to. This was a great class; they really rose to the challenge, and the discussion was energetic. I later shared this video with the University of Colorado Boulder, and they were quite complimentary. One real plus of our increased use of Zoom technology has been the ability to have online professional guests. We started this prior to Covid, as it was a way for busy professional artists to be able to interact with our students without having to travel to Shenandoah. We were able to

network with guests who probably would not have been able to ft coming to campus into their schedules. Paul Tazewell, Gregg Barnes, and Toni-Leslie James are just a few of the professional designers who have been gracious enough to be guest speakers and teach master classes. It is important to value guests’ time and offer an honorarium – make sure you have a budget and don’t ask people to donate their time. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of money, but it acknowledges that their time is valuable. Online resources have really exploded in the past few years; if you aren’t a Facebook (FB) person, you might want to dip a toe in just to get access to all the great FB groups for costumes. Costume People, Costumers: Next Gen, Costume Educators Forum, and the various USITT groups are all ways to connect with costume folks from all around the country and the world. This type of networking is especially valuable if your school is not in an urban location, and you don’t know many other costume designers. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel for a creative or educational problem, you can reach out and see how other people have handled it. You can also make a lot of new friends! And of course, YouTube is a great resource for all kinds of videos that you may fnd useful. There is quite a bit of scholarship out there about teaching online, far beyond the purview of this book. Of course, we all hope that we won’t be in a lockdown situation again but teaching online is something that is going to be with us in education post-pandemic. If you need to learn more about teaching online, start with both the Center for Teaching and Learning or its equivalent at your school, as well as your Institutional Technology department. I have attended quite a few training webinars and round-table discussions about online teaching in theatre design, so look beyond your specifc school for help, and consider making use of FB groups like Costume Educators Forum for help and ideas.

Incorporating IDe and Inclusive pedagogy IDE, EDI, DEI . . . there are lots of acronyms for the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion. As I write this in 2022, the internet seems to be blowing up with controversy over the concept of critical race theory, which I think a lot of people do not understand (it certainly isn’t taught to kindergarteners!). After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, many schools and theatres sought to place a focus on social justice; the latter, of course was not something new, but something that always should have been on our radar. It has now been two years since the demonstrations after Floyd’s death, and the continuance of the commitments seems to vary . . . or are being challenged.

Structuring the Class

In this section, I’m going to talk about how IDE awareness has impacted my teaching, and what I have learned and am learning about the concept of inclusive pedagogy, which is germane to all education, not just the costume design classroom. As I have learned more about social justice and its relationship to theatre, and particularly theatre in higher education, I have looked for ways to make my classes more inclusive. For example, I looked at my syllabi, and realized that all the scripts I was using for class projects were by white playwrights. Why was this? It hadn’t even occurred to me; I had just chosen plays I liked or that I thought were useful for a particular project. For example, I chose Sylvia by A.R. Gurney because of the descriptions of the costumes, which dovetailed into a class discussion about how designers make use of what the playwright suggests. In the summer of 2020, I challenged myself to expand my knowledge of PGM (People of the Global Majority) playwrights, and whole worlds opened up to me. I read, and am continuing to read, plays by playwrights I did not know whose stories were not on my radar. I learned history that I was never taught in school. Several of these plays, including

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Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage, Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz, and The House That Will Not Stand by Marcus Gardley have made their way into projects in my classes, and I continue to read and to learn. I have also worked to increase our students’ knowledge of PGM and other marginalized designers in the costume industry. I used the Diversity in the Industry lecture and project for the frst time in the spring of 2021, and coincidentally, one of the designers the students chose to present on, Toni-Leslie James, agreed to hold a master class that semester on Zoom for the class. The students were blown away by her, and having background knowledge, as the student presentation was prior to James’s class, meant that the students had a much greater investment in her presentation. Costume designers in higher education and the professional industry in general are very generous with their time. How do you fnd them? I am very lucky to have Kevin Covert, a Broadway actor, as a colleague at Shenandoah – he is the head of our Musical Theatre program. He has kindly made many introductions for me. But I have also had luck simply reaching out to people online. Learning more about social justice has led, for me, into learning about the concept of inclusive pedagogy. What is inclusive pedagogy? Here’s a defnition from the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), Georgetown University (https://cndls.georgetown.edu/ ip-toolkit/pedagogy/): Inclusive pedagogy is a student-centered approach to teaching that pays attention to the varied background, learning styles, and abilities of all the learners in front of you. It is a method of teaching in which instructors and students work together to create a supportive and open environment that fosters social justice and allows each individual to be fully present and feel equally valued.

F I G U R E 2 – 4 Conchita, anna in the tropics, Lindsey Barshick, Shenandoah University

The website is a wealth of information about this practice, and I highly encourage any educator to visit it. Inclusive pedagogy applies to any class, anywhere. For further resources, see the Bibliography at the end of this chapter. Thinking about inclusive pedagogy is looking at all students in the classroom. And social justice goes beyond race to include all marginalized groups, including gender, the LGBTQ+ community, religion, and the disabled community (forgive me if I’ve omitted any groups). Our theatre students are far more aware of social justice and marginalization than I was at their age. I learn from them as much as they learn from me. Recently I had a very enlightening conversation with one student who challenged my use of the expression “differently abled” in class. They explained that this

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Structuring the Class

expression others this community, and they shared several articles and blogs discussing the use of the term “disabled” in this community. I was very appreciative that they spoke up. I don’t know everything; I don’t pretend to, and I think any educator should recognize the limits to their knowledge and be willing to enter a give-and-take discussion with their students.

BOX 2.6 CLASS SURVEYS In a recent semester, I wrote a twice-a-month email blast to our Conservatory faculty on ways to incorporate inclusive pedagogy in the classroom. I did this as part of a committee on IDE issues and faculty education within our Conservatory. Our committee worked together to facilitate greater awareness within our faculty, with Hakeem Leonard, our Assistant Provost for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity. Each email had a tip or idea, with a link or attachment for those who wanted more information. Here’s my frst email: “This week’s topic is surveys, as you work this week to plan classes. Have you ever done a student survey for your class, prior to the class beginning? This would be a great thing to do this week, to give your students a way to let you know what they need to succeed and to help you to get to know them better. Studies have shown that students may be leery of asking for offcial accommodations, for a variety of reasons. You could send a survey out this week or give students time in class next week to complete it. Either way, you’ll know your students better and be able to enable them to succeed in your class!” If you’re interested in creating your own survey, see Designing an Accessibility Survey, created by Dr. Becca Ciancanelli, Director of Inclusive Pedagogy at Denver University: http://otl.du.edu/wp-content/ uploads/2022/02/Accessibility-Survey-Spring-2022-1.pdf.

It can be very helpful to solicit student feedback about the class at midterms, rather than waiting for class evaluations at the end. Another option is the idea of the exit ticket, in which you pass out index cards (or a Google Form) at the end of each class or module, with one prompt, such as, “Is there anything you need help with from today’s class? What was your favorite part of this lesson? What do you want me to know?”, etc. This enables you to make changes, if you think they would be benefcial, during the semester.

If you only get feedback after the class ends, that doesn’t help your current class. For example, I know that I speak quickly; something I am always working on, and if a fnal class evaluation complains about that, I always feel distressed about how that affected that student’s ability to learn, and work harder to encourage students to let me know if it’s a problem during the semester. What is your school doing about IDE and around inclusive pedagogy? There’s probably more going on than you realize. We can get very insulated within our departments. For example, one of my students introduced me to the concept of Refective Structured Dialogue, and I have taken several workshops in it at SU since then. It’s had a huge impact on the way I approach dialogue in the classroom. To fnd out how I incorporated it into a rendering assignment for Studio 3, my Costume Rendering class, see the Shenandoah Conversations project of The House That Will Not Stand. It’s important to say that these projects continue to grow and change as I do. Realizing the degree of my own insulation and privilege as it relates to IDE issues and social justice has been a sober awakening for me. Incorporating those issues into the classroom and my work at SU has been a way for me to both share what I have learned and to be open to learning from those who know more than me, both students and faculty, all in the name of creating a better and more just world, both within the educational theatre community and beyond. For further discussion of inclusive pedagogy techniques, see Decolonizing the Costume Classroom in Chapter 7.

BIBLIOGRAPHY “Working in the Theatre” video series, American Theatre Wing, YouTube Anderson, Barbara and Cletus, Costume Design, New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1984 (2nd edition – 1994) “Costume Design Gets Its Due: Moscow Exhibition, Costumes at the Turn of the Century 1990–2015, Showcases the Transformational Impact of Design” (Alexandra Bonds and Susan Tsu, USITT TD&T, Winter 2016) Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), Georgetown University https://cndls. georgetown.edu/ip-toolkit/pedagogy/ Ciancanelli, Becca, Denver University, http://otl.du.edu/ wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Accessibility-SurveySpring-2022-1.pdf Clancy, Dierdre, Designing Costumes for Stage and Screen, Los Angeles: Costume and Fashion Press, 2014

Structuring the Class

Cunningham, Rebecca, The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design (3rd edition), Long Grove: Waveland Press, 2020 www.denofgeek.com/movies/top-50-movies-withingenious-costume-design/ Feldman, Joe, Grading for Equity: What It is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms, Thousand Oaks: Corwin, 2019 Gannon, Kevin M, Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto, Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2020 hooks, bell, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Price of Freedom, New York: Routledge Press, 1994 Ingham, Rosemary, and Covey, Liz, The Costume Designer’s Handbook (2nd edition), Portsmouth: Heinemann Educational Books, 1992 “Costume Conversations at USITT” – stage foor interviews with Rafael Jaen, William Ivey Long, and Carolina Jimenez

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Flores (Stage Directions, August 2018) www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-faq/ LaMotte, Richard, Costume Design 101 (2nd Ed.): The Business and Art of Creating Costumes for Film and Television, Studio City: Michael Wiese Productions, 2010 “Navigating POC Politics in Production” (Porche McGovern, Stage Directions, March 2020) Merz, Melissa (ed.), The Art and Practice of Costume Design, New York: Routledge Press, 2017 “The History of the Broadway Costume Business” (Triffn Morris and Gregory DL Morris, USITT Theatre Design and Technology quarterly, Winter 2011) “The Language of Thinking About the Whole . . . With Designer Susan Hilferty (Howard Sherman, Stage Directions, December 2019)

Chapter 3 C O S T U M E

D E S I G N :

T h e

C l a s s

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION

•

Budgets

Costume design is a subject that can be taught in many different ways, to students of varying ages and skill levels. This chapter includes methods for teaching secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students. I primarily teach undergraduates, but the lectures included in this chapter can easily be tailored for secondary students or graduate students. I have taught this class, in many iterations, for twenty-fve years. The class typically consists of lecture material, reading discussions, and practical projects. This chapter includes lecture material for a stand-alone Costume Design class and will cover potential alterations for students above and below the undergraduate level. I will also talk about testing, and alternatives, for assessing knowledge of lecture material. If you are unsure what art materials might be needed for your class, see Chapter 5 for a list. The body of the lectures are included in this chapter, on the following subjects:

•

Diversity in the Industry

•

The Life of a Costume – lecture for non-major classes (replaces The Design Process, which may be too technical for them. Life of a Costume is broader and not as detailed)

•

Costumes and Costume Designers: What is Their Function?

•

The Role of the Costume Designer in the Theatre Structure

•

The Design Process

•

The Elements and Principles of Design

•

The Psychology of Dress

•

Design Styles

•

Choosing Fabric; Fabric and Costume Design

DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-3

Breaking the class into a combination of lecture material and reading for the frst half of the semester, and projects for the second half, allows students to apply what they are learning to paper projects. This also makes the subject more manageable for the instructor, who may be tempted to lean heavily on either lectures or projects. Many teachers approach this subject in very different ways; for example, some professors choose to integrate costume design and fashion history together – see Connecting Costume Design and Fashion History Classes. Whatever method you choose, remember to build in time for research on design projects, particularly if your students do not have the beneft of a fashion history class. Costume Design is one of my favorite classes to teach. The process of teaching students how to approach a show has real-world applications for their production assignments and beyond. Considering all of the aspects that go into being a costume designer makes for enlivening class discussions, in lecture material and reading as well as project presentations and critiques. How many projects should you include in the class? This largely depends on what other costume classes your students take. For example, in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) 35

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Costume Design: The Class

program, there are probably multiple costume design classes over the arc, each with a different focus, of which this may be the frst. You may also have the ability to offer separate Fashion History and Rendering classes. In this case, you can be more discerning and choose fewer projects for this beginning class. At the undergraduate level, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program may have more costume class offerings than a Bachelor of Arts (BA) program. In other programs, or at the high school level, this may be the only costume class. The number of other classes offered should affect how many projects you include in the frst, or only, costume design course. Beware of overwhelming your students! In terms of numbers of projects on the syllabus, more is not necessarily better, and strategically planned projects will go further in connecting your students to the lecture material. You may also choose to include certain lectures and not others. Each lecture below has a preface explaining its purpose. What should students get out of a Costume Design class, in any iteration? Here are some suggested learning objectives: •

The ability to analyze a script and make costume design choices that communicate their intent. This can be done through

projects and critiques of department or other productions; theatre, dance, opera, etc. •

The ability to accurately render costumes on the human figure – this is achieved through design projects; there are a variety in Chapter 4 for all experience levels.

•

The ability to analyze the psychology of dress – Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is a good project to use.

•

Knowledge of the costume design industry – for example, the Diversity in the Industry project, as well as reading assignments.

•

An understanding of the design process.

COSTUME DESIGN AS A STAND-ALONE CLASS FOR UNDERGRADUATES Here is a sample of my current class schedule – it changes every semester as I learn more and fnd better ways to teach material. The class meets twice a week for an hour and ffteen minutes each; you can adapt this to your timeframe:

TABLE 3–1 Class schedule for Costume Design class

Week:

Day 1

Day 2

Assignment:

Week 1

Class Introduction; Flyin’ West semester-long project

Lecture: Costumes and Costume Designers: What is their Function?

read Flyin’ West

Lecture: the role of the Costume Designer in the theatre Structure

Lecture: the Design process

Flyin’ West List and plot

Lecture: the psychology of Dress

Lecture: Design Styles

Week 2

Week 3

First Discussion Board reading 1 (articles – all)

Due – Discussion Board (DB) reading 1 response due Flyin’ West research Boards Film Critique Due – DB reading 1 – thread response

Week 4

Lecture: Choosing Fabric; Fabric and Costume Design

Lecture: Budgeting, Diversity in the Industry

Diversity/Industry Group presentations Due – DB reading 2 – response (Day 1) List and plot/Flyin’ West (Day 2)

Week 5

Week 6

Name Your adjective – In class group project

Diversity in the Industry group presentations

adjective rendering assignment

tBa – extra time if lectures run long

Midterm exam due by midnight

Day 1 – Due – DB reading 3 – response

Due – DB reading 2 – thread response

read Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 for Day 2 next week

Costume Design: The Class

Week:

Day 1

Day 2

Assignment:

Week 7

Color roughs discussion – Name Your adjective project

Twilight discussion/workday

Day 2 – Twilight research Boards Due – Color roughs/adjective (Day 1) DB reading 3 – thread (Day 1) Film Critique (Day 2)

Week 8

Name Your adjective rendering presentations

Using Line – In class project

Due – DB reading 4 – response (Day 1) research Boards – Flyin’ West

Week 9

Twilight presentation

Sylvia discussion/workday

read Sylvia for Day 2 Due – Film thread

Week 10

Sylvia color roughs presentation

Collages – discussion/workday

Collage – Flyin’ West Due – Sylvia color roughs DB reading 4 – thread (Day 2)

Week 11

Victoria and Albert styles project – discussion/workday

Sylvia fnal renderings presentation

Victoria and Albert color roughs presentation

Discussion/Video

Week 13

Collage presentation

Workday

Due – show critique

Week 14

Victoria and Albert fnal rendering presentation

Flyin’ West color roughs due

Due – Show critique thread response due

Final exam

present Flyin’ West fnal renderings

Week 12

Watch Youtube video/choose a designer Due – DB reading 5 – response Final project – Flyin’ West renderings Due – DB reading 5 – thread response

Currently, the 1 Play Semester-Long Design Project (Flyin’ West) is included on this schedule because it includes much of the lecture material, such as lists and plots, research, collages, and fnal plates. As students learn material, they are directly applying it in this project. It can certainly be a different script. The other projects include Name Your Adjective, which is their frst rendering project and one of my favorites; Sylvia, which deals with character description and interpretation, and Using Line, which focuses on making use of the elements of design. The Victoria and Albert project is a good style challenge. There are two PowerPoint presentation assignments, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, which is about research, and Diversity in the Industry, which involves modern designers. This last assignment will be discussed in this chapter in the Diversity in the Industry lecture; all the other projects may be found in Chapter 4. These projects complement the lecture material and help to cover what students should get out of this class. Don’t feel obliged to use the above assignments; there are many options in Chapter 4. But undergraduate students don’t need a project per week for an entire semester in a frst (or only) Costume Design

F I g u R E 3 - 1 Sylvia 3, Sylvia, Azaria Jade Rubio,

Shenandoah University

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Costume Design: The Class

class; it would be overwhelming for them. This is one of the reasons to build in color rough presentations (see below). The class begins with lectures and reading material, and students begin working on the semester-long design project immediately, with pieces of the project corresponding to lecture material. Students’ responses live in the Discussion Board function in Canvas or other online platforms, but they could be in-class discussions. Build in workdays when you can so students can work with you on upcoming projects and have a chance to get help and advice before the project is due. Projects for this class include color roughs. What is a color rough? It is the original pencil sketch with an indication of color choices. This is not a complete painted rendering, but a quick wash of color for the purpose of showing others before design decisions are fnalized. Color roughs are utilized as a way for students to get feedback during the process, and the roughs are not part of the project grade. The complete syllabus for this class can be found at the end of this book, including the necessary supplies.

If yours is an MFA program, adjustments are covered later in this chapter.

LECTURES FOR THE COSTUME DESIGN CLASS Before reading through the lectures in the pages that follow, I encourage you to read Writing Relevant Lectures in the previous chapter, if you have not already done so. My lectures are in a continual state of fuidity, as I learn and fnd different material I can include or use to replace existing topics. For example, the Diversity in the Industry lecture is a fairly new inclusion (although it should have always been a part of the class). I don’t currently use the Elements and Principles of Design lecture, as it is covered in our frst-year Introduction to Design survey course, taken by all Theatre Design and Production majors. It is included here as you may need to cover it in your Costume Design course. Lectures One through Four and parts of the Psychology of Dress started with my class notes from the lectures of JB Harris at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,

F I g u R E 3 - 2 Color rough for Bunnicula, Jennifer Flitton Adams, Shenandoah

University

There is also more information about supplies in the Rendering chapter. The classes I teach are within a BFA program; if yours is an Associate of Arts (AA) or Bachelor of Arts (BA), or in secondary education, and you teach a class that is not this specifc, see the discussion below for a class for non-majors – it is a good place to start if you are teaching a class for a group of students who are theatre majors and need an introduction to costumes, but aren’t necessarily planning to become costume designers.

where he taught costume design for many years. I have adapted these lectures and added to them over the time that I have taught. I also use different war stories to illustrate my points. The Fabrics lecture and The Life of a Costume lecture notes were passed down to me as a graduate teaching assistant, and I have adapted and made changes that I thought were important. The Life of a Costume was later adapted into a PowerPoint presentation with Cheryl Yancey, merging my lecture notes and hers from her similar

Costume Design: The Class

lecture. I wrote the rest of the lectures, using my own notes as well as texts, which I will cite. The lectures are presented in an outline format, as I don’t like to try to read sentences directly from my notes for the most part. At times, information may be very specifc, in which case the language is more spelled out. Notes about the lectures are in italics. I have plenty of stories from my design career to illustrate topics during lectures; they keep the lectures on point and interesting. I am sure you can fnd examples from your experience! Please feel free to adapt these lectures, depending on your student body.

LECTURE ONE – COSTUMES AND COSTUME DESIGNERS: WHAT IS THEIR FUNCTION?

•

Cunningham posits that costumes today still have a somewhat “magical” quality – ability to help transform the performer into the character they are playing (Cunningham 1). Most costume designers have had actors tell them that putting on the costume added layers to the character they didn’t necessarily know were there.

•

how can costumes transform an actor? o o o

•

(This lecture is included in both our major and non-major classes, and introduces students to what design is, the different types of costume designers, and what costumes are and what they can communicate to an audience. For non-majors, I do not always include Section IV, Design for the Theatre, as it is more advanced than that class needs.)

o o

o

Definitions: What is a costume? Rebecca Cunningham describes a costume as “a garment that allows the performer to become, for a time, someone else” (Cunningham, 1). this defnition takes the concept of a costume and its job to its most elemental meaning.

•

are costumes always garments? (Ask the class – what would an example be of a costume that didn’t ft that description?)

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Do performers always become another person? If not, is it still a costume? (What does the class think?)

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the costume is one of earliest art forms known to humanity. Used in prehistoric cultures to transform ritual dancers. rebecca Cunningham suggests that putting on a costume had a magical connotation – transforming the wearer into that spirit or animal (Cunningham 1).

•

Costumes helped dancers to tell stories; relive experiences, and to perform rituals to infuence important events – the hunt, rainfall, fertility. rebecca Cunningham theorizes that the concept of the costume predates theatre itself (Cunningham 1)!

affects the way an actor moves – for example, a corset, a hoop skirt, a cape, footwear. affects presence onstage (who should we be looking at?). Sends messages about who the character is and their place in the play’s story.

Some costume images are so well-known within a culture that a performer in that costume is immediately identifable (Cunningham 2). o

What is a Costume?

•

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example – Dorothy/Wizard of Oz – blue/white gingham dress. also true of stereotypes (which is covered more under Primary Associations below). For designers, it can be hard to step away from such images, as often the director and audience expect them. Costumes facilitate the job of the performer – help to tell the story. Well-known images assist with this.

What is a Costume Designer? Barbara and Cletus Anderson point out that while theatrical costumes are an ancient tradition, costume design as an element planned to help define and interpret character and thus the production is a fairly new concept (Anderson and Anderson 10). (For more information about the history of theatrical costume design, see Anderson and Anderson’s book, Costume Design, in the bibliography at the end of this chapter.) Costume design goes far beyond simply “making the clothes”: •

Like other forms of stage design (lighting, scenic, sound, etc.), costume design is a rather unique art form – it is both collaborative (we work with other designers, actors, director) and interpretative (of play, character, director’s vision). Not as true for some art forms – for example, a painter doesn’t necessarily

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Costume Design: The Class

meet with other painters to choose a color for a new painting. •

•

In the theatre, design choices are infuenced by character, play, theme – no design is arbitrary. Costume design is the interpretation of these things through the medium of clothing and all that goes with it – costumes are our canvas. Why? What we wear sends out messages about who we are, who we want to be, how we want to be seen. o

o

o

•

This is the basic job of a theatrical designer – helping to tell the story, without confusing or overshadowing it. o

•

Costume designers use this as a tool to help enable the audience to understand the dance/ play. the costume designer has to understand the psychology of dress; to understand and use these messages to help to tell the story. Costume designers also use the elements of design, such as line, color, shape, etc. to send design messages and guide the audience to understand the story.

Spectacle and beauty may be part of the costume, but a great design is meaningless if it has nothing to do with the story being told! (This is a big point and warrants some class discussion about what this means.)

Costumes communicate. When lights come up, impressions are created before any movement takes place. Costumes and clothing are some of the most signifcant nonverbal means of communication. think about how we react to clothing on the street.

Ask – is it possible to perform a production with no costumes? Ask the class to explain their answer. (Anything worn onstage will be considered a costume by the audience. Even naked is a choice!)

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Little to no design involved.

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This is called a remount, or in dance, a reconstruction. Original designer should be credited in the program.

The Costumer •

In charge of getting the show onstage – basically making sure that everyone has a costume. Often a costumer doesn’t make choices based on a concept or design, letting the director express what they want.

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A show like this is typically rented, pulled from stock, shopped, or a combination of all three.

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Some pieces may be built as needed, but there probably aren’t any renderings.

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unlike a coordinator, not a remount of a specific design.

An example might be a community theatre in which the costumer makes sure everyone has a costume and that they work for the show – often such theatres don’t have access to a trained designer (although they can – I have seen beautiful costumes in community theatre). Often a show like this has a very low budget.

The Stylist •

Chooses the clothing for photoshoots, commercials, music videos, concert performances, and public appearances of celebrities or other public figures, such as awards ceremonies like the Oscars.

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They usually purchase or borrow modern clothing.

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The focus is generally modern streetwear.

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The concept of the stylist is much better known by the public today than in the past, thanks to red carpet events and reality shows.

WHO IS THE COSTUME DESIgNER? FOUR TYPES: The Costume Coordinator •

Pulls an existing show from stock or rents a complete existing show from a rental house or another theatre’s stock.

The Costume Designer •

Definition: manipulates the elements of design in terms of clothing to give a plan or

Costume Design: The Class

arrangement which will elicit an intellectual or emotional response. •

(That’s a mouthful. Break this down and discuss what it means.)

•

Show may be entirely built per designer’s renderings, but it does not have to be, to be considered costume design.

enough that one lecture is devoted to the psychology of dress – the messages we send out through our clothing choices. What guides the audience’s eye when a character walks onstage? •

up to the designers, the director, and the actor to decide where to center focus.

•

For example, the leading man may have a color that draws attention to him and not the ensemble.

Function of a Costume Defnition of a garment Clothing: A generic term for a garment whose purpose is to be worn. What are some of the basic purposes of clothing? Ask the class – here are some broad categories they might come up with: •

Modesty

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Protection

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Decoration

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Status

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group Identification

(Discuss a little! Ask for examples!) Fashion: garments of the popular, accepted, or prevailing style of any period. Relates to both what we wear as well as how we wear it and move in it, according to J. Craik (Lennon, Johnson, Noh, Zheng, Chase, and Kim). (Ask – how can fashion affect the way we move?) Costume: garments which are characteristic of or part of ritual, festival, ceremony, and/or theatrical performance. (Ask for examples, including non-theatrical.) Note that these categories can and do overlap – examples? A wedding dress can fall into all three categories.

What do Costumes do Onstage? What is their Purpose?

The camera shows us what to look at in a movie – where should we look? What should we notice? •

No close-ups in theatre. In film, actors images are much closer to the audience than in a large theatre. Film can be much more subtle than theatre. o o o

Sometimes projections are used in theatre. Sometimes theatres are small enough that performers are very close to audience. In these cases, costumes can use details that would not read in large house.

What can the Costume Communicate to the Audience? Costumes set up expectations on the part of the audience. •

Importance of being aware of this as designers.

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When an actor walks onstage, audience members immediately make decisions about who this character is, their importance in the story, what their personality is, etc., before the actor says a word.

•

What messages are we sending with costume choices? Most elementary: o

Guides the audience’s eye to the face (ask – why is this important? Communication comes primarily from the face. If our eyes are drawn to actor’s feet, we may miss important dialogue).

o

this is not hard and fast – sometimes we want the audience to look at the feet; for dance, for example, we may want to watch the feet of a tap or other dancer.

Costumes Communicate: First impression of a character, and of a play, can be given by costume before a word is spoken. Costume is one of the most significant nonverbal means of communication. This is important

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Costume Design: The Class

Tells us who the star is, who the villain is, etc.

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Psychological progression throughout play

o

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More? (Ask)

o

o

this communication can be specifc and clear, even to the point of being obvious (bad guy with curling moustache and greased–back hair is a typical trope in melodrama). Can also be much more subtle – like using fabric with certain texture to suggest something about character’s personality: Ask for ideas! For example, could Laura in A Glass Menagerie be dressed in chiffon layers to suggest fragility and innocence?

Costumes can reinforce or emphasize elements of production itself – for example, highly stylized fantasy costumes can set mood for nonrealistic show like Cirque du Soleil. Costumes can also give us specifc information about production and specifc characters in that production.

Costumes Create Cohesion and Clarity: •

Character: o o

•

Cast: o

o

What can a Costume Tell us about a Production? o

(Ask for examples, and ask students to describe how the costume does this.) •

Time period

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Setting/Place

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Season

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Time of day (particularly important in period shows)

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Social occasion

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Type of production – comedy, tragedy, musical, fantasy, theatre for youth

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More? (Ask!)

We can always identify this character, their clothing refects the elements above. In opera or other very large shows, costumes help the audience to identify characters, especially when show is in foreign language (opera) or in unfamiliar english (Shakespeare).

are we all in the same show? theatrical design means no single artist works alone. Ideally costumes should blend so well with other elements of show that the audience isn’t taken out of the moment. example – reviews don’t mention costumes – costumes are doing their job. plays of spectacle can have very striking choices (who doesn’t notice the costumes in The Lion King?), but costumes should be part of a unifed design vision.

Design for the theatre Defnition of design: To control and organize the five elements of design to give a plan or arrangement which will elicit an intellectual or emotional response. What are the elements of design? (This is a question to ask the class. If you are including the Elements and Principles of Design lecture later, you may want to briefy defne these fve elements for the class.) •

Line

What can a Costume Tell us about a Character?

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Shape

(Same as above)

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Mass

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gender

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Texture

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Age

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Color

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Social status

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Occupation

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Personality

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Age progression throughout play

The defnition of design above applies to any designer, not just costumes, and goes beyond theatre. Painters, interior decorators, Japanese fower arranging; anything in which the elements of design are considered in making an artistic statement.

Costume Design: The Class

In theatre, design choices are affected by many things – they are not arbitrary. What affects the costume designer’s choices? (Ask the class). Some answers might be the script, the character, the director’s vision or approach to the show, the actors, the other designers, the size and confguration of the theatre itself.

Associate –

In the design defnition above, what is meant by “eliciting an intellectual or emotional response”? We can break the way audience responds to something onstage into three points of view:

Primary

Our personal association with what we see onstage. Can give an object a new or deeper meaning. Two types of reactions:

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Cultural reaction; associations we as a society recognize and are familiar with.

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Ask for examples! (Blondes are sexy, bad guys wear black and good guys wear white (maybe discuss the racial implications of this), witches are ugly and have a wart on their nose). What else can students think of?

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Pros: generally predictable/controllable by designer – easy way to evoke response.

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Cons: often very broad; stereotypes. Ask – why might this not be desirable? (not terribly subtle or sophisticated design work. appropriateness depends largely on style of show – The Pirates of Penzance, for example, can be much broader than The Seagull.)

Sensuous – •

A sensuous reaction appeals to the five senses.

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It can be a reaction to color or texture

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An emotional response, usually independent of context – how we react, for example, to the lush, rich quality of a velvet cape on a princess.

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To a large extent, predictable; controllable by designers.

Question for class: what would that velvet cape say, without words, about the princess?

Secondary Intellectual – •

An audience’s intellectual response – directly related to content or context.

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In watching A Doll’s House by henrik Ibsen, understanding empowerment of Nora and how it affected feminist movement would be example of an intellectual reaction.

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Reflects the audience’s ability to put things into context and understand metaphors.

(An example JB gave was Nina in Chekhov’s The Seagull – the seagull represents her, its death symbolic of Nina’s sacrifcing youth and freedom for fame. He, therefore, as the costume designer, used soft grays for her costume, like a bird’s feathers.) Is this predictable or controllable? Depends on the sophistication of the audience, but designers can help them to make these connections, as in The Seagull example above. Importance of subtlety – help to tell the story, don’t take it away from the actors.

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Personal association; generally related to individual’s past and likes/dislikes.

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Often evokes strong responses; often subconscious. (The example I give is that I theoretically had an unpleasant teacher when I was young, who always wore navy blue – now I get uncomfortable with someone wearing that color.)

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Not predictable or controllable – so why does this matter to us as designers? We too are affected by secondary associations, and need to be careful using in design work. Navy blue won’t necessarily convey unpleasantness to my audience.

What does a costume consist of? (Ask) Total stage costume, top to toe, consists of six parts: •

garment – main covering, from neck to ankle. May consist of one piece (dress) or many (suit).

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Costume Design: The Class

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Ornaments – that which is decorative. (Ask for examples) – the bling! Jewelry, pieces that are decorative.

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Accessories – that which has a function, unlike ornaments. (Ask for examples) – purses, watches, canes, handkerchiefs, hats (talk about what functions they serve). Don’t forget about footwear!

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undergarments – beyond the obvious, that which shapes the outside garment – corsets, hoop skirts, bustles.

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Hairdressing – may be a separate department from costumes. part of costume, but requires separate, specialized knowledge. May or may not consist of wigs; may dress actors’ natural hair; can include facial hair.

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Makeup – like hairdressing, is sometimes own entity, but both hair and makeup part of total unifed look of costume and are overseen by costume designer.

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Basic principles of aesthetics: elements of design (line, shape, mass, texture, and color) and principles of design (harmony, sequence, balance, emphasis/ focus, and proportion/scale). (There is a separate lecture covering this.)

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A knowledge of dramatic literature, including: o

o

o •

(This lecture breaks down the structure of the theatre world and the role of the costume designer in that world. Students should come away from this lecture with a basic understanding of what skills a costume designer needs and how they interact with the rest of the production team and the actors.)

requirements of the Costume Designer As a costume designer, you must have the following things: •

A knowledge of/ability to research the history of a variety of cultures (not just your own).

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A knowledge of the history of clothing, including: o o o

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Silhouettes of different periods and cultures textiles – what was available and popular technology – weaving and dye abilities (for example, Western fashion – knit fabrics not common until 14th century)

A knowledge of the psychology of dress – what motivates clothing choices; what messages are sent. (There is a separate lecture covering this.)

A basic understanding of other theatrical elements, and the ability to communicate with the designers and teams responsible for them: o o o o o

LECTURE TWO – THE ROLE OF THE COSTUME DESIGNER IN THE THEATRE STRUCTURE

history of dramatic literature (understanding the world that a play or musical came out of and refects). Familiarity with a range of plays/musicals (importance of reading a wide variety of scripts). ability to interpret a play/musical in design (visual) terms appropriately.

Scenic Lighting Sound Director actor (relationship with the costume designer is unique; to be discussed further in this lecture)

Organization of a theatre Theatre is a collaborative business. Less crucial for some art forms – a painter, for example, doesn’t necessarily meet with other artists to decide what color to use in a new painting. In theatre, creative activity is centered around the medium of script, and is interpreted by many different artists working together. These artists have to collaborate, or the production may be disjointed and confusing (if scenery and costumes, for example, go in totally different directions). As costume designers, it is crucial that we: •

Communicate ideas with other designers clearly (explain that this is one of the reasons students present work in class, to practice speaking to a group). o

presentations should be clear, concise, and explain the designer’s reaction to the script and characters, and how the designer has chosen to refect these reactions in their design.

Costume Design: The Class

•

•

understand and have respect for what other designers do (point out that this is why students take classes in other design disciplines such as scenery and lighting). understand that collaboration often requires the ability to change our ideas. We are not lone artists. at the same time, don’t forget why we made original ideas and choices – review these before accepting a change. o o

Collaboration means that the whole production team works together for a common goal. Clear communication throughout the whole process is crucial for good collaboration. If you change something about your design, it can have far reaching effects on everyone else.

Theatre is collaborative, but someone drives production. Is it: •

The director?

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The producer? (Profit driven)

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The actor? (In the case of a star, for example)

Does this person have a vision you can work with? (Ask – what is an artistic vision? – their interpretation/reaction to a script.) Are they taking the show out of its original period and/ or context? Does this choice work? Does it overwhelm the original script? (Here is a good time to tell a story or two of your own! Sometimes concepts just don’t work.)

The Order of Hiring in Theatre: The Producer – Oversees the commercial/business aspect of production. •

Not necessarily their personal money

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Major question: will the show sell?

Under them: •

Script readers

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general Manager – oversees day-to-day finances

The Playwright – May or may not be visible in production process. If it is new, or newer show, they are more likely to be involved.

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A dramaturg may be available to facilitate knowledge about the script.

The Director – Today more of a collaborative, chair-type position than in past, in part because of increasing complexity of technical theatre – one person can’t be expert in all. However, the director usually drives the production and sets the artistic vision. Directors have different methods of working with designers – some micromanage, others more hands off. It also depends on your history working with them. A director who knows and trusts you will usually give you more design freedom.

The Production Stage Manager (PSM) – •

Position began as a stepping-stone to directing.

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Has become a position in its own right, and usually PSM serves as representative of producers and of Actor’s Equity Association, actors’ union, if theatre is union.

•

Stage managers are also part of AEA.

Theatres have many types of contracts with Equity, largely depending on house size. Different contracts dictate the number of union actors that must be cast at the theatre, and whether an Equity stage manager is required. A good PSM has very strong organizational skills, as they run show once it is open and the director leaves. They maintain continuity of the director and designers’ work.

Actors – have tight interaction with costume designers, more so than with other designers – clothing is very personal and intimate. Costumes have much greater infuence on actors than other design elements – they affect the way actors move, may restrict ability to move, often infuence the way an actor sees a character (hopefully in a positive way). Costumes also affect audience’s perception of the character, more than other design elements. Power of a visual representation – often audience reacts more to what they see than what they hear. What sort of actor are you working with? Do they: •

Sublimate themselves in their role? For such actors, looking different from their everyday appearance may be important to them.

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•

Costume Design: The Class

Interpret variations of selves in character? For them, it may be important to be aware of their own taste and if it needs to be a throughline for them as performers.

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Security. Costume won’t fall apart or fall off. No wardrobe malfunctions.

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Cleanliness. Equity has specific rules, but all actors have right to expect reasonable cleanliness.

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Rehearsal costumes that help to determine movement (trains, skirts, shoes) and business (accessories like hats). Amount of rehearsal costumes provided depend on the theatre.

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Mockups (define) of costumes being built for them (depends on theatre, but it is pretty standard).

Disagreements with Actors – It happens. Their vision of character may not match yours. Hopefully such actors are willing to collaborate with you and the director to fnd a mutually acceptable solution. Strong disagreement must be resolved, or it carries onstage and negatively affects the show. Miserable actors are obvious. The costume must work for the actor’s character, or it will be clear that it does not ft with the actor’s choices. This doesn’t mean the actor designs the costume but does mean that both sides need to be fexible and understand/support the role of the other. Actors need to appreciate the limitations of the period of the script: •

Particularly true for women in many periods – corsets, hoop skirts, etc.

•

Period clothing by necessity often changes the way an actor moves or can move. You can’t bend over easily in a corset! (Here is a good place for war stories.)

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Corsets also restrict the way an actor breathes.

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Actors may have to adapt movement; this is why rehearsal costumes are important and necessary. If not provided, may result in costumes getting cut, which no designer likes.

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Actors also may need to adapt their personal hair and makeup styles to the production aesthetic (which may be a challenge).

As designers, our trueness to a period is tempered by needs of script – if dancing is strenuous, cut and fabric choice may have to be adapted for ease of movement. As designers, it is important to remember that we interpret a period in the same way we interpret script – it’s not reenactment. Doesn’t mean we don’t do our research, but we are telling a story, not recreating a museum piece.

What can an Actor Expect from their Costume? (Ask) •

Certain, negotiable level of comfort. As comfortable as possible within parameters of script, period, and character.

If you want to be a costume designer, you need to be able to walk the line between standing up for yourself and being a good collaborator.

The Costume Designer – Originally, the overall look of a production was designed by the scenic designer, who was assisted by a “lighting person” and a “costume person”. This role was called the Production Designer, or the Scenographer. Advantage of a Production Designer – the look most likely will be unifed; few design collaboration problems. Disadvantages – scenic designers often look at costumes and props as extension of set – may not delineate character as clearly as a costume designer. One advantage of having different designers for the various areas is that mastering the amount of technology in any one feld is vastly more complicated than even twenty years ago. •

For example, emergence of lighting and sound design as their own felds, and the increasing use of projection design.

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Once the equipment is acquired, it is cheaper to rely on lighting than multiple sets.

•

This affects the way shows are designed – may be more of a focus on suggestion than realism.

Although there still are many designers who design both sets and costumes for productions today, it is more typical in America to separate these positions. Like lighting design, costume design grew in the 20th century into a design feld in its own right.

Costume Design: The Class

In smaller theatres, costume designers may design and build their shows, but usually, they have help. Within the costume feld, there is a wide range of positions. Ask students to name as many as they can! Make a list on your whiteboard and defne each.

the Fully Staffed Costume Shop: Who Works there?

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Oversees construction

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Fits garments

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First Hand – •

Assists draper

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usually does large part of cutting

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May oversee stitchers

Costume Designer – •

Creates the designs and all renderings and research boards

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Arranges rentals

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Shops for fabric as well as new clothing and accessories, like shoes

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Attends all fittings

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Approves all work by the rest of the shop on the show

Assistant Designer – •

Pulls from stock

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Takes notes in fittings and rehearsals

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Helps to swatch and shop fabrics and accessories, etc.

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May make design decisions, depending on experience and working method of designer

Shop Manager – •

Oversees staff

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Manages business end of shop – o o o o o

Number of pieces being built Purchasing of supplies upkeep of machine Budgets May double as draper

Tailor – •

Focus is menswear

Stitcher – •

Sews mockup and garment

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Hand finishers for complex work such as beading

Shopper – •

Swatches fabrics

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Purchases fabrics, garments, accessories, etc. under supervision of the designer

Dyer – •

Alters fabric color

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Does other dye work like batik, shibori, ombre, etc.

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In smaller shops designer does dye work

Milliner – •

Constructs headwear

Craftsperson – •

Constructs jewelry, armor, puppets (think The Lion King and animal dancers) – unusual pieces

Cutter/Draper – •

Makes pattern (draping is one method of making a pattern; there are several)

•

Cuts fabric

Wardrobe (Supervisor and Dressers) –  •

Runs show, works backstage to assist with changes, cleans costumes

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Costume Design: The Class

Wigs and Makeup –  •

Can be a separate department within a costume shop but works under the designer. Includes: • • •

Wigmaster Makeup Artist Crews to assist pre- and post-show

Of course, not all shops have all positions; some positions may double up – shop manager may also be draper; designer may be dyer. Depends on the size and fnancial ability of the organization. In New York, Broadway theatres do not have inhouse costume shops – each production contracts with the designer and then with separate costume shops (often with several, as different shops have different specialties).

LECTURE THREE – THE DESIGN PROCESS (This lecture explains the process a costume designer takes to design the costumes for a production, from receiving an offer to opening night. Students should understand how a costume goes from concept to realization. If you are teaching a class for nonmajors, you may wish to use The Life of a Costume lecture instead of this one. The Life lecture is broader and not quite as technical.) This lecture covers the steps a costume designer takes when approaching a new production for which they have been hired.

Designer receives an Offer to Design a Show – Ask – what questions should you ask? • •

•

• • •

Read the script before committing! How many costumes? (Director may not know, but the type of show can give a ballpark (musical, period show, opera, etc.). Reading the script will also help. Budget for costumes – hugely important! Can you produce show at level director/ producer will expect with money they have allotted? How much time for the production process, including any building? How much help will you have? How labor-intensive are the costumes? Period vs. modern.

• •

Is there a stock you can pull from? Compensation – is it worth the time it will take you, given above factors?

reading the Script – Read it again, without taking notes, to get a sense of the arc of the story. (You may choose to do this when you initially read the script before taking the job.) Read it a third time, thinking about following abstract and concrete subjects: Abstract: do you have feelings for the world of the play? Can you translate it into the expression of fve elements of design (color, shape, texture, line, mass)? Write down impressions you have – words, metaphors, colors, etc. Many times, designers create collages to express their reaction to a script. (This is part of the Semester-Long Design Project I include in this class.) Concrete: specifcs which affect costume choices. Period

What is the time period? Sometimes none is given; show is meant to be set in the year it was written. Director may wish to update to the present day or move any show to a completely new period or setting. Place Where is the play set? Environment, climate infuence clothing choices (South Pacifc vs. Mary Poppins, for example). Season Different seasons require different clothing. Think about holidays and traditional color usage. Time of Day This is particularly important in many periods in the past, when time of day prescribed dress. Social Levels Often clothing signals social level – could be uniform, could be type of clothing worn (you can touch briefy on Thorstein Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption here if you like). Occasion What clothing is appropriate for what is taking place? Is this a ball? A train station? The home of a farmer? Venue What is the venue for the production? Is this a large theatre, a small theatre, an outdoor theatre? Character study – while reading script, note carefully:

Costume Design: The Class

Verbal descriptions of costumes by characters or references in script descriptions. •

Latter can be negotiable but consider why they are there before discarding or changing. o o

Include the director in this choice. If lines need to be changed, this may need to be approved in terms of copyright.



example: Is there a reference to a red dress? Is it important to the story? Why did the playwright include this? (Ask class what message this would send.)

Are there references to accessories like hats that necessitate stage business? Do characters need pockets? Etc. Descriptions of characters that can translate into clothing. •

Described as old-fashioned? Sophisticated and glamorous? Innocent?

•

How can you translate into costume choices without giving away the story before the actor can tell it?

•

(Ask for examples – perhaps a hard man dressed in angular lines; hard-textured fabrics; maybe neutral colors)

director may not want them all, but count all potential changes to begin with and adapt accordingly after meeting with the director. How do you know how many? Script may indicate; if so and it’s not a new day, why did the playwright do this? What are they saying about character? Is the character changing? Is this insight into their personality? Consider: •

Change in time (new day = new costume, depending on setting and social level)

•

Change of location (for example, do they need a coat and hat?)

•

Change of status (poor character comes into money – think Mrs. Lovett in act 2 of Sweeney Todd).

Each costume gets a number – for example, in my list for Little Shop of Horrors below, you can see Seymour 1, Seymour 2, etc. give a brief description and number each costume as follows:

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Stereotypes and primary associations:

SKID ROW, LATE 50S/EARLY 60S

•

How much do you want to use them?

principal Male presenting:

•

Example: The Pirates of Penzance – as soon as actors come onstage, the audience needs to know who is playing a pirate/police offcer/sweet young girl.

1. Seymour I – khakis, casual shirt, sweater vest, baseball cap, sneakers, glasses

•

How broad can stereotypes be? Depends on style of production.

•

Pirates not strict realism.

the Costume List and plot (I was taught this method by JB, and I use it on every show I design – it’s a great way to have the show details in one place, and invaluable during fttings.) A costume list is “shorthand” for all costumes in a given production. Helps designers to see exactly how big the show is. With script in hand, note all costumes for each character, always noting the maximum number of changes – i.e., the

49

2. Seymour II – add jacket with fake arm for 1-ii Need double for Audrey 2-iii 3. Seymour III – repeat pants & sneakers, add white shirt, tie, cardigan. Place for gun 2-iii IV – add black leather jacket for 2-i. 4. Seymour Mushnik I – suit pants, dress shirt, 5. Mr. cardigan II – add matching suit jacket, hat, 6. Mushnik scarf? III – 2nd suit, can repeat cardigan. 7. Mushnik Pocket – picture. Portrait of Mushnik in shop 2-iii

50

Costume Design: The Class

27. Crystal II – girl group sparkly dress, long gloves, teased wig QC 1.5 pg.

8. Orin I – black biker jacket (pocket – $, inhaler), black jeans, white dentist uniform jacket – back – insignia – bleeding tooth, ADA (double for prop in trash?)

28. Crystal III – green skirt, sneakers, socks, white lab coat with insignia – World Botanical Enterprises

9. Orin II – add black shiny vinyl apron

29. Ronnette I – variation on Crystal 1

Secondary Male presenting:

30. Ronnette II – same as Crystal 2

10. Wino #1 (Puppeteer) – trench coat, flannel shirt, jeans, sneakers (distressed)

III – same as Crystal 3 31. Ronnette I – variation on Crystal 1 32. Chiffon

11. Wino #2 (Orin) – same as #1

II – same as Crystal 2 33. Chiffon

12. Customer I (Orin) – sportcoat, slacks, bow tie, hat – QC – 1.5 pg.

III – same as Crystal 3 34. Chiffon

13. Customer II (Orin?) – tuxedo 14. Mr. Bernstein (Orin) – add trenchcoat and hat, breakaway pants? Pocket – contract, $ 15. Mrs. Luce (Orin) – Business suit, fur collar, hat with veil, purse, pumps QC – .5 pg. 16. Skip Snip (Orin) – Slacks, blazer, hat. Pocket – contract QC – .5 pg. 17. Patrick Martin (Orin) – 3 pc green suit. Pocket – contract

principal Female presenting: 18. Audrey I – low cut dress, white fake fur jacket, heels, blonde wig, purse, black eye 19. Audrey II – add leopard print sling 20. Audrey III – add frilly pink apron – 1-iii 21. Audrey IV – add lamé top over dress for date with Orin 1-iii 22. Audrey V – add sweater – 1-iii 23. Audrey VI – tight sweater belted over pencil skirt 2-i 24. Audrey VII – add yellow rain slicker 2-iii (underdress nightgown) 25. Audrey VIII – white nightgown, Seymour’s jacket over shoulders QC .5 pg. 26. Crystal I – skirt, blouse, sweater/jacket, sneakers. Place to stuff $ -2-ii

Note all costume needs such as hats, pockets, etc. – this helps you to remember everything during fttings. Divide the groups up as you like – for example, Principal Male Presenting, Principal Female Presenting, etc. as in the sample. (You may choose to be less binary.) After the list comes the plot – a tracking method that lets designer plan for changes and see where quick changes are necessary. •

Don’t design an outfit that requires full headto-toe change, including shoes, when time to change is under one minute!

•

If you know a costume requires a quick change, build, or rig it accordingly – for example, zipper instead of buttons in center back.

Plot can be created on paper or in Excel or google Sheets. On the left, list all characters, or groups of characters – I often put ensembles together by costume – i.e., Blue Skies for White Christmas. It can get too long and complicated to list each ensemble member if all are wearing the same thing. Across the top, list the scenes and the location. Then, take the far-left number on list (i.e., 26, 27, and 28 for Crystal, above), and put that number in the correct box. This is more useful than an X, as it is clear how the list and plot relate to each other. Indicate if a change is quick (highlighted), and how many pages of dialogue the change has. The change can also be timed later in rehearsal. Make the list but not the plot before meeting with the director. Much on the list may change, and it’s easier to change than the plot (if the numbers change on the list, it necessitates redoing the entire plot).

Costume Design: The Class

51

TABLE 3-2 Example of costume plot for Little Shop of horrors

Scene/Actor Seymour Mr. Mushnik

1-ii. Street

1-iii. Shop/ Street

1-iv. Orin’s Office

1

2

2

2

5–6

6

Prologue – 1-i. Street Shop

5

Orin

12

Wino 1&2

10, 11

Audrey

Intermission

2-i. Shop/ Street

2-ii. Shop/ Street

2-iii. Shop

3–4

3

3

14/15/16 (.5 pg each)

17

7 8

9

13

10, 11 18

19

20–21–22 (3.5 pg.)

23

23–25

Crystal

26

26

26

26

26

27–28 (1.5 pg)

26–28

Ronnette

29

29

29

29

29

29–30 (1.5 pg)

31

Chiffon

32

32

32

32

32

32–33 (1.5 pg)

34

Meeting With the Director and Other Designers

•

First meeting should cover: •

Director’s vision of the show. Establish: o o o o o

Style of show – realistic? Stylized/fantasy? period. Is it being moved? Color palette ideas; dominant lines and shapes, or textures Needs or visions of costumes not in script If it’s a very well-known show, are they expecting traditional costumes – i.e., the way it’s been done in the past?

•

Vision of each character – age, personality, role in story, social status, etc.

•

Number of people in crowd scenes; in ensemble. (This can double your workload!)

•

Action in show not in script? If a period show, discuss limitations of period costumes on actor mobility, especially dance and fght scenes.

•

Any specific rehearsal pieces, above and beyond basics listed in the last lecture?

•

Makeup and wig needs – age, fantasy, period, special effects such as blood. Correct makeup and hair are a big part of making a character look fnished.

Rehearsal schedule – when do actors arrive? how much time in the production process (how many days/ weeks) will you have to ft them?

Meeting with other designers – should establish: •

Parameters of style – for example, are we all going realistic?

•

Color usage

•

Period as set by director

•

Sound needs – where are mic packs going?

These discussions and design unity are particularly important in highly stylized shows – here skills as a collaborator are crucial. Major changes after these initial meetings must be communicated to rest of the design team!

research Parameters of Period: •

Is the show realistic? Stylized? o

affects the way you treat the period – for example, silhouette may be more extreme in stylized shows, or one part of period may have focus. this may infuence how you choose to do your research.

52

Costume Design: The Class

o o

•

o o

•

Realism always overlaid, to some degree, with the tastes of the designer’s own period – conscious or not. As designers, we often incorporate the aesthetics of our own societies. o

o

•

remember research is often an interpretation, not a reenactment. Student designers will learn with time what is important about the line of a period. (Later in this chapter there is a lecture specifcally about design styles.)

this is why we focus on primary (from the period) research, not research made during a different time period from the one being studied (secondary research) – my example is the difference between a tomb painting or sculpture of Cleopatra (if you can fnd one) and a photograph of Elizabeth Taylor playing her in the movie). ask for examples of primary research (paintings, sculpture, photographs (portraits and informal), fashion magazines, actual garments, written descriptions from period).

What are your cutoff dates? Show is set in 1912 – designers can go back some distance (not everyone wears up-to-date fashions; think Downton Abbey), but we can’t go forward in time and use fashions from 1920.

•

Will pattern research help to see how garments were made?

•

How strong/recognizable is the period silhouette? Will the audience have frst-hand knowledge of it? Fashions change more quickly as we get closer to modern day, so these choices (and design messages) can have a strong design impact.

•

Is it appropriate to restrict research sources? o

For example, Noel Coward play like Private Lives may require high fashion, while period Sears catalog may be more appropriate for William Inge’s Picnic.

Concept research – sometimes, in reacting to script and abstract impressions, research leads to novel and unexpected sources for inspiration: o o

o o

Ocean concept for dance piece? perhaps research tropical fsh colors and patterns! Fairy tales like Into the Woods or Once Upon a Mattress? Look at children’s book illustrators. (Tell some stories of places research has taken you.) Odd sources – sometimes research leads us down interesting rabbit holes. Designer might have to research specifc garments or fabrics, or uniforms – military can be tricky; very specifc.

•

Musicals and operas – listen to music for show to get sense of style and mood.

•

Do we watch the movie version? (Ask) o o

o

•

Using Research:

What about focusing on a particular school or country of painting, or a certain artist? Can provide insight into color and line as well as historical research. (See the Romeo and Juliet project in Chapter 4).

Usually no, we want to come up with our own ideas and not copy another designer. however, when a show has been done in a traditional way, which may not be in the script, the designer may watch videos of previous productions. For example, in Chicago, the chorus women at one point use feather fans. Without seeing the show, the designer would not know that the dancers usually require two fans each. Will the choreographer follow the original choreography?

Taking a show out of period – talk about the pros and cons. o o

Danger of confusing/hijacking story. (Give some examples.) But it can make the audience see the show in a whole new way and may make a period piece like Shakespeare or opera more appealing and accessible to modern audiences.

Costume Design: The Class

o

o

Needs to be a reason to move the period, beyond liking pretty clothes of a period. how does new period choice enhance/refect the story? (See Figures in Motion project in Chapter 6 for a discussion of moving periods).

53

are there contrasting qualities between the actor and the character – physical and in their personality? What will come naturally for the actor and what will the designer need to help them with?

Questions to ask yourself about actor:

the Character With all this in hand, designer now begins to approach the character: •

•

What is revealed about characters in the course of the play? Can a costume reinforce and support this without revealing information in an untimely manner? Costume design is often a subtle medium – if too heavy-handed, may confuse or overshadow the story being told. o

o

•

o

are they appropriate messages? What will they communicate to the audience upon the character’s frst entrance, before the actors open their mouths? Stress importance of visual impact – audience will be making decisions about character based on visual information, both consciously and subconsciously.

o

o o

Not always possible in early design process, as show may not be cast yet. If possible, adjust designs as necessary once show is cast, if you know actors. What can you enhance? What do you and the director want to minimize?

If they need to play younger, where does their age show? Cover neck and arms? What will make the actor comfortable? Do they need age makeup to play older? Wigs?

•

Physical characteristics of character vs. actor – padding for Edna in Hairspray? Latex prosthetics for a heavy face and neck?

•

What works about the actor for your vision of character? What needs to be altered?

•

What effect do you want to have on the audience with costumes for characters? Ask yourself after the show if you succeeded.

Color – importance of considering palette as it relates to: •

Set – will the costumes “pop”? How is color (and the other elements of design) being used to do this?

•

Lights – again, important to discuss color choices of both fabric and gel.

•

Individual characters.

•

groups of characters.

•

Overall palette for show.

•

Relation to period (what colors were popular?)

•

Mood of show.

Adding the actor to the mix: o

Age of character vs. age of actor. Do they need to play younger/older? o

What do design choices say about character? o o

•

example – don’t dress the bad guy in black for a murder mystery, or design “clothes for the sake of pretty clothes” that have nothing to do with story. Of course, sometimes there is less of a story for the costume designer to focus on and choices are purely visual, such as a Las Vegas showgirl. Costume designers don’t always design for traditional theatre.

•

Color palette can be created to see relationships between characters and the show as a whole. Colors chips can be painted or cut from a Pantone Paper Picker or paint swatches from a paint store.

54

Costume Design: The Class

F I g u R E 3 - 3 Color palette for Niccolo and Nicolette, Jennifer Flitton Adams,

Shenandoah University

Fabric Choices

renderings (show examples as necessary).

(There is a lecture specifcally on fabric later in this chapter)

1. Research boards are usually created for all characters.

•

Fabric research may be necessary for period shows.

•

Swatching trips (obtaining small samples of fabrics) can help to stimulate ideas as well as show you what is available in the area or online in your price range.

•

•

They may be created in lieu of renderings, especially if a costume is not being built, but instead shopped, pulled, or rented. Can be dangerous to draw a very specific costume that then has to be sourced. the director may fall in love with something you then cannot fnd. If you know you have a source, it’s much safer to render shopped or pulled costumes.

F I g u R E 3 - 4 Rough sketch for Penny, hairspray,

Jennifer Flitton Adams, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, 2017.

F I g u R E 3 - 5 Color rough for Bunnicula, Jennifer Flitton Adams,

Shenandoah University.

Costume Design: The Class

2. Rough sketch – The frst idea; done with possible changes in mind - often grows and evolves a lot. Usually done in pencil, maybe with a rough wash of color (color rough).

Once fnal renderings are complete, they are presented: •

To the director: o o

•

o o o

o

•

o

F I g u R E 3 - 6 Final rendering for Fannie, Flyin’ West, Lydia

o •

o

4. Meet with shop manager to determine which pieces can be built (you may wish to do this before starting sketches, depending on the show).

o

5. Actual fabrics are swatched, but not purchased yet. May need approval from director before purchase.

If necessary, working drawings are included to show openings, back views, costume props, hair, etc.

this is the designer’s interpretation of their character; does it mesh with theirs? this is the direction the designer has taken with not only their character, but also the characters they interact with and the show as a whole. actors should also be made aware of movement restrictions with costumes.

The Costume Shop: o

3. Meet with director to present roughs – if they like direction, you proceed or rework as necessary.

Does the costume design mesh with their interpretation of the artistic vision? Shows the color palette. Shows the concept as realized through the costumes. previous meetings should have established the direction of all designs so there are no surprises. Give other designers access to renderings. Swatches are very helpful for lighting designers.

To actors (usually a presentation at the first rehearsal): o

Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

this is how the designer has interpreted their vision through the costumes. Give director digital or physical copies as well as a copy of the list and plot.

To other designers: o

6. Design and fabric choices now set, designer creates fnal color rendering (also called a plate) and attaches swatches.

55

o

this is the “blueprint” for what needs to be built. If the designer’s style is very “arty” and suggestive, may need to provide working drawings for the shop. Give the shop manager a copy of the list and plot, and any pertinent research (for example, period pattern research) for the show binder. renderings posted in the shop for the duration of build.

Renderings should include: •

Swatches – real or ideal

•

Makeup/hair sketches, if appropriate

•

Research, as appropriate

56

Costume Design: The Class

the Ideal Build process The above is typical for regional theatre. In NY, plates, swatches, lists, and plots go out to various costume shops for bids. Shows are often split between different shops with different specialties. After the bid is accepted, an important question is who shops fabrics, designer or one of the shop’s shoppers. Professional designers may have assistants to swatch and shop for them. Next step, in any theatre, is the designer overseeing the shop’s build process of the show, including new garments and alterations. In this sense the build refers to the production process and does not mean all costumes are built from scratch. Rare to build everything – why? (Ask) – time, labor, budget. Talk about each a little; each is fnite.

measurements are taken and recorded – all of these are conversations in our industry that are far-ranging in their impact and deserve more time than this book can include. If you aren’t a member of Facebook groups like Costume Educators Forum, consider joining the conversation.

Dress Parades Actors stand on stage, in costumes, for the director and costume designer to see and discuss. Not done in all theatres. Meant to work out bugs early, while still time to fx problems. Can be a time-saver – in dress rehearsal period, there is little time for major problems! Many costume designers dislike dress parades. Potential problems: •

Are you in the performance space, with correct distance and lighting?

•

Are actors in groups and patterns of actual show?

•

Do you have a particularly critical actor who likes to comment on everyone else’s costumes?

Fittings In an ideal world, each actor can be scheduled for three fttings outside of rehearsal time. Importance of organizing and using actors’ time carefully! 1. Muslin mockup ftting – pattern is tested in muslin, an inexpensive fabric, to check ft and style lines. Proper undergarments are necessary, especially if the body is reshaped. 2. Fashion fabric ftting – ft confrmed; hems set, closures set, trim placement set. Actual shoes necessary for this ftting. 3. Final ftting – costume is complete; fne tuning. •

•

•

•

Pulled and shopped garments also fit, but usually do not require three fittings. Alterations add to the workload for the shop. Sometimes if a designer is not local, they may join fittings remotely, and the shop manager/ draper will run the fitting. Fittings require care and skill to respect actors and their bodies. Actors should never be body shamed or made to feel that they should apologize for their size or because a costume doesn’t fit. Fitting room etiquette varies by shop, but actors should always have privacy for changes, and shops should always respect the vulnerability an actor faces in a fitting.

What an actor is comfortable wearing, where they are comfortable being touched in fttings, the way in which

The director and others may perceive problems that may or may not exist, requiring time to discuss and solve.

the Dress rehearsal process Costume designer expected to attend all dress rehearsals – •

generally, two to three.

•

used to work out all bugs.

•

A chance for designers to catch everything they want to see and to sit in different places in the house.

•

In professional theatre, often the costumes must be available for the tech rehearsals to work out quick changes.

•

Final dress may or may not have an audience, to allow the actors to get a sense of timing and audience reactions.

•

Photo calls often happen at final dress.

What do you look for? (Ask students)

Costume Design: The Class

•

Fit problems

•

Smoothness of changes, especially quick changes.

•

Designer works with run crew to make sure they understand all changes

•

Provide run crew head with: o o

o

List and plot Wardrobe list, to be posted at each actor’s mirror and for the crew, that lists all costume pieces and the order in which they are worn. this can be an excel spreadsheet or Google Sheets document, as desired. Be sure crew understands all maintenance for run (i.e., how costumes are to be cleaned).

•

Can actors move in all ways needed? Can they adapt, or is this something you need to change?

•

Do colors work together? With sets and lights? With other actors? Does anyone disappear color wise?

•

Are more or different accessories and ornaments needed? Is everything reading the way you expected?

•

Do costumes as a unit work with sets, lighting, direction?

•

Post-rehearsal meetings are the time to ask for feedback and to express issues or concerns that affect other areas.

Opening Night Celebration! •

Designers sometimes take a bow – more common in opera; known as “penguin bow”, a reference to a man’s tuxedo worn for opening.

•

Should designers attend opening night? After all, they just sat through multiple days of dress and tech rehearsal! Optional, depending on theatre, but good politics (theatre folks notice who attends opening night), and a chance to celebrate with cast and crew!

•

•

A New York show previewing out of town, or a tour, expects designers to attend the frst city’s opening, but not subsequent cities. Does the designer attend the strike? Depends on theatre and shop.

57

LECTURE FOUR – THE ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN (This lecture breaks down the parts of design and how they are used. Students will understand what the elements and principles of design are and how they relate to costume design. I don’t use this lecture currently, because we created an Introduction to Design class for all frst-year students in our Theatre Design and Production program, and this information is included in that class. If you have a similar class, you may wish to move it there. If this is your only design class for your students, it is an important component. The illustrations below are meant to show quick ways to draw the various parts of the lecture; use your whiteboard, if you have one. Alternatively, you could create a PowerPoint presentation with research to visually show each point.) Question for the class: What are the two basic functions of costumes for performances? •

Communication (covered in first lecture)

•

Aesthetic quality; the art of the costume (discussing today)

These two concepts work together and overlap – artistic choices aid communication, for example. Design choices are affected by character, theme, overall story, etc. – as discussed in the frst lecture, no design is arbitrary. The fundamental design aim for costume is to bring unity and balance to fve elements of design in their overall effect – within one costume, between all costumes, with set, with lighting, with direction. In approaching design, costume designers consider “points of accentuation” in the silhouette – joints, seams – for example, waist, shoulders, wrists, etc. These can be manipulated within clothing to accent or mask parts of the body, and are often dictated by period – for example, a dropped waist on a fapper dress for 1920s. Three most important points in most periods: •

Waist

•

Hem

•

Neckline

elements of Design What are the elements of design? (Ask – not names such as line and shape, but an overall defnition)

58

Costume Design: The Class

•

Different, interconnected parts of design as a whole; building blocks.

•

Not specific to costume design – encompass all of design.

•

None exist independently, but one element of design can say something by itself. For example, color is part of a costume, but sends out many of its own messages.

•

Altering one or more elements can alter our perception of one character in relation to another, even if other elements are exactly the same (example: red dress on two characters – one is satin, the other velvet. texture is completely different and refects light very differently).

•

Use of elements of design alters visual perception of a costume design and can infuence emotional perception.

F I g u R E 3 - 8 Shape examples

•

Can be the lines in a costume, the entire costume, or lines of trim – Figure 3-8.

•

Can divide space within a silhouette – for example, a seam – Figure 3-8 (a).

•

Can connect shapes, ideally leading the audience’s eye to the actor’s face (Ask – why? Face is source of communication) – Figure 3-8 (B).

•

Straight lines = severity, precision, crispness, clarity – Figure 3-7.

•

Curved line = softness, gentleness, fluidity – Figure 3-7.

•

Anderson and Anderson point out that the direction of line evokes a response:

The five elements of design: •

Line

•

Shape

•

Mass

•

Texture

•

Color

o

LINE Definition: creates a basic outline – of a silhouette o

Strong line in one direction (vertical or horizontal) alters perception of figure – vertical = thinner, while horizontal can give more bulk or widen. Diagonal = sense of more movement; less static (anderson and anderson 125).

(At this point show some examples and ask class to fnd the dominant line in each)

SHAPE Definition: a line which connects back to itself – Figure 3-7 Often refers to silhouette of human body, both:

F I g u R E 3 - 7 Line and Shape examples

•

Natural.

•

Fashionable shape of period (show examples) – changes from period to period – different shapes emphasized and hidden. o

Style lines create shapes within a silhouette – Figure 3-8 (B).

Costume Design: The Class

o o

their surroundings? Ask – what can this relationship communicate about the character?

external shape may require reshaping of the body (corset) or may hide it (hoop skirt). Shapes relate to each other within a silhouette – may emphasize/minimize parts of body (V neck emphasizes the bust/minimizes the waist).

o

o o

MASS Definition: the three-dimensional area that body and/or costume encompass. •

Costume may take up room beyond actor’s actual body.

59

people who take up more room draw focus and can seem more powerful than those who take up less space. Consider relationship of mass of costume to the theatre for the piece. a large costume can seem larger than life and less realistic.

•

Consider the relationship of mass of costume to another character’s costume – who draws focus?

•

Consider the relationship of pieces within a costume – one part may take focus, may be related to movement – a full swirly skirt for a waltz scene.

TEXTURE Definition: associated with sense of touch, the way fabric feels.

F I g u R E 3 - 9 Cleopatra 2, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer

Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

(Ask – what can this say about a character – that they are important? That they are lost in their clothing? In fgure 3-9, a young Cleopatra seems to be swallowed up by her clothes, refecting responsibilities she is too inexperienced to shoulder.) •

Consider the mass of the costume in relation to the set; the furniture – what is the scale of the actor to

F I g u R E 3 - 1 0 Passer-by, the Cherry Orchard, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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and reflect others. Reflected rays are the colors we see.

Texture evokes sense-memory on part of the audience – we generally have a sense of how velvet, or burlap, or a crisp cotton feel when we touch them. (Ask – what does each of these fabrics suggest to them? A certain kind of character?) •

All fabrics have some degree of texture.

•

Amount depends on type of fiber and how it is woven (covered in more depth in “Choosing Fabrics” lecture).

•

Large part of what determines perception of texture is relationship to light: o o

Light-refective? example – satin (show an example) Light absorbent? example – velvet (same)

Communication about character – texture can suggest character qualities. Can be very broad or very subtle. Examples:

o o

(Ask) – all rays absorbed – color appears to be what? (black). all refected? (white).

Three Parts of Color, or Ways We Describe it: •

Hue

•

Value

•

Intensity

HUE •

Name of the color, or color family. Example – red, yellow, blue.

•

Warm colors like yellow seem to advance towards our eye; cool colors like blue seem to recede.

•

Poor folks in rough homespun; king is in velvet cape with fur trim.

•

Colors also have undertones – a green can be cool (more blue) or warm (more yellow).

•

More subtle – character is hard, unyielding – fabric for costume could be shiny and light-refective, suggesting character wears clothing as a shield, not letting anyone see true self.

•

Four ways we describe quality of a hue, or hues: o o o

COLOR

o

Definition: color our eyes perceive. •

Chromatic – having a hue Achromatic – no discernible hue; shades of black/white/gray Polychromatic – several different hues (for example, a shirt can be polychromatic) Monochromatic – one hue only; may have different values or intensities

An important element for designer; elicits strong emotional response by audience.

VALUE

•

Is therefore a strong tool for designer.

•

Relative lightness or darkness of a hue.

•

Color is often the first element we notice; we often have strong primary and secondary responses to color. Studies have shown that 62 to 90 percent of a frst impression or assessment is due to reactions to colors (Singh). (More detail in next lecture.)

•

Refers to the amount of black or white mixed with hue.

Where Does Color Come from? •

Color comes from source of light.

•

Pigment does not actually have color – it has the ability to absorb some light rays

o o

Red + white = pink; light hue Red + black = maroon; dark hue

•

Hue + white is called a tint; is considered to have high value.

•

Hue + black is called a shade; is considered to have low value.

•

High values advance towards our eye; low values recede.

Costume Design: The Class

INTENSITY •

Amount of saturation of a hue – how bright is it?

•

High intensity: brighter, eye-catching, vibrant. advances towards our eye.

•

Low intensity: softer, more muted color (not necessarily darker – this refers to value). recedes from our eye

•

How can a bright color be lowered in intensity? Add a small amount of its complement (see below).

Figure 3-11 shows how colors move across value, from tint to shade, and complement, from hue to opposite hue.

Audience’s eye will be drawn to areas of highest contrast, whether of hue, value, or intensity. Opposites intensify each other when close together – for example, red next to blue (warm next to cool hue) – each seems stronger. The red pops more and the blue recedes more.

The Color Wheel – Draw each part of this – write the names of the colors. Primary colors

red (magenta), Yellow, Blue (cyan). (Why are they called primary? Because you can’t make them by mixing other colors). The colors in parentheses are the true pigment names.

Secondary colors

Green, Orange, Violet (made by mixing primaries)

F I g u R E 3 - 1 1 Color Wheel, Complement, and Value Scales, Taylor Ann Vanaman, Shenandoah University

Color Schemes: What is a color scheme? A chosen set of colors – for example, for costumes for a play and for individual costumes within the scheme. For example, A Midsummer Night’s Dream might use pastels for the fairies, earth tones for the rustics, and lower values of the fairies for the royals. Examples of basic formulas (demonstrate on color wheel): •

Warm and cool: for example, pink and peach.

•

Complementary: example – orange and blue. (remember it doesn’t have to be primary hues, like the Denver Broncos – it could be peach and baby blue).

•

Opposites on the color wheel. red/ Green (easy to remember – Christmas association), Orange/Blue, Yellow/Violet (Suggest thinking about sports teams.)

Triadic: three colors equidistant on color wheel – example – green-orange-purple.

•

• Adding a complement to a hue lowers its intensity, and interestingly, its value.

Adjacent/analogous: based on two to four hues next to each other on color wheel – example – yellow, yellow-orange, orange, orange-red.

•

Monochromatic: one hue with varying values and intensities. example – red, pink, maroon.

• Enough of a complement takes the hue to the center of the color wheel – brownish gray, or “mud”.

•

Neutral: Black, white, brown, and gray; may include colors of low intensity and very high or low value, such as navy or tan.

theoretically, red, Yellow, Blue + Black and White can make any color. (Depending on the trueness of pigment). The example I give is that black paint or makeup has a color that it leans towards – black can be blue-black, or green-black. How do you correct for this? Add the complement. Complementary colors

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Note that low value and high intensity often go together – for example, emerald green or cobalt blue. High values are often pastels, which are lower in intensity – baby blue or powder pink. There are of course exceptions, such as neon pink.

Color schemes can: •

Create a unified palette and establish color relationships (for example, the Capulet and Montague families in Romeo and Juliet).

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Create a unified visual effect in a production, appropriate to both production and character. (Example: Macbeth is a dark, bloody piece. Overall colors might establish mood – black, reds, grays. Within that scheme, colors can be chosen that keep all characters in the same concept but allow for individuality).

Color scheme needs to be fexible – not a tight, small palette for a very large show or a show spread out over a long period of time. Limits options when palette is small – it can work, but it is harder, especially when the show is not going to be completely built and costumes must be pulled or shopped. This can create a very integrated, strong design, but it takes skill and depends on the design.

principles of Design Principles of design bring elements together and control opposing forces of order and variety. Why do these need to work together? As Barbara and Cletus Anderson point out: •

Too much order within a costume becomes boring – can suggest regulation, uniformity, lacks focus.

•

Too much variety becomes chaos – the eye doesn’t know where to look. Again, lacks focus (Anderson and Anderson 127).

F I g u R E 3 - 1 2 Guiding the Eye 1 – Cinderella dress

Three Areas of Sequence: •

Repetition – element repeats (top row in Figure 3-13)

How do principles guide the use of fve elements in a costume design?

A. Some Principles Refer to Movement Within the Design: Sequence: •

Anderson and Anderson explain that in design, sequence draws eye from one element to another in a systematic way (Anderson and Anderson, 126), so designers can guide the audience’s eye to where they should look.

•

Can draw the audience’s eye to the actor’s face In Figure 3-12, flowers guide the eye up in a rhythmic way).

•

Can draw eye to other areas – for example, a tap dancer’s feet.

F I g u R E 3 - 1 3 Repetition, Alternation, and Gradation

examples

Costume Design: The Class

•

•

•

Created by using one element at least twice (Figure 3-12) – fowers repeat on bodice and skirt. More creates stronger order (but too many could create chaos!)

•

In costume, often done through detail: o o

Texture – repeating a texture in a group; for example, an ensemble, to link them together.

o o

Shape – repeating shape (Figure 3-14). Often used in trim and decoration.

•

Alternation – Middle row in Figure 3-13. element alternates with another element, often in a uniform size. this can help to break up too much order in a design.

•

gradation – Bottom row in Figure 3-13. element changes size or color moves from one hue/ value/intensity to another in a measured way.

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Introduction of a new color (around the face – a collar?). Accessory (a brooch at the neck of the dress) Texture (satin collar on velvet dress). Converging lines – draw eye up to face (Figure 3-15).

B. Some Principles Show us Where to Look: Emphasis: Where does the eye come to rest? Ask – where should it? •

May be within a costume or reflect relationship of one costume to another (lead takes focus over ensemble).

F I g u R E 3 - 1 5 Guiding the Eye 3 – converging lines

o o

Draw the eye to other areas – for example, to the feet for a tap dancer. Change of scale (large flower in hair).

Example of emphasis between characters: in My Fair Lady, Ascot scene: all in black/white except Eliza – in original production, dressed in mauve. In the flm version, Eliza is also in black/white, but color used in fowers in her hat. Refects the difference in scale between two mediums. Ask – how else could the costume draw attention to the star? Lots of answers – length of skirt, trim, ornaments, different texture of fabric, mass of costume.

C. Other Principles Pull the Elements of Design Together and Relate Them to Each Other: Balance: F I g u R E 3 - 1 4 Guiding the Eye 2 – bodice

•

Creates feeling of rest to our eye by focusing equal weights on either side of central axis.

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Creating the opposite: strong sense of unbalance, can make us feel uncomfortable (which can be a design tool!) o

Proportion: •

Deals with size relationships and ratios. Often used to change perception of body – for example, vertical lines to make actor appear taller.

•

May be:

Symmetrical – both sides match.

o

o o

• F I g u R E 3 - 1 6 Balance – Symmetrical examples

True test is the human body, as all are different. Do the proportions of the costume: o

o

asymmetrical – asymmetry is when an element is only on one side, such as a treatment that is just on one shoulder. In Figure 3-16, the baldrick creates a strong diagonal line, but the costume is still balanced. asymmetry can also create balance, as in Figure 3-17.

F I g u R E 3 - 1 7 Balance – Asymmetrical example: “Zircon

Dream” by Gypsy Ames (photo by Ric Helstrom)

Within a garment – the ratios between parts, such as sleeves compared to the bodice. Within the entire costume – for example, the ratio of the blouse to the skirt. Within the relationship of one costume to another – for example, when one costume takes up more mass than another.

o

Work for the actor’s body – for example, is the actor’s body different from the rendering? Does the design need to change if you designed it before the show was cast? Work for the actor as the character in relation to other characters, to other actors, and to set? For example, one actor might be dramatically taller than the other.

F I g u R E 3 - 1 8 Proportion: Period Forms Project, Elizabethan woman by Lauren Boughton, Shenandoah University

Costume Design: The Class

•

Large part of determining proportion is dictated by the period of play. Goes back to what was considered beautiful in the period (beauty aesthetic). o

o o

example – Figure 3-18, elizabethan woman: very wide skirt, but short – reveals feet. to the modern eye it seems unattractive, but in that period, it was considered beautiful. how accurate do you need to be? What will the audience perceive?

D. Harmony:

•

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Color – harmony of: o o o

Hue = monochromatic (one hue) Value = monovalue Intensity = mono intensity

Ideas of what creates harmony change depending on period, culture, and what is fashionable (Cunningham 111). It also is affected by the tastes of our own period and culture, which affects the designer’s eye as well as the director’s.

the Script and Its Style The type of play infuences all design choices, all elements and principles. Is it a musical? A straight drama? An opera? (This will be discussed in more detail in the “Design Styles” lecture later in this chapter.) What is affected by the type of production? •

Period authenticity – a non-realistic show may be less true to period or may exaggerate elements of it.

•

Design may be affected – tragedy, musical, farce – for example, color for a tragedy is usually different than a farce.

•

House size may affect choices – o o

a large-scale show will probably be in a larger theatre. Smaller theatres can have more detail; more like flm, because the audience is closer to the actors, while a large theatre can exaggerate line, shape, etc. so it reads well from a distance.

(At this point several assignments are possible. For a beginning class, painting color relationships can be used (see In-Class Color Project), or the Elements Board is another choice. Other color projects include Mary of Scotland and The School for Husbands.) F I g u R E 3 - 1 9 Harmony: Dolly, hello, Dolly! Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Pulls elements together and makes overall design pleasing to the eye.

•

Harmony can be created by repetition, or by repeating ideas: o

Line is generally dictated by period and can be expressed by harmony in length and direction (angle or curve) – one idea dominates.

LECTURE FIVE –THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DRESS (This lecture discusses the messages we send out with our clothing choices, intended or not. Students should come away with a basic understanding of how fashion began in Western society and why it changes, as well as an understanding of how costume designers use the psychology of dress to help tell theatrical stories. The excellent book Dressed: The Secret Life of Clothes, by Shahidha Bari, is a great resource if you wish to dig deeper. The beginning history portion is adapted from JB Harris.

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You may wish to review the three ways we describe garments worn on the body – clothing, fashion, and costume (see Lecture One, Costumes and Costume Designers: What is Their Function?). The frst part of the lecture is useful if you do not have a separate fashion history class. It explains how and why fashions change. If you do have a fashion history class, you may wish to skip to section IV (The Psychology of Dress). This lecture is written for design undergraduates, and thus might be a little specialized if you are teaching performers or high school students. Feel free to adapt it, or use parts of it, if you think this is the case. Helping performers to think about clothing messages can deepen their relationship with their costumes.)

Can class give examples of uncomfortable fashionable clothing? •

More importantly, fashion focuses on what is considered attractive or beautiful and social power. •

What is considered beautiful changes from period to period throughout history.

•

These ideas are so culturally strong that it can: o

Beginning of Modern Fashion in Western Society •

usually defined as beginning in the Middle Ages, with fashion starting to change regularly by the end of the 15th century (Tortora 8).

•

Clothing in previous periods (Ancient greece, China, Egypt, for example) was static for long periods of time (changed less frequently).

•

Difference in Middle Ages – accepted styles begin to change more often and more rapidly. Why? o

o

o

o

Breakdown of feudal system (caste system) – upward and downward social mobility now possible. emergence of affuent merchant class with desire to emulate nobility. More people with means and desire to dress well. advances in technology, especially the invention of the loom. ability to make fabric more quickly and in greater quantities, keeping up with increasing demand. travel – Crusades and later explorers bring back foreign materials and garments, such as silk.

Why do accepted Styles, or Fashions, Change? •

Fashions rarely change because of utilitarian reasons like protection from the elements or comfort (fashionable clothing is often very uncomfortable!).

Modesty affects fashion inasmuch as concepts of modesty change depending on period and culture. how do we as americans hide parts of the body that are not acceptable to show? how is it different in other cultures?

o

o

Be hard to escape them as an audience member (the costume is from a period with a different beauty ideal than the present day, and the audience thinks it’s inappropriately ugly). Be diffcult to study them objectively (For example, what is the dominant beauty ideal today? Ask). affect the way costume designers approach historical accuracy in their designs (Jablon 8). period accuracy may be changed to ft the production and the audience (see Jablon-Roberts’s article “A Theoretical Framework for the Creative Process of Theatrical Costume Design for Historically Set Productions” in the bibliography, for a deeper dive).

•

Historically, fashions tend to imitate wealthy and privileged – those with high status and access to the most beautiful and expensive clothing. Can be royalty, the rich, and/or the famous (such as rock stars).

•

When there is potential for upward social mobility, people want to be like, and thus look like, those who are living better than they are.

•

But – those on top don’t want to look like everyone else. they want to be set apart, special, different, and clearly the ones in power. ask – how do you control this? o o

Sumptuary laws (laws that enforce dress codes) – rarely work; hard to enforce. those on top change their style! (Much more successful.)

Costume Design: The Class

o

o

If we look at fashionable Western silhouettes from the end of the Middle ages to today, we see fashion constantly changing. Due, in large part, to the privileged class trying to stay a step ahead. If the privileged have moved on to a new style, those copying them do so as well – to wear what the privileged have discarded sets you apart from and lower than those you emulate.

•

Compare the Middle Ages (fashions remained the same for long periods) to 20th century (fashions changed every ten years or less).

•

Today fashions seem to change constantly. Ask – Is this our perspective? Will we see patterns in twenty or ffty years? o

James Laver, fashion historian, in his book, Taste and Fashion, made a timetable charting the fashionability of a garment: (Warn students that the language may seem dated as the book was written in 1937. Is the throughline still true? What do they think?) The SAME garment would be considered: •

10 years before it became fashionable: indecent

•

5 years before becoming fashionable: shameless

•

1 year before it became fashionable: daring

•

At time of fashionability: smart

•

1 year after it was fashionable: dowdy

•

10 years after: hideous

•

20 years after: ridiculous

•

30 years after: amusing

•

50 years after: quaint

•

100 years after: charming

•

o

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probably, but there does seem to be fashion “anarchy” compared to 100 or even 50 years ago. One academic paper says that fashion is so “fragmented and fractured” that it is hard for fashion designers to predict or anticipate trends (Lennon, Johnson, Noh, Zheng, Chase, and Kim).

What Makes Fashions Change More Slowly? •

Rigid class distinction – for example, caste systems. No chance to move out of your class.

•

Totalitarianism – no class system. Communist China for many years almost a standard uniform.

•

Sumptuary laws or governmental regulations – military, school uniforms.

•

Customs/traditions – can be religious, such as Amish.

150 years after: romantic beautiful (Laver 202)

•

Isolation from fashion world and/or other cultures – lack of communication, such as the isolation of Japan until the 19th century.

The idea here is that our perceptions of what is attractive change, even if the garment itself doesn’t. It is particularly interesting that out-of-date fashions go from “hideous” to “beautiful” with enough time. Written at a time when fashions were followed closely by a wide section of society. Ask – Is this still true? Do we all follow what is fashionable? Fashions also change and cycle very quickly now as compared to this chart. Can the class think of examples of styles that have come back into fashion recently? How long did it take?

•

Society with resistance to change – can reflect lack of access to education, isolation. Often truer of rural/agriculture-based societies than industrial ones.

•

Lack of resources as a society – financial, technical, etc.

What Causes Fashion Changes? Western fashions in time since the Middle Ages have changed with increasing speed.

What Makes Fashions Change More Quickly? •

Open class society.

•

Society with wealth – money and time can be given to nonessentials.

•

Society with a high level of education – may question traditions and seek the new.

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Society with cultural contact, communication – o

o

example: today new fashions can move around the world in seconds thanks to tV, flm, internet, social media. takes less time for everyone to pick up a new style, so innovators have to move faster.

•

Youth oriented society – moving away from the styles of parents and seeking their own style.

•

Social agitation and/or political revolution: o o

•

•

•

New ideals, new defnitions of beauty. appearance refects beliefs – for example, hippie movement of 1960s – rejection of 1950s culture and all it represented – including how it looked.

people don’t have to make their own clothing. Clothing is cheaper. (Ask – does this mean that we value it less? What does this say about today’s fast fashion, and the speed at which we discard clothing?)

Popular entertainment – connected to cultural contact – communication mediums allow newest look of a star to be broadcast worldwide much more quickly than in past.

o

•

Semiotics: explores the idea that clothing and other parts of visual appearance are signs that are

For example, if, in my society, a cross represents Christianity, I assume that someone wearing a cross as a necklace follows that faith. to anticipate how people will react, we use “role playing” to put ourselves in the minds of other people. For example, I might dress to anticipate how my mother will expect me to look so she lets me go to a party.

Costume designers need to understand these signs and symbols so we can use them to interpret the text through our design choices. Sara Jablon-Roberts points out: •

Semiotic theory supports the idea that costumes communicate character and period.

•

Costume designers use symbolic interactionism by the way they “role play” to think about how the costume supports the character and appeals to the audience, the director, and the performer (Jablon-Roberts 14).

the psychology of Dress Clothing: dressing to cover nakedness, reflects our humanity and our difference from other animals. Clothing communicates, by sending information through visual messages, or cues (Jablon-Roberts 3). How does it do this? Researchers have identifed two theories to explain how messages are sent through clothing choices:

For example, in many periods, women wear skirts, but men do not. If a character is wearing a skirt, that can communicate that they are femalepresenting.

Symbolic interactionism: similar to semiotics; we interact with each other by using symbols that exist in things like clothing choices, and we continually refne and defne what these things mean as a culture/ society. o

Increase in technical abilities – example – rise of synthetic fabrics and ready-to-wear clothing. o o

•

interpreted by the viewer; that things like gender, status, and beliefs are encoded in our clothing choices.

We all dress to ft in, or not; to express ourselves, to make others understand who we are and what we represent. Are these messages understood? Misconstrued? Our clothing choices also affect the way we see and feel about ourselves. •

• •

It can affect our mood (don’t we all have that special piece of clothing that makes us feel happy when we wear it?) It can make us feel confident (or not). It can make us feel individual (or not).

Costume Design: The Class

Clothes can express not only our feelings about ourselves, but our feelings about the societies and social groups we live in and of which we are a part (more below). Often it isn’t only the clothes themselves, but the way they are worn – for example, punk clothing might take an ordinary plaid shirt and rip it and pin it together with safety pins, sending a completely new message. We make decisions about other people based in part on the way they look and what they are wearing. •

•

First impressions carry a lot of weight when we don’t know someone. this has been researched and written about by fashion scholars as “Implicit personality theory”: a concept that suggests that when there are gaps in our knowledge about someone, we fll those gaps in with what we perceive as “fashion cues” (Lennon, Johnson, Noh, Zheng, Chase, and Kim). This means we decide what we think about someone based on their clothing choices.

•

What Messages do we Send with Our Clothing Choices? What messages do we read into other people’s clothing? Are messages always intended? Researchers recently conducted a study to understand how fashion communication has been written about in academic journals. The study used four content areas created by M. L. Damhorst, plus two additional categories:

For example, if you are interviewing someone for a job and you perceive that the clothing doesn’t ft your company, you might not hire them (even though they might be perfect for the job). This may or may not be something we are aware of – it can be conscious or unconscious.

•

It may or may not correlate with what the person wearing the clothing intended to communicate.

The costume designer harnesses these messages to help to tell the story of the character. •

Just like people get dressed to send messages about how they want to be seen, costume designers make choices about costumes to tell the audience about characters and their personalities.

The audience is going to be looking for meaning in the clothing the characters are wearing. how can we guide what they think? Can we as designers anticipate how the audience will react to the costumes?

Clothing choices can tell the world who we are, where we come from, where we are going, what we represent, or wish to represent, and what we believe in. For that reason, clothing is one of the most powerful visual tools in communicating character in theatre.

Returning to the idea that fashion can be symbolic, it helps people to form conclusions about the wearer and their meaning, and then treat them according to the message.

•

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•

Evaluation – cues having to do with personality, sociability (shy? outgoing?) and mood, including things like how people feel about their bodies.

•

Potency – having to do with power, both social and physical; competence (things like reliability and respectability), and intelligence.

•

Dynamism – having to do with things people do, both physical and mental – like conformity, whether someone is a risk-taker, how sexy they seem.

•

Quality of Thought – beliefs and ways of thinking – such as religious, philosophical, political; focused on being individual or part of a group.

Plus: •

Physiological and Biological Characteristics – such as health, how old someone looks, weight.

•

Demographic Characteristics – having to do with things like social status, how much someone earns, occupation.

They then reviewed 115 articles to assess how much information was communicated through each area in their study.

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•

•

Costume Design: The Class

o

Interestingly, potency had the highest percentage of information that fashion communicated, followed by evaluation, which together represented over 67 percent of the fndings.

o o

Quality of thought scored very low (only 1.5 percent), which seems very surprising!

(Lennon, Johnson, Noh, Zheng, Chase, and Kim) o How do some of these areas play out in clothing choices? (Ask for examples) •

o o

o

•

For example, many periods – no pants on women. today’s society is more open about nonbinary and gender fuid people, although not everyone accepts them. Is the character dressing to be attractive to the opposite sex/same sex? What is the sex appeal factor of their clothing?

•

o

Goes both ways – dressing “too old” (JonBenet ramsey) or “too young” (mothers criticized for dressing like their daughters). Ask – do women bear the burden of this more than men?

•

Status in their society – how do clothes show this? (Ask) If you have time, you can discuss Thorstein Veblen’s theories of conspicuous consumption, wealth, and leisure.

•

Attitude of their society towards the human body: o o o

Does it make the body conform to an external ideal (like a Victorian corset)? Or celebrate it in its natural form (ancient Greece)? Usually directly related to religious/moral beliefs.

Identification of group membership: o

Uniforms. a nun, a police offcer, a boy scout.

Personal beliefs in relation to society and accepted norms. Are we dressing to say we accept our society, or that we reject it, or somewhere in the middle? o

Ask – how does it feel to wear something that feels “right”? What does “right” mean to them?

People’s personalities fall into a spectrum that includes conventional dressers, non-conformists, and a wide range in between. Where do our characters fall?

Age – whether the wearer conforms to their society’s image of their age and what is appropriate for them to wear. o

•

o

gender – role depends on values/beliefs of given society.

Can be the extreme of conforming – an outft entirely determined by the group and its leader. Generally, suggests that wearer conforms to rules and ideals of group. Makes us less aware of the wearer’s individuality, or of our own, when we are a member. Ask – do we perceive that a police offcer has an individual personality, if we don’t know them? Dress codes – expectation of conformity; fear of accusations of being “unprofessional” or “inappropriate”. Some clothing styles could be said to create a uniform; a lack of individuality – such as the ubiquitousness of the male business suit.

Conventional – May show less skin; follows their society’s values, may be slightly or very out-of-date. generally, does not challenge accepted norms. What it can suggest: •

Wearers may be older people less quick to adopt the newest fad. An extreme version – someone who wears what was popular in their youth.



example – Miss havisham from Great expectations – jilted at altar, wears wedding dress for rest of life. “My life stopped here”. Can also say, “I found the look that fatters me best, why change?” (example – Queen elizabeth II).

•

Personality less receptive to the new; a careful non-risk taker.

•

May reflect wearer’s satisfaction with or acceptance of their place in their society. o

Often connected with wealth and privilege. No desire to shake up the status quo.

Costume Design: The Class

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•

Religious conventions – example: women not wearing makeup or covering their hair.

Are we trying to emulate someone else?

•

Desire for/comfort with letting others set the standard.

•

Are we trying to suggest that we share their taste, their values, their personality?



Example – man’s plain gray suit – it’s easy, the wearer doesn’t have to think about it, it’s always okay.

•

Clothing given to us by someone else – can suggest desire on part of the giver to change something about the giftee, often parent to child.

o

•

Sharing clothes – What does this say about the relationship between two people? Does it suggest that they share personality traits as well?

May suggest lack of creativity or lack of interest in clothing beyond basic needs like modesty, protection from elements, and what is expected in social and professional situations.

Non-Conformist – may be on the cutting edge of fashion; may be off doing their own thing entirely. What it can suggest: identifcation with groups involved in social protest; dissatisfaction with society. •

May reflect a desire to shock. May show a lot of skin; may be deliberately torn and dirty (Punk).

•

Social protest – examples: Hippies, Punk – ends up creating its own uniform, which is then (ironically) picked up by mainstream fashion.

•

Often reflects individualism and desire to be special or unique.

•

May suggest personal rejection of the wearer’s society, morals, values, etc. Message is “I don’t choose to fit in and belong with the mainstream; I make my own way.”

Clothing helps us to express ourselves and how we fit into our societies. Are we always telling the truth? Clothes send a message we may or may not intend, and it may express things we wish were true. •

•

For example, someone dressing in “nonconformist” clothing may wish they had that much freedom in their life or were that brave. If there is a disconnect between how we feel and how we look, our clothing choices can heighten and visualize that sense. Costume designers can use this to express something about a character.

o o

Ask – if your girlfriend loans you a dress, how do you feel wearing it? Ask – Can clothing change us? Whether through buying or borrowing?

•

Fashions change; the power of an item of clothing fades and morphs, as Laver’s table suggests.

•

If our personalities are revealed through massproduced fashion, what does that say about our individuality? (Ask the class what they think.) o

Ask – Does ready-to-wear fashion suggest a democratic society, since everyone has access to it?

Clothing that disguises: clothes worn as a “sartorial lie” (Lurie 24). These clothing choices can be both intentional and unintentional: Uniforms can suggest qualities that individuals may not actually have. •

Is this doctor as trained and knowledgeable as their lab coat says?

•

Is this police offcer dependable and safe to trust?

Is this person trying to suggest something about themselves that may or may not be true? •

That they are innocent (wearing a “respectable” suit to court).

•

That they are rich/powerful (spending more money than they can afford to; suggest a social position they do not hold).

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•

Costume Design: The Class

That they are younger/older than they are (children in makeup and adult-style dresses in child beauty pageants).

A little odd? Lurie certainly thought so. But not insane, right? As Lurie points out: •

Take the same outfit with one element reversed – like taking one of the galoshes and wearing it upside down on head.

•

Eccentricity raised to a new (and disturbing) level (Lurie 16)!

Does the garment suggest that this person is someone else? •

Is this a disguise for positive or negative reasons? What are they trying to accomplish with the disguise? Ask – Examples? (Cinderella, a bank robber in a ski mask, the hero disguised to save the day, a spy disguised to infltrate a situation, halloween costumes, etc.)

Is the message deliberate? Are they aware that what they are wearing may not: •

Be indicative of their personality as the viewer perceives it.

•

Be something they culturally have a right to wear.

•

(This is a good time to discuss the concept of cultural appropriation, and the role that power and dominant cultures play. See Cultural Appropriation in Chapter 1).

•

Is it their choice? Did someone make this decision for them? Can the class think of examples? (Children in beauty pageants?)

Inappropriate dress for a setting (ask for examples): •

A too-casual outfit in a formal setting – can suggest low economic status and/or a nonconformist.

•

Too formal? Suggests personal conservatism; older person observing rules that no longer apply (like a woman wearing a hat and white gloves).

•

Regarding the psychology of dress: it’s important to remember that all is relative. What is viewed as “appropriate”, or “inappropriate”, has as much to do with the observer as with the wearer. •

Semiotics and symbolic interactionism tell us that clothing is a visual code that we can share, but it doesn’t mean we all see things the same way.

•

Clothing choices in different settings may be viewed in very different ways, as the discussion above about “inappropriate” dress suggests.

•

For example, the outfit described above might be considered edgy and vintage in New York’s Greenwich Village.

the psychology of Color Color is one of the strongest elements of the language of clothing – color can literally affect blood pressure, heartbeat, breathing – color affects us physically. Lurie points out that: •

Loud, clashing colors can literally hurt our eyes

A bizarrely inappropriate outfit – can suggest eccentricity or even insanity. there is wide spectrum – ranges from:

•

Harmonious colors can be calming and comforting (Lurie 182).

o

Lurie explains that color in dress can totally alter meaning of what is being “said” by other aspects of clothing (style, fabric, trim). Dress in scarlet sends a very different message than the same dress in white (Lurie 182–3). Some colors negate the message of the rest of the clothing –

o o

Making own personal statement of what they consider beautiful. to a nonconformist. to clothing so incongruous to accepted norms that it actually makes us uncomfortable.

Alison Lurie, author of The Language of Clothes, was at a lunch party at an Irish country home and saw a woman in a “transparent sequined evening blouse over a dirty Victorian cotton petticoat, with black rubber galoshes” (rain boots) (Lurie 16).

•

“A bride in a black wedding dress, or a stockbroker greeting his clients in a shocking pink three-piece suit, would be like people screaming aloud” (Lurie 183).

Costume Design: The Class

•

Again, this all depends on context and the viewpoint of the observer. In some periods and cultures, a bride might very well wear black.

•

Western – sacred color going back to ancient greece as well as Egypt; associated with Zeus and Isis. Christian church today – god often depicted in white robe; also associated with Jesus Christ.

•

White stands for pureness and virginity, innocence; cleanliness, virtue in Western society. Baby’s christening gown, wedding dress (only dates back to 1840s), nurses and doctors.

•

Most Eastern/Asian cultures – white = color of mourning and death.

Some clothing dictates color – •

Men’s suits for most of the 19th and 20th century were subdued colors (grays, navy, black, tan).

•

Uniforms usually have very specific colors and color combinations – military, professional work clothing.

•

Many clothing items have prescribed colors depending on period, society, and culture. For example, Western brides traditionally wear white, but in other cultures, the color changes.

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Black

Color has a whole language of meaning, and it varies from culture to culture: Black and White – not technically colors at all, but common and important in clothing.

White

F I g u R E 3 - 2 1 Black: Cleopatra, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I g u R E 3 - 2 0 White: Anya, the Cherry Orchard, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Western society – death, evil, traditional Western color of mourning (goes back to greeks).

•

Also has religious connection – stands for renunciation of secular life and its pleasures: Christian monks, priests, and nuns often wear black robes.

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Costume Design: The Class

•

Secular – black suggests sophistication; can have undertones of danger or evil. At a ball with all in pastels, if the heroine enters in black dress, it has tremendous dramatic impact.

•

Black equals masculinity in Latin/South America and some African cultures.

•

Black and white are strongly connected with systemic racism in America and around the world.

•

Bright red associated with both sex and power. Western prostitutes often depicted in red.

•

China – red = luck and prosperity, also fertility (bride wears red).

•

Some African cultures – red = death/grief, sacrifice, and mourning.

•

Pink (red plus white) o o o

Red

Femininity, love, romance. Worn by men in Japan. Seen as color for girls in Western culture.

Orange •

Demands attention; physically stimulates appetite (is this why fast-food restaurants use it as a decorating color?).

•

West: Halloween, paired with black. Also, the color of harvest.

•

Middle East – represents mourning.

F I g u R E 3 - 2 2 Red: Cleopatra, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Bright, true red stands for life, strength, vitality, and passion (Western).

•

Color of blood and fire. Red stoplight or stop sign means “stop” in many cultures.

•

Literally raises blood pressure, pulse – “Seeing red” when we are angry.

F I g u R E 3 - 2 3 Orange: Goods, everyman, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Costume Design: The Class

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•

India – symbol of fire; saffron = luck; sacred color.

•

Some African cultures – represents wealth (color of gold).

•

Japan and China – represents courage, happiness, good health, love.

•

•

Color of robes of Buddhist monks in Southeast Asia (sacred color).

China – associated with pornography; the “yellow book”. Also reserved for the emperor/ empress in certain eras.

green Yellow •

Calming; color of earth.

•

Worn by Robin Hood; Peter Pan.

•

Many countries associate with nature and the coming of spring.

•

Also – luck, prosperity (color of American money), renewal, jealousy (“green with envy”).

•

“Hospital green” – color is physically soothing.

•

Olive green – closely tied to the military; sometimes called army green.

F I g u R E 3 - 2 4 Yellow: Alma, Summer and Smoke, Danielle J. Neill, Shenandoah University

•

Color of sun; associated with youth, life, hope (Western).

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Increases blood pressure and pulse, like red.

•

Western – considered cheerful color; think yellow raincoat on dark rainy day.

•

Often worn by Western children – to wear bright yellow as an adult suggests optimism, extrovert, to immature (Big Bird).

•

Western also associates yellow with cowardice (“yellow bellied”).

F I g u R E 3 - 2 5 Green: Herod, Jesus Christ Superstar, Katie Allen, Shenandoah University

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Costume Design: The Class

•

To say someone is “green” means they have little experience.

•

Today in the uS, blue is the most common color of clothing (think blue jeans).

•

Mexico – independence, patriotic; national color.

•

China – represents femininity.

•

•

China: infidelity.

Asia and Middle East – represents immortality, especially in Hindu religion.

•

Islamic cultures – sacred color; associated with Mohammed.

Blue

Purple •

Associated with royalty and wealth (both East and West).

•

Original purple dye so rare and costly, only royalty could wear.

•

uSA – purple = honor/courage (military Purple Heart).

•

In many countries purple = mourning.

•

Japan – evil and infidelity.

F I g u R E 3 - 2 6 Blue: Good Deeds, everyman, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Peace, faith, tranquility (Western); also sadness (“feeling blue”).

•

What Christian figure is traditionally depicted in blue (ask)? (Virgin Mary).

•

Color of sea and sky.

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Calming effect – reduces blood pressure.

•

Middle Ages (Western) – blue color of trust (“true blue”); still common today (often used in marketing).

F I g u R E 3 - 2 7 Purple: Queen Aggravain, Once Upon a Mattress, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Costume Design: The Class

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For more information on the signifcance of color, see the Bibliography.

LECTURE SIX – DESIGN STYLES (This lecture discusses how different types of productions impact costume design. Students should be able to discuss different types of styles and for what sorts of productions they are appropriate. For a non-major class, or combination design/ rendering class, it may not be necessary or feasible to include this lecture. It is very useful for graduate students and for stand-alone costume design classes for undergraduates.)

Different types of Shows have Different Styles that can affect Costume Design Choices Some of the possible categories: •

Realism (meant to look like real life; can be historical or modern day) – Figure 3-28.

F I g u R E 3 - 2 9 Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Stylized (in between the previous two. Often is suggestive, meaning that there are elements of real life, but they are not completely realistic, such as a partial wall to suggest a house) – Figure 3-30. Symbolic is another term used in the past to suggest costumes which are meant to suggest an abstract concept (Jablon 14).)

F I g u R E 3 - 2 8 Madge and Hal, picnic, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Fantasy (does not look like real life; feels “bigger than life”, exaggerated) - Figure 3-29. Sometimes referred to as extravaganza, or “showbiz glitz”, as costume designer Deirdre Clancy calls it (Jablon 16).

F I g u R E 3 - 3 0 Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Costume Design: The Class

•

Historic dress (costumes evoke a specific period).

•

Contemporary dress (costumes look like modern streetwear).

The last two categories are infuenced by the frst three. For example: •

A show using historic dress could be realistic and recreate the fashions from that period as accurately as possible.

•

Or the designer could use the dominant lines of the period as a starting place and exaggerate or stylize them as appropriate for the production.

how does Show type Vary? •

Operas – tend to be bigger than life; big stories, not realistic to sing to each other (singing takes audience a step away from reality).

•

Musicals – similar to opera, but can be closer to realism, as there is spoken dialogue. Many musicals are very fantastical.

o

Modern dance tends to be much simpler and more suggestive.

In productions like dance, opera, musical theatre – needs of actors take on greater importance. Dancers need to be able to move, singers need to be able to sing.

realism vs. Stylization Realism – Important to point out that realism is still planned and designed; not “everyone brings their own clothes, because that’s how it would be in real life”. •

Costume designer makes design decisions about color, shapes, texture, etc. as in any show.

•

If costume choices are random, there is a possibility of clashing colors, styles that confuse character or character relationships, and inappropriate connections between characters.

•

Realism is still a design.

•

Degree of design realism related to degree of realism in script, particularly in the use of language, as Barbara anderson and Cletus anderson point out:

•

Shakespearean – language is a step away from current reality for the audience. Stories are often big and broad.

•

Farce – physical comedy; visual comedy. Style is often exaggerated; may rely on stereotypes.

A play written in verse, like Shakespeare, further removed from our world than one in everyday prose, like Death of a Salesman.

•

Rock musicals and operas (examples – Jesus Christ Superstar, Rocky Horror) – rock style infuences use of period.

•

•

Theatre for Youth – different audience expectations; character relationships can be broader (use of color to connect people, for example).

•

Straight show – can come closest to photorealism.

•

Dance – takes audience a step away from reality in terms of story being told: o o

o

Movement tells story. Costumes have to accommodate movement in both design and physical sense. For example, female dancers often lifted by waist – costume must accommodate. Ballet – audience has certain expectations for what classical ballet looks like.

Shakespeare might lead designers away from “ordinary” or realistic styles, while a play about everyday life might call for attention to detail that the audience recognizes and identifes with (anderson and anderson 92). Consider the difference in the two renderings by Jessica parr and Jennifer Flitton adams for Macbeth (Figures 3-29 and 3-30) as compared to Laurel Dunayer’s Picnic (Figure 3-28).

Shakespearean language takes us out of the ordinary world, as the Andersons point out: Words so carefully selected do not bring to mind the undisciplined clutter of reality but a clarity of line, careful attention to detail, and a control of color that will help create a visual world as rich in meaning. (Anderson and Anderson 93)

Costume Design: The Class

The rendering examples refect a story that is not concerned with everyday life, but universal ideas – the costumes refect this; their ideas are bolder, bigger, stronger (Anderson and Anderson 93). The costume design is not necessarily realistic or period accurate (see below). By contrast, the rendering for Picnic refects a drama set in a small town and calls for costumes that pay the same attention to small details and the realities of life (Anderson and Anderson 93). These costumes are very true to their period and to what people actually wore.

Stylization Note that the Lady Macbeth rendering in Figure 3-30 is not necessarily accurate to period; not the goal. For a show like this, the period is a jumping-off place; line, shape, detail may be exaggerated, simplifed, or eliminated to help convey a sense of character or mood. Many designers refer to this as a stylized design, although this term is not universally liked. Costumes designed for such productions may not be realistic, to echo the non-realistic quality of the script. •

Elements and principles of design could be exaggerated, adapted, or distorted.

•

The designer could use a very tight color palette that wouldn’t be seen in everyday life.

•

Color is a very powerful way to set mood, as covered in Psychology of Dress lecture.

•

Elements of the period could be changed to heighten story (see below).

out, though, that it is diffcult to not reference some period – very little is completely new). Jessica Parr’s Macbeth rendering in Figure 3-29 is a departure from traditional period.

Using period research Once period and style choices are set, the designer chooses which elements of the period to use. Like modern dress, many looks are possible. The goal is to decide how to capture sense of period: •

Most recognizable lines (you could give/ show some examples here, like hoop skirts for Antebellum, or fapper dresses for 1920s).

•

What elements of the period reflect the mood or ideas of the story? The approach to period can be influenced by type of show: o o o

Should the period be simplified? (Perhaps for a serious drama). Exaggerated (for a comedy or farce)? What is appropriate for individual characters and their personalities? (Give some examples here, such as how a period choice reveals character. For example, would they follow fashion? Does it fatter them? etc.)

The subject matter of play may also suggest an approach to style – fantasy quality of Peter Pan, or Peter and the Starcatcher, can lead to stylizing the period of these shows (Victorian), in addition to the fantasy itself.

Fantasy Shows with fantasy stories, such as The Lion King and Wicked, allow for a lot of design freedom, and tend, again, to be “bigger than life”. The costumes don’t look like everyday clothing, and they take us to a different world. Design must match the scale of the story, or the audience will feel let down. Audience comes to a show like Wicked or The Lion King expecting a lot of visual impact. Fantasy can exaggerate periods, combine periods, or not emphasize a specifc period, but be a pure fight of fancy (point

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F I g u R E 3 - 3 1 Elizabeth, Mary of Scotland, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Important to carry design approach to period throughout show – unifed design vision. Norm must be set from which characters can be given individuality – variety within unity. Some periods have huge amount of detail – in designing for stage, some might be omitted to draw eye (to face?), or to create a simpler, more appropriate look for character and script, as Laurel Dunayer does in Figure 3-31 for Elizabeth in Mary of Scotland. As the Andersons put it, this focuses the costume (Anderson and Anderson 96).

Fabrics that aren’t period accurate can heighten comedy of show. •

Fabrics in Figure 3-33 are deliberately anachronistic, for example, polar fleece and acetate satins.

Fabric Choices Fabrics are another way to heighten reality or to stylize a period. If fabrics used are close to types used in the period, costumes will move and refect light like the originals, heightening the sense of reality (Figure 3-32). Very unrealistic fabrics made into period costumes can create a sense of fantasy – an 18th century ball gown made of sparkling tulle has a fairy-tale feel; the same dress in gold lamé has a different, still nonrealistic feel.

F I g u R E 3 - 3 3 Anachronistic Fabric: Sir Harry, Once Upon a Mattress, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Once Upon A Mattress is a comedy with modern humor; making accurate period choices would not have the heightened sense of fun of the show.

Size of house Size of house, or theatre, often a factor in style: F I g u R E 3 - 3 2 Realistic Fabric: Passer-by, the Cherry Orchard, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

The detail in the Picnic rendering would not read effectively in a large proscenium theatre but would work well in a black box space.

Costume Design: The Class

•

By contrast, the broad strokes of the Lady Macbeth rendering might be overwhelming, even comical in a small space.

It is fairly easy to determine what size of house most shows are written for. Examples: •

Opera and Shakespeare often have large casts and generally need large spaces. Style of the show is usually bigger than life (except for opera verismo, which focuses on realism) and plays better in large spaces – emotion and communication on heightened level.

•

An Agatha Christie murder mystery probably wouldn’t be played in a very large house – cast is smaller, story is more intimate.

•

Classical ballet – probably a large stage to accommodate dancers. again, a heightened sense of communication.

•

Musical theatre – often has large casts, multiple sets, and need space for dancing.

•

As Andersons point out, big houses require broader treatment and larger scale to match the scale of the theatre – only a small proportion of the audience can see small details. Artistic choices need to be big enough to read to the whole audience (Anderson and Anderson 100).

•

F I g u R E 3 - 3 4 A realistic drama, “Victoria and Albert”, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

Musical Comedy The period is exaggerated to seem more dramatic, and the characters seem more like iconic hero/heroine.

Small theatres are more akin to TV or film; small details more effective, while overly broad choices may come across as overwhelming or distracting.

type of Show The degree of stylization can be affected by the type of show: tragedy, musical comedy, farce, melodrama, etc., and within that, the mood of the specifc play. The examples in Figures 3-34, 35, 36, and 37 are from The Meeting of Victoria and Albert project. The main costume for each character remains the same but is adapted to four different shows: a realistic drama, a musical comedy, a ballet, and a modern TV farce.

Realistic Drama This is closest to historical accuracy of 1840 and what these fgures would have actually worn.

F I g u R E 3 - 3 5 A musical comedy, “Victoria and Albert”, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Ballet The design is altered to accommodate the physical needs of the dance; the design also refects classical ballet style (tutu; male tights instead of pants).

(You may wish to use this Victoria and Albert project from Chapter 4 to complement the lecture, depending on your preference. In this case you may substitute a different example for the Type of Show section.)

LECTURE SEVEN – CHOOSING FABRIC; FABRIC AND COSTUME DESIGN (This lecture discusses what fabric is and how it varies in fber and structure, as well as what impacts a costume designer’s fabric choices. Students will learn about how to choose fabrics based on the needs of the production.)

What Makes Up Fabric? Fabric has two elements: fber and structure

Fiber – what the fabric is made of The two basic categories:

Natural: F I g u R E 3 - 3 6 A classical ballet, “Victoria and Albert”, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

TV farce The design is exaggerated for comic effect; details refect the TV setting.

Has existed for centuries. Animal or plant source. Naturally created; we alter its appearance but not its chemical makeup. What are the main natural fbers? (Ask) •

Wool

•

Cotton

•

Silk

•

Linen

(Hand around swatches of both natural and synthetic fber fabrics and discuss their characteristics, sources (wool= sheep, etc.), and washability. Rebecca Cunningham’s The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design has a good chart for the different fbers and their qualities.) •

Rayon “straddles the fence” between natural and synthetic: o o o

Introduced in 1880 as “artificial silk”. Derived from cellulose, natural fiber. Chemically altered to create fabric.

Synthetic: Relatively new technology. Artifcially made; chemical alteration of source to create fber. Best known: F I g u R E 3 - 3 7 A TV Farce, “Victoria and Albert”, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

•

Acetate (introduced 1890s)

•

Nylon (1938)

Costume Design: The Class

•

Acrylic (1951)

•

Polyester (1953)

•

Spandex (1958)

•

Felt – fbers pressed together with force, heat, and moisture. o o

Do costume designers prefer natural or synthetic fabrics? Pluses of natural fabrics:

o o

•

Take dye better

•

“Breathe” for actor

•

Look historically accurate

o

•

May move better onstage (silk vs. polyester chiffon)

o

•

May reflect light more softly (look less “plastic”) Pluses of synthetic fabrics:

•

No grain – like particleboard. traditionally made of wool, although acrylic is more common today. Doesn’t ravel; can be pulled apart. Wool felt used in millinery (hat making) – since it isn’t woven, it can be steamed into different shapes.

Bonded – two fabrics put together with adhesive.

o

We often make our own bonded fabric when we use fusible interfacing. Very common in the 1960s; the lining of dress would be fused to main (fashion) fabric. Makes fabric stiff; not always desirable.

Note that structure defnes the way the fber is made into fabric, such as denim or satin, which don’t refer to fber content. Satin, for example, can be silk, or polyester, or acrylic.

•

Cheaper (usually)

•

Easier to find

•

Wrinkle less

•

Less fragile than natural fabrics

What Does a Designer Consider When Choosing a Fabric?

•

Easier to clean

•

Often the solution can be to use a blend – to get the best of both worlds.

•

•

Woven – basic fabric structure, with warp and weft threads. Can take on many appearances depending on variation of weave (show some examples such as satin, chiffon, denim, corduroy – and explain that these names refer to the structure, not the fber content). Knit – has stretch, unlike woven. Fiber content is often wools, acrylics, cotton, and many synthetic fbers such as Lycra and nylon.

Rebecca Cunningham suggests there are multiple factors involved when choosing fabric. In my opinion, these four factors are particularly important: o o o o

Structure – What the Fibers are Made into Refers to how fber is made into fabric. When fabric is woven on a loom, there are lengthwise threads that run parallel to sides of loom (called the warp, or straight of grain – parallel to selvage edge), and threads that run perpendicular to sides of loom (called the weft, or cross grain). Fibers are made into four basic structures (show examples of each).

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Visual effects Period look desired Stress requirements Budget

(Cunningham 198)

Visual Effects How should the Fabric Hang/Drape/Move? •

Does it have the right weight? Does it swing as the actor dances, cling to the body, hide the body shape?

•

Is it stiff, bulky, flowy, bouncy?

•

Is it appropriate for the character and for their movement?



Show a few examples – what sort of character do they suggest?

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Costume Design: The Class

Fiber and structure both affect how a fabric drapes and moves. Show examples of raw silk and silk chiffon – same fber, different structures – look and move very differently. •

Can fiber and structure be changed (ask)? Mostly no, but: o o

•

•

If fabric is too light, can be underlined (defne) to make it hang properly. too heavy? Not much can be done, but a toostiff fabric can be washed with fabric softener or soda ash to remove fnishes and sizing.

Cunningham points out that choices about a fabric’s weight and movement are very important – detail may get lost between stage and audience, but drape and weight of a garment read over large distances (Cunningham 198). this makes it very important to look at a fabric’s drape from a distance, even in the fabric store.

F I g u R E 3 - 3 8 Small textured fabric versus fat cotton fabric. Photo by the author.

Is it the Right Pattern Scale? (Another Kind of Texture) •

Using one type of fabric for a group can provide unity – for example, taffeta for ball gowns for an ensemble. Dresses will all move the same way; variation can come in color and trim.

o o

Is it sheer, nubbly, shiny, coarse? Is there nap/pile? (Defne both – this affects the way the light refects off the fabric).

•

Can texture be altered? (Ask) – mostly no, but the wrong side can be used.

•

Small textures (show example – Figure 3-38) may not read from the house but can add more visual interest than a fabric with no texture. Show examples of fat cotton in the same color – which looks three-dimensional? Tell the class to squint to approximate distance. texture creates highlights and lowlights; fabric has more visual depth.

•

Fabrics can be layered to create texture – a sparkle sheer over a satin, for example.

•

Texture palettes can be created to express qualities of character, groups of characters, and the script itself.

•

Ask for examples, showing some fabric choices. Which fabric would be good for Macbeth? Laurie in Oklahoma!? Laura in A Glass Menagerie?

Will it read (show from a distance) from the house? Will it overwhelm the character or actor?

•

Cunningham points out that too large a pattern starts to look comic or operatic (Cunningham 199), i.e., bigger than life. Large foral prints may look like they should be on a couch!

•

A larger house can sustain a larger pattern, even though some of audience is closer – the whole stage is bigger.

•

Small patterns may not read as patterns, but like small textures, they have greater depth and interest. Show an example in the same color as your examples for texture and compare the three).

Is it the Right Texture? •

Patterns can be woven (example – brocade) or printed (example – cotton). Show examples of both – Figure 3-39.

F I g u R E 3 - 3 9 Printed vs. woven patterns. Photo by the

author.

Costume Design: The Class

Mixing patterns within a costume can give greater depth and interest. A pattern “palette” of hues in a similar range of values can make costumes look rich and dimensional. This works better in a larger house, but with care, can work in a small space.

•

Different fibers require different types of dye, such as rIt, procion, acid dyes, etc. Blended fbers can be unpredictable (a shop manager I worked with said dyeing was always a crapshoot). rIt, most common and most readily available, will only get so dark.

•

Matching fabric colors can be very timeconsuming.

•

Natural fibers dye more easily than synthetic fbers. o o

Dye work requires proper safety precautions it is; very dangerous to breathe in dye particles.

•

Within dye work we can:

o

F I g u R E 3 - 4 0 Fabric Painting Project, Lauren Boughton,

Shenandoah University

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Is it the Right Color? Color is the most adaptable element – i.e., easier to change than texture, weight, or fber. Choice between right color or right texture or structure? generally, we choose the latter two and dye the fabric the right color. Considerations when dyeing fabric: Time consuming, especially when dyeing large pieces of fabric

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Dye work is done to the whole piece of fabric before cutting to allow for shrinkage and to make sure color is the same for the entire piece.

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Can add one to two days to build – must be prewashed, dyed, rinsed (this takes time), dried, ironed, and rolled onto bolt to keep smooth.

requires knowledge of types of fbers and how fbers react to different dyes. a burn test can help to determine fber content (you could demonstrate this outside. See The Magic Garment, p. 203, for a burn chart.)

•

o o

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Change the color completely. adjust the value or intensity of a hue, such as tea dipping for harsh whites, or dipping in a complementary color to make a fabric less bright. paint on a pattern or design – stenciling, silkscreening, block printing, shibori and tie-dye, batik, silk painting. (Show as many examples as possible.) age and distress – make a fabric or costume look older and worn (when would this be appropriate?). May include spraying dye, paint or bleach, using sandpaper, cheese grater, etc. this is time consuming and should be done in steps, so the costume doesn’t fall apart.

Period Look Desired Does the Costume Need to Look Historically Accurate? How Much? How Apparent will it be if it isn’t Accurate? •

Example: synthetic blend for a medieval costume. Not evident to the audience, more economical, easy care for the wardrobe crew – it wins.

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•

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Costume Design: The Class

Example: tights for the same medieval costume. even though knits were not introduced until well into the medieval period, woven tights would be baggy and uncomfortable for actors, and the audience would notice. Knit usually wins. Example: same medieval costume in fabric that is obviously anachronistic for period, such as stretch velour or lamé, is a questionable choice that depends on style of show. Camelot? probably not, but might be great for Once Upon a Mattress.

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As Cunningham says, more realistic shows demand greater authenticity, while stylized shows can deviate more (Cunningham 199).

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House size influences period fabric choices. In smaller theatre, audience may be more aware of period deviation (Cunningham, 199).

If the Fabric is not True to Period, Will it Look and Move the Way Period Fabric Would? •

Often using a blend of fibers solves this problem.

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Example: in the 18th century, brocades and satins were usually made of silk. this is expensive and hard to fnd today. Blend gives the best of both qualities – the fabric will move and refect light more like the original silk brocade, but the blend is more affordable and available.

•

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May sacrifice exact authenticity to make clothes easier to maintain – for example, Cunningham explains that a 19th century petticoat made of 100 percent cotton muslin will wrinkle a lot when washed. a blend of cotton and polyester won’t affect the way the skirt moves, and it won’t wrinkle as much, which is better for the wardrobe crew (Cunningham 200). Do patterns look correct in shape and scale for the period? o

Example – 18th century foral patterns much smaller in scale than 1960s. If a show calls for anachronism, using a fabric with a distinct period pattern for a costume from another period can be interesting (for example, Kiss Me, Kate’s showwithin-a-show). tricky to do this well.

Stress Requirements (I tell some stories here; I am sure you have some.)

How Long is the Run? •

How much cleaning and wear and tear?

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Tours, long runs can be very hard on costumes.

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Sweat factor of actors if you know it.

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Cleaning is hard on clothes, and we only do it as much as necessary for hygiene. Pieces that touch the skin, like T-shirts and socks, should be washed after every wearing, or have a double for two-show days.

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Equity, the actors’ union, has specific rules about schedules for cleaning costumes.

Will the Costume Undergo a Lot of Movement? •

Fight scenes, dancing.

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If so, we choose fabrics and construct costumes to withstand this.

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Stretch fabrics in strategic places are a good way to solve this problem.

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More delicate fabrics can be backed with a stronger fabric such as souffle, which won’t read.

What Will the Costume be Exposed to? •

Is there a train that will get dragged across the floor every night? Wedding dresses and dirt factor; will need frequent cleaning. Less obvious in large theatres.

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Outdoor show? Potential for dirt and mud. Choose fabrics that can be washed.

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Food onstage? Drinks? Someone will spill something at some point.

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Stage blood? How much; is fabric washable or dry clean only; what kind of blood is it; who is providing it, props or costumes?

Costume Design: The Class

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Quick changes? These costumes are handled roughly – can fabric and design stand up to this?

The best design is problematic if the costume is ruined by closing night. This is hard on wardrobe crew (repairs, cleaning) and may necessitate replacing costume mid-run.

Budget – How much can we spend on fabric for any one costume? (Next lecture covers this in more depth.) •

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In an ideal world, this is the least important factor – we buy what is best for the show and our design. however, this is rarely the case. Usually, it helps to divide total budget, minus dry cleaning, if it comes out of budget, by total number of costumes in show. Not the total number of actors – they may have varying numbers of costumes. the costume list is helpful here.

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This gives rough idea of how much can be spent on any one costume.

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Lead characters and high-ranking characters will get priority over ensemble and may get more money.

LECTURE EIGHT – BUDGETS (This lecture explains how to approach a production budget from the point of view of the designer. A class on costume technology might change the point of view to that of the shop manager. This lecture might be a little technical and detailed for a class with non-majors, so you may choose to shorten or omit it for them, but it defnitely is important information for costume design majors, whether graduate or undergraduate. Students should come away with an understanding of the things they need to consider when they receive a budget as costume designers.)

Ideal for the Show – •

We should be designing the ideal for the show and not worrying about money. this is rarely the case.

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Budgets vary widely depending on theatre. (Here you can talk about your experience at different theatres and the budgets at your school for costumes.)

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Always ask about the budget when agreeing to design costumes for a show. Can make for a miserable experience if you fnd out later and it’s not what you expected. o

It never seems like there is enough money; the designer works with what is available, and prioritizes: •

How long is the costume onstage?

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How important is the costume to the story?

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Would a cheaper blend do as well as the expensive choice?

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If a cheaper fabric is available but will require dyeing, painting, etc., will the extra supplies and labor hours negate the savings?

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If you compromise, be consistent. Cotton and silk velvet look very different. using both may make cotton look cheap, which it wouldn’t do by itself.

Knowledge of fabric and what it can and can’t do is crucial for a costume designer – a design may look great on paper, but with the wrong fabric choice it may never work as a costume.

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Consider the skill set of the labor pool when designing – if they are less experienced, don’t design complicated costumes beyond their abilities.

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Is labor a cost you must account for in your budget?

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Always consider three main concerns: time, labor, and money – they all affect each other.

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Take the total amount of budget and divide by total number of costumes (not characters, as discussed in last lecture), to see what can be spent on each costume. o o o o

take dry cleaning costs out before dividing up if dry cleaning comes from your budget. Dry cleaning costs range from very little to up to 1000.00 or more for a big musical. Dry cleaners can give estimates of how much typical garments cost. Lead and high-ranking characters get priority; money may be diverted to them from the ensemble.

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Costume Design: The Class

Considering period •

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For period shows, make sure, before agreeing to do a show, that you know what sort of stock the theatre has. pulled costumes are (largely) free – they are available in your stock to use but may require that you buy trim or other things to change them as desired. this is generally cheaper than building or buying a new costume.

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Consider what you are planning to build, and cost involved. For a big period show, you can easily spend a minimum of 25 percent of the budget on fabric and notions.

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Renting can sometimes save money, as it can be cheaper than building. o

Modern shows are deceptively expensive, as they usually must be shopped. o o o

o

Be sure to ask about return policies when shopping. Make sure the return is in full and is not store credit. Be especially careful when buying multiple sizes and planning to return after choosing the right size. See if the return policy has a deadline.

F I g u R E 3 - 4 1 Example of budget spreadsheet for Something rotten!

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remember that you will have to pay for shipping and insurance, usually both ways, if it must be sent to you. If it is built, you will have it for your stock for future shows, unlike renting.

Shoes can cost a lot of money, especially dance shoes (rubbering soles, bracing heels, purchasing new or renting from actors for equity performers). Who is paying for the shoes?

tracking Spending It’s very important to track your spending. Use an Excel or google Sheets spreadsheet.

Costume Design: The Class

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Set it up so the columns total automatically and include columns for both the item and total amount spent for each section.

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If the budget is inadequate for what you and the director want, talk to the theatre’s producer or production manager before continuing.

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Consumables are things that get used up – makeup, tights, etc.

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Never go over budget without permission.

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If the budget cannot be increased, designs will have to be changed to accommodate what is available.

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Keep budget paperwork copy after show ends and see to whom the budget should be turned in (production Manager?).

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Budgets are also helpful to see patterns of costs and spending if you are at one theatre for a while.

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Keep track of receipts – if they are lost, the costs may come out of your pocket.

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Ask if shop supplies, such as muslin, thread, elastic, etc., come out of production budget, or separate budget. Some theatres charge consumables like thread to the show’s budget. o o

Machine servicing and upkeep – is there a separate budget for this? What about overhead such as lights, heat, air, insurance, computers, etc. – does a portion of this come out of the production budget? If you are a freelance artist, are you paying for overhead? Can you charge the theatre if you are working from a private studio?

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Things to consider when costing (if there is a costume shop manager, work with them to do costing): •

Materials needed: fabric yardage and notions – all the extras like buttons, interfacing, lining, trim etc. Draper or shop manager can help to estimate yardage. o

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For built costumes, divide total amount budgeted for that costume by yardage needed, minus cost of all notions – this will indicate how much can be spent on fabric and will save time when shopping. remember that matching plaids, repeating and directional patterns, and bias eat up more yardage.

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Consumables – tights, blood, underwear, dye, etc.

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Makeup and hair and wigs (haircuts, dye work. Do you have to restore the actor’s natural color after the show?).

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Travel – is theatre paying mileage if you are using your own car? they should – does that come out of your budget?

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Rentals, including shipping costs and insurance.

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Rental fees and Equity (are shoes and other personal items being rented from actors?)

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Dry cleaning.

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Overhire and overtime. Does this come out of the production budget? Is it coming out of your design fee? the latter is clearly not desirable.

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Crafts and millinery supplies.

Costing, or estimating the Cost for a Show

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Cost out the whole show before starting build (ideally, before designing).

Copies and paper – does the shop have a printer? Who pays for ink?

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Period of show and extant stock.

o

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If a show is being built by a professional costume shop, such as shops in the New York theatre industry, designs will go to various shops for bids. o

o •

Usually more than one shop builds different parts of large Broadway musicals, as different shops specialize in different areas, like tailoring or dye work. Once designs are agreed upon, additions and changes cost more.

If the entire budget is not used, can it carry over to the next show, if you are working an entire season or academic year?

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Costume Design: The Class

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If shopping online, shipping charges.

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Save at least 10 percent of budget for dress rehearsal process and unexpected expenses.

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Where does the Money Come from? •

Purchasing card (Pcard): this is a credit card owned by the theatre. Will you have access to one? this is the ideal scenario.

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Petty cash. how much will theatre give at a time and how is it reconciled?

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Requisitions. In some institutions, they will order items and pay for them. this works for online purchases but often not for local ones.

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House accounts. Does theatre have an account with businesses in town?

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Reimbursements. In this case you front the money and turn in receipts for reimbursement. this is least desirable and bad practice on the part of the theatre.

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Question for class: do they think that there is racial inequality in the theatre industry? Can they describe or give examples?

the Current Industry •

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According to the Washington Post, out of 3002 musicals and 8326 plays since Broadway’s 1866 inception, there have been 10 directors of musicals, 11 play directors, and 17 choreographers who have been Black (Marks). According to the Asian American Performers Action Coalition’s Visibility report for 2018–9, in the New York theatre industry:

In addition, 76 percent of all Equity stage managers were white during the 2016–19 period, according to actor’s equity Diversity report (“actor’s equity Diversity report”).

(Both of these reports are well worth reading, and the Equity report also studied gender diversity.) •

LECTURE NINE – DIVERSITY IN THE INDUSTRY (This lecture examines racial diversity within the costume industry. I developed it and the following project because of my belief that students should be aware of issues of racial equity and diversity in our feld. Getting into all areas of diversity goes beyond the scope of this book, but if you would like to explore them for your class, there are resources available at the end of this chapter. Ultimately, we are empowering our students to move into our industry and make changes – make things better/ more equitable/kinder/sustainable for all. If we just accept the problems in our industry, nothing will change.)

58.6 percent of roles went to white actors, although only 32 percent of NY’s population is white. 80.5 percent of all writers were white. 81.3 percent of all directors were white. 77.4 percent of all designers were white, and on Broadway, that number jumps to 92.6 percent. 93.6 percent of Broadway producers were white (“Visibility report for 2018–9”).

There are few specific studies of the Broadway design area (which says something in and of itself), but ruth Carter’s Oscar for Costume Design for Black Panther in 2019 marked the frst Black costume designer to ever win this award. o o o

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She has been working in industry for four decades. Nominated for Oscar for Malcolm X in 1992. February 25, 2021 – Carter became the frst Black costume designer to have a star on the hollywood Walk of Fame. edith head is the only other costume designer to have a star (tangcay).

In 2016, despite diverse shows and casts such as Hamilton, The Color Purple, Allegiance, and On Your Feet!, only two designers of color nominated for tony (both costume designers): paul tazewell for Hamilton and Clint Ramos for Eclipsed, for which ramos also designed set (Newton). Both won – tazewell for best musical and ramos for best play. It was ramos’ frst nomination.

Does Broadway Let Diverse artists tell Diverse Stories? Paige Levy points out, “It is an all too familiar story on Broadway. Shows are created with an intent to capitalize on the experiences

Costume Design: The Class

of people of color while only getting passed through white hands” (Levy). She is referring to white artists telling stories that are not their own. What does the class think? Should, for example, a white costume designer design costumes for a show like The Color Purple? Designers tend to not be as visible to public, and this can increase the problem of diverse designers being hired, Ramos points out in Pamela Newton’s article, “The Broadway Season Was Diverse Offstage Too, Not That You’d Notice” (Newton). Taylor Leigh Lamb thinks it’s because theatres tend to hire diverse artists where they will show most: actors onstage (Lamb 18). Those behind the scenes are of less concern because the public rarely sees them. This gives the theatre visibility as a “diverse” institution, even if the majority of the design and production team is white. In Newton’s article, Ramos points out that “there is a dearth of young artists of color going into design for the theatre. And part of that is because they don’t see themselves in it. I never saw people who looked like me. I was never exposed to them. I had to seek them out.” He says it creates a vicious cycle – “How can we address the problem when we can’t attract young artists of color into the design feld” (Newton)? Expression “they can’t be what they can’t see” is very relevant for theatre artists. Hard to enter a world where you don’t perceive that you belong.

how will things Change? Importance of recognizing that designers of color and other diversities can design beyond stories about their race, gender, etc. •

While many Black designers such as Paul Tazewell take pride in designing shows about their culture, they don’t want to be limited to these shows.

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All designers want freedom to explore their own creativity in multiple ways.

Was 2016 progress or a one-time occurrence? American Theatre Magazine comments that in 1996, Rent, Seven Guitars, Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk (for which Tazewell designed costumes) seemed to herald a new

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age – all were up for Tonys. But the following year seemed to go back to the “safety (and predominant whiteness) of A Doll’s House, Chicago, and Titanic” (Newton). How has george Floyd’s murder in 2020 affected American theatre? Many theatres made statements of solidarity with global Majority, or BIPOC, artists and audiences. Did they follow through? Have things changed? (See articles referenced in Bibliography.) What does the class think? Do they watch Tony Awards? Do they go to see professional theatre, Broadway or otherwise? In Newton’s article, Ramos says, “If we in the American theatre are really invested in diversity and the breadth of human experience, then it is imperative that we populate our industry with more designers of color who, just by the nature of who they are, offer a different worldview, with a different body of experience.” (Newton). Multiple worldviews enrich creative and collaborative processes in any theatre. Diversity goes beyond race, to include gender, LgBTQIA+, religion, disabilities. All these topics are relevant to the costume design industry today. There is much more that could be covered on these topics. For example, gender bias in terms of pay equality is a very relevant issue to include. You could also have students research and present on different areas. Discussion questions: two minutes each to think and write before responding: 1. In what ways is there racial inequity in our theatre industry? How does it manifest? 2. Why do you think racial inequity exists in the arts? (For each question, each student gets ninety seconds to speak.) Follow up this lecture with a diversity research project: Students divide into pairs. Assignment: choose a costume designer from the global Majority (person of color, if you are not familiar with this term) in theatre or flm (does not have to be Broadway). Research their life and work and prepare a tenminute PowerPoint (PP) presentation with a minimum of fve slides. Students present the PP in class – give them a week to prepare. I created a list of designers (below), but don’t limit them to that list. Be sure to collect their choices so there is no overlap between groups.

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Costume Design: The Class

Possible designers: Paul Tazewell Ruth Carter Clint Ramos Toni-Leslie James Suttirat Anne Larlarb Emilio Sosa Santo Loquasto Jose Varona Laura Wong

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Color palette ideas; dominant lines and shapes, or textures.

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Needs or visions of costumes not in script.

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If it’s a very well-known show, are they expecting traditional costumes – i.e., the way it’s been done in the past? (Show and discuss some examples)

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These things are established for the whole design team – scenic, lighting, costumes, props, sound.

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Design team and director work together – this is a collaborative process, in which all voices have value, and we recognize that our work impacts each other.

There are many good articles that students could read to expand discussion in class. See the Bibliography for titles.

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LECTURE TEN – THE LIFE OF A COSTUME (This lecture was developed from notes I was given as a student teacher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was later developed into a PowerPoint presentation in collaboration with Cheryl Yancey, using my notes and her notes from a similar lecture she wrote for her class, Introduction to Stage Costuming. Students will learn the process of a costume moving from conception to opening night. We often give this presentation to groups outside of the university. I use this lecture in place of the third lecture in this chapter, The Design Process, when teaching classes for non-design majors. It would also be very appropriate for high school students. It is broader and less technical in its design discussion than the Design Process lecture.)

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a good frst question might be why the director chose the script/agreed to direct the production. the team is working together towards a common goal. It’s crucial to keep lines of communication open and clear. What is the world of the show? this is the design team’s frst joint question.

Historical and Concept Research •

Historical – photos from period, artwork, written descriptions, existing garments (You might see if they know when photography was invented. The answer is 1826.)

What is the “life of a costume”? How does a costume get created?

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Concept – style of the show. example – musical Into the Woods might use fairytale book illustrations to get ideas for color and shapes.

Conception

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Odd sources – sometimes research leads us down interesting rabbit holes.

What is the frst thing a costume designer does when starting a new show (ask)? Read the script. This often surprises people – yes, costume designers have to read the script too – for us it is our blueprint.

o o

Ocean concept for a dance? Look at pictures of tropical fsh for ideas. Designer might have to research specifc garments or fabrics, or uniforms – military can be tricky; very specifc.

Design Concept and Collaboration

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Meeting with director and other designers. Director usually establishes the concept, or vision for the show. Can include:

Musicals and operas – listen to music for show to get a sense of style and mood.

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Do we watch the movie version? (Ask)

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Period choice – may change from original.

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Style of show – realistic, stylized, fantasy, etc.

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Usually no, we want to come up with our own ideas and not copy another designer. however, when a show has been done in a traditional way, which may not be in the script,

Costume Design: The Class

o

o

the designer may watch videos of previous productions. For example, in Chicago, the chorus women at one point use feather fans. Without seeing the show, the designer would not know that the choreography usually requires two fans each.

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When using research, we don’t just copy it, but use it for ideas and interpretation.

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Research boards (often electronic) are a way to gather information to show the production team. (Show an example)

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Character Study o o •

reference to a hat? a red dress? Why did the playwright specify – how is it important to the story?

Do you have to use all references? Are there lines about the costume item? o o

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Carefully study script for costume references:

Maybe you don’t want a red dress. Maybe your actor has red hair, and it would clash. If there aren’t any lines referring to it and you have an alternative that fts the playwright’s intent, talk to your director.

Look for character references in script:

F I g u R E 3 - 4 2 Rough sketch for Penny, hairspray, Jennifer Flitton Adams, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, 2017

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are they described as old-fashioned, or withdrawn, or world-weary? Can you translate this into costumes without giving away the story before the actor speaks? For example, in a murder mystery, don’t dress the villain in black! It’s a fne balance to reveal aspects of the character and the show, but to let actors reveal the story.

Stereotypes – appropriate/useful for this play? o

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Broad stereotypes appropriate for some shows (example Pirates of Penzance) – show is not strict realism. Other shows (example Suburbia) are grittily realistic, and stereotypes would be distracting and seem obvious, even comical or offensive.

Conversations with the director/choreographer about what they want to say about the performer help to guide the designer.

Development (show examples of each) Rough Sketch •

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Usually done in pencil; maybe with a rough wash of color.

F I g u R E 3 - 4 3 Color rough for Bunnicula, Jennifer Flitton Adams, Shenandoah University

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Costume Design: The Class

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First idea – done with potential change in mind.

Additional Research

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Often grows and evolves a lot.

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Research for fabrics, colors.

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May make a color palette with color samples to look at color relationships between characters and costume changes.

Meeting with Director •

Present roughs and discuss.

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Redraw, if necessary, based on their feedback.

F I g u R E 3 - 4 4 Color palette for Niccolo and Nicolette, Jennifer Flitton Adams, Shenandoah

University

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Research boards for characters not being built (made from scratch). No renderings? – why? May be hard to fnd what we draw; better to have multiple ideas when costumes are sourced and not built.

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Work with the costume shop manager to determine how much can be built.

Shop for Actual Fabrics •

Fabrics often swatched (small piece for sample) before committing and buying large amount.

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Director may want to approve swatches.

Final Rendering (Costume Drawing) •

Design and fabric choices are now set.

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Rendering is painted and fabric swatch is attached.

Renderings are presented to the director, design team, actor, and costume shop.

F I g u R E 3 - 4 5 Final rendering for Fannie, Flyin’ West, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

Costume Design: The Class

Purpose of Final Rendering:

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Rendering is tool of communication, and says different things to different groups:

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All fabrics, trims, notions (defne) purchased for costumes being built.

During production period – Director – This is what overall show will look like; this is how concept has been realized through costumes.

Other designers – This is color palette; this is how individual characters are dressed; again, overall concept as translated into clothing. •

Hopefully previous meetings have been clear so there are no surprises.

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Color particularly important for scenic and lighting designers.

Actors –

Accessories, undergarments, costumes not being built – all are sourced: pulled from stock, shopped, rented. Why wouldn’t we just build everything, and get exactly what we want? (Ask) Rare to build everything – issues of time, money, and labor. •

Makes sense to make use of extant stock when possible. For example, we don’t build a man’s dress shirt or a petticoat if we can pull it. It’s a lot of work to make items like these.

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We build what is appropriate/necessary for the show, considering what designer wants and what the shop is able to build. also – what will be useful for stock?

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Something very difficult or expensive to build might be rented, especially when item is specifc to show (Bottom’s donkey’s head in Midsummer Night’s Dream – not many shows use just the head.)

This is how I will be dressed; this is direction costume designer has taken with: •

My character.

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The characters I interact with.

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The show as a whole.

Other considerations: •

Will the costume restrict my movement?

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Will I need to be aware of this and compensate in rehearsal?

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Will I receive a rehearsal costume (example: corset, hoopskirt, cape, skirt with train)?

Costume shop staff – What we are building. In this sense rendering is blueprint and must be clear and detailed as to construction. •

May include research – for example, historical pattern research.

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May have pencil sketches of details – back views, trim, hair, etc.

realization Show Moves into Costume Shop – •

Renderings are posted in shop.

Built Pieces Are patterned and made up in muslin (inexpensive white fabric): •

First fitting – called muslin mockup – tests ft and style; saves good fabric until pattern is approved by the designer.

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Second fitting – fabric cut and basic construction complete. hems and closures set; actor wears actual shoes. trim placement set; ftting adjustments made if necessary.

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Third fitting – all is complete; fne tuning. Not done in all theatres (time issue).

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For pulled/shopped/rented pieces – usually one fitting to mark alterations. Just because it isn’t built doesn’t mean there’s no work.

the Fully Staffed Costume Shop: Who Works there? Costume Shop Personnel Involved in Building a Costume (Can class name and defne these?)

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Costume Design: The Class

Costume Designer –

Tailor –

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Creates the designs and all renderings and research boards

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Arranges rentals

Stitcher –

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Shops for fabric as well as new clothing and accessories like shoes

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Sews mockup and garment

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Attends all fittings

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Hand finishers for complex work such as beading

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Approves all work by the rest of the shop on the show

Assistant Designer – •

Pulls from stock

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Takes notes in fittings and rehearsals

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Helps to swatch and shop fabrics and accessories, etc.

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May make design decisions, depending on experience and working method of designer

Shop Manager – •

Oversees staff

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Manages business end of shop – o o o o o

Number of pieces being built Purchasing of supplies upkeep of machine Budgets May double as cutter/draper

Cutter/Draper – •

Makes pattern (draping is one method of making a pattern; there are several)

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Cuts fabric

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Oversees construction

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Fits garments

First Hand – •

Assists draper

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usually does large part of cutting

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May oversee stitchers

Focus is menswear

Shopper – •

Swatches fabrics

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Purchases fabrics, garments, accessories, etc. under supervision of the designer

Dyer – •

Alters fabric color

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Does other dye work like batik, shibori, ombre, etc.

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In smaller shops designer does dye work

Milliner – •

constructs headwear

Craftsperson – •

Constructs jewelry, armor, puppets (think The Lion King and animal dancers) – unusual pieces.

Wardrobe (Supervisor and Dressers) – •

runs show, works backstage to assist with changes, cleans costumes

Wigs and Makeup –  •

can be a separate department within a costume shop but works under the designer. Includes: o

Wig master

o

Makeup Artist

o Crews to assist pre-and post-show Not all shops have all positions; some positions may double up – shop manager may also be draper; designer may be dyer. Depends on the size and fnancial ability of theatre.

Costume Design: The Class

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Dress parade

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What is it? (Ask) – actors put on costumes and fle onstage in line for the director and costume designer to see.

Fit problems: is the dress too long? Did pants get taken in at waist enough? etc.

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Smoothness of changes, particularly quick changes

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Do colors work together? With the set, the lights, with other actors?

•

Are more or different accessories needed?

•

Does everything read (show from stage)?

•

Why is it done? Timesaver: works out problems, like fit, before dress rehearsal, while there is time to fix.

•

Not all theatres do them. Depends on length of dress rehearsal period.

•

usually done week before dress rehearsal, but depends on theatre.

•

Do costumes as a unit work with the set, with lighting, with direction?

•

Not done in all theatres. Is both eater and saver of time. Depends on rehearsal schedule.

•

Do costumes work from all sections of the house (audience)? Designer usually sits in different seats each night of rehearsal.

•

Designer works with wardrobe crew to make sure they understand all costume changes and costume maintenance (cleaning) for run of show.

Many costume designers dislike them – why? •

Often not in correct performance space.

•

Often not under correct lighting.

•

Actors may not be in groups and patterns of actual show.

•

Do you have a particularly critical actor who likes to comment on everyone else’s costumes?

The director and others may perceive problems that may or may not exist, requiring time to discuss and solve. For example, the director doesn’t like the color of a dress, but fuorescent work lights in the dress parade distort the actual color. It will look different under stage lights.

Opening Night Celebration! Designer sometimes takes a bow. More common in opera – known as “penguin bow” in reference to man’s tuxedo worn for opening night. Designers don’t always attend opening. Often, we are tired and want a night off after all those dress rehearsals but may attend to “meet and greet”. However, it is fun to go to opening and celebrate with the cast and crew! Usually, we are already working on our next show . . . * * *

Dress rehearsal generally, two to three dress rehearsals – gives director and designer the chance to work out all problems, and actors and wardrobe have time to work changes and movement issues. Costumes usually the last new element added, after tech rehearsal. Why? (Ask) •

Technical rehearsal is complex; we don’t need to throw everything at actors at once.

•

Tech is long; waiting keeps costumes cleaner. Costumes worn for a long day (often ten out of twelve hours) = sweat and dirt and makeup residue.

Designer and assistant designer sit through all dress rehearsals with the director. What do they look for? (Ask)

MEASURING KNOWLEDGE RETENTION For many years, I used a midterm exam in the Costume Design class to measure knowledge retention for the lectures. I agree with bell hooks that what she calls the “banking system” (hooks 5) of education, meaning lecturing on material and expecting students to parrot it back (and promptly forget it), is fawed and problematic. For that reason, I have avoided true/false and multiple-choice test formats in favor of a short answer format that challenges students to apply the material they have learned. For example: •

Instead of “What is the most adaptable element of design?” ask “You are designing the costumes for a production of The Nutcracker. For the costume for the Sugar Plum Fairy,

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both you and the director want a fabric that is light, airy, and pink. On the clearance table at the fabric store, you see a white chiffon and a wool in the perfect shade of pink. Which do you buy and why?” •

Instead of “What is the difference between a symmetrical and an asymmetrical design?”, provide two croqui (figures to draw on) and ask, “Draw a symmetrical costume on Nick. Draw an asymmetrical costume on Nora”.

•

Instead of “Why is it important to draw focus onstage through costume choices?” ask “You have a stage full of chorus women in white dresses. How would you emphasize and distinguish the leading lady, who is also wearing white? (No fair dyeing her dress magenta!)”

These three questions were part of the notes I received when I started student teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and they have really informed the way that I write tests. However, not all students thrive in a testing environment. Students learn and process information in different ways and testing everyone with the same method can be detrimental to those students. My suggestion, in the name of inclusive pedagogy, is that you give students choices and involve them in decision-making about how knowledge is measured. The class might prefer to write papers instead, or create PowerPoint presentations for the class, or create a series of renderings. Or maybe students would prefer to take a written test? In this case, I assign a take home, open book test, because I’m more concerned that they know where to fnd the information than seeing if they can do a brain dump in an hour from memory. Could you allow students to choose their method individually? While it’s more work for the professor than grading a single multiple-choice test, it will give your students more investment in their learning process and will create an accessibility atmosphere in your classroom that will support everyone. Obviously, this works better in a smaller class size, but I encourage you to consider how your students learn (this is where class surveys and exit tickets will really be helpful).

COSTUME DESIGN FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS A beginning Costume Design class for graduate students can be very similar to the stand-alone class described above.

You may wish to substitute different design projects (see the cross listing of projects more appropriate for graduates than undergraduates in Chapter 4). The Victoria and Albert styles project is very useful; the characters can easily be changed to another pair if desired. There are other projects you might wish to omit. You also might choose to eliminate the class workdays for the fnal, and substitute another design project, but again, don’t overwhelm students with work. Allow them time to focus on each project and be able to give it their best. See Graduate vs. Undergraduate Projects for further discussion. If you are teaching in an MFA program, you will most likely have the beneft of being able to offer multiple design classes. You can tailor these classes to each have a different focus, such as dance, character delineation, working with fabric, design styles, etc. There are many project suggestions in Chapter 4. These design classes would not necessarily have lecture components, unless something needed to be explained about a given project. For each unit, introduce and discuss a new project that refects the subject of the class. Incorporate color roughs so students get feedback during the process. Such classes will be fairly easy to build and can be adapted as you see how projects work in your classroom.

COSTUME DESIGN CLASSES FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION AND NONDESIGN MAJOR UNDERGRADUATES If you are teaching an introductory costuming class to either of these groups, costume construction and basic sewing skills may also be included, and possibly having them serve on a wardrobe crew. Usually, all theatre majors take such a class in their frst or second year, which introduces them to the concept of costumes. This class should have a few design lectures but does not need to be as comprehensive as the stand-alone costume class. Have them write critiques on one or two of the department productions that semester, so they analyze and think about design choices. It would be ideal if these productions could be in two different theatre spaces, so students can consider how theatre size and confguration affect the audience’s perception of the costumes. The class can include design projects such as The Four Seasons. Students create a concept and design costumes for the four seasons, in any period they choose. Provide croqui (fgures to draw on) for them, but they may draw their own fgures if they wish, as Alexus Campbell did in her renderings in Figures 3-46 to 3-49.

Costume Design: The Class

F I g u R E 3 - 4 6 Spring, the Four Seasons, Alexus Campbell, Shenandoah University

F I g u R E 3 - 4 8 Fall, the Four Seasons, Alexus Campbell, Shenandoah University

F I g u R E 3 - 4 7 Summer, the Four Seasons, Alexus Campbell, Shenandoah University

F I g u R E 3 - 4 9 Winter, the Four Seasons, Alexus Campbell, Shenandoah University

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The project draws loose parameters to give students room for creative expression, but the gist of the assignment is to fnd a way to utilize the concept of the seasons, and also to connect the four renderings as a cohesive group. The full project may be found in Projects for Beginners, along with others that would be appropriate for a class like this. The suggested lectures for this class would be Costumes and Costume Designers: What is Their Function?, Fabric and Fiber, and The Life of A Costume. They will give students an introduction to the world of costume design without getting overly technical and specifc, which would be unhelpful and even overwhelming, depending on the student makeup of the class. If you need to cover sewing skills and want assistance, see The Costume Technician’s Handbook by Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey, and Basic Sewing Construction: A Handbook, 2nd Edition by Rebecca Cunningham.

COLLABORATION IN THE DESIGN CLASSROOM One trap of design classes that are specifc to a discipline, like costume design, is that students can end up designing in silos, meaning that they are not necessarily considering the rest of the artistic team when they make design decisions for class projects. Some of the time, this is unavoidable and even preferable, as beginning designers need some time to develop their artistic voice before directors and other designers are brought into the conversation. But if students never experience the collaborative process in the classroom, and if they must face it unprepared when they get their frst student design assignment, they can founder and be overwhelmed and intimidated. This is especially true when they are working with a faculty director, as this power dynamic is complicated. What is theatrical collaboration? Start a discussion in class about what this expression means. “A group of people working together towards a common goal/vision” is a good defnition, but see what students come up with. Collaboration means sometimes you don’t get your way and must be open to letting go of an idea to think of the common good. Sometimes it means fguring out the best way to communicate why your idea will work for the production. For collaboration to work, it takes the energy and focus of the whole group. If it is at all possible, creating collaborative projects that can cross into classes in other design disciplines would be very valuable for your costume design students, so they can practice these conversations in a classroom setting

before experiencing them in production meetings. If you are teaching Costume Design and your school also has Lighting Design and Scenic Design classes, could you work with the other professors and choose one play to cross over all three classes? It would be especially meaningful to get the voice of the director involved if you have a Directing class in your curriculum. Since directors tend to drive visions for shows, student involvement from that class would help to teach those students the necessary skills for inspiring and leading the creative team. The collaborative process starts with the team fguring out what the world of the play is. This affects all design areas, and these conversations can be meaningful and fruitful for the team if they are handled well. A team can consist of design representation from scenic, lighting, costumes, and sound, if desired, plus a director. We used Pearl Cleage’s Flyin’ West across our design classes recently, which meant that students experienced this play through three different lenses. Ideally, it would be very useful for the classes to meet together, perhaps once a month, during the time that the play is being covered, to discuss design choices and how they affect each other. Production Collaboration is our senior level class, co-taught by our design faculty. This class gives our design students the opportunity to work together on theoretical productions, and learn how their ideas impact other areas, in a small cohort setting. Students may design within their own area; they may not. There is strength in exploring other areas of design, and they have all had the basic design classes by that point. What skills do the students in the class in a given semester need to strengthen? This guides the script choices, and students are included in decision making. A good conversation was started recently online on the Howlround Theatre Commons website with Emily McConnell’s article, “Designing Collaboration: In Search of a Taxonomy of Collaborative Methods”. McConnell makes the argument that part of the problem with design collaboration is that so often we don’t have a collective language or common terms to describe the way we work together. She suggests that the idea that each collaboration is unique overly complicates the way we view this process, and she’s working to gather and document resources and information. As Rob Roznowski and Kirk Domer point out, when the artistic team has a common vocabulary, it creates space for mutual creative respect (Roznowski 172). If members of the team believe that they and their ideas are respected, it empowers and inspires them not only to do their best work, but to encourage the same in others. Bringing this conversation into the classroom is crucial for design students. I encourage you to read Emily’s article.

Costume Design: The Class

There are several good texts about theatre collaboration. If you’d like to read more, see: •

Collaborating Backstage, Timo Niermann

•

Collaboration in Theatre: A Practical Guide for Designers and Directors, Rob Roznowski and Kirk Domer (The Cooperation versus Collaboration exercise is particularly interesting)

•

Working Together in Theatre: Collaboration and Leadership, Robert Cohen

BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, Barbara and Anderson, Cletus, Costume Design, New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1984 (2nd edition – 1994) Bari, Shahidha, Dressed: The Secret Life of Clothes, New York: Basic Books, 2020 Briggs, Olivia, “What Colors Mean in Other Cultures”, Smarter Travel, January 22, 2016, www.smartertravel.com/ what-colors-mean-in-other-cultures/ Brooks, Richard, “Colors and Their Meanings Around the World”, The Language Blog, December 21, 2016, www.kinternational.com/blog/color-meanings-around-the-world/ Cohen, Robert, Working Together in Theatre: Collaboration and Leadership, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011 Cunningham, Rebecca, Basic Sewing Construction: A Handbook, 2nd Edition, Long grove: Waveland Press, 2011 Cunningham, Rebecca, The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design (3rd edition), Long grove: Waveland Press, 2020 hooks, bell, Teaching To Transgress: Education as the Price of Freedom, New York: Routledge Press, 1994 Ingham, Rosemary, and Covey, Liz, The Costume Technician’s Handbook, 3rd edition, Portsmouth: Heinemann Drama, 2003 Jablon, Sara, Historical accuracy in costume design: Experiences and perceptions of Broadway costume designers, 2016, Iowa State University, PhD dissertation Jablon-Roberts, Sara, and Sanders, Eulanda, “A Theoretical Framework for the Creative Process of Theatrical Costume Design for Historically Set Productions”, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Sage Publications, 1–16, DOI: 10.1177/0887302X18796320, 2018 Laver, James, Taste and Fashion, London: george C. Harrap and Co. Ltd., 1937 Lennon, Sharron, J., Kim K. P. Johnson, Mijeong Noh, Zhiying Zheng, Yoori Chae and Yumin, Kim, 2014 “In search of a common thread revisited: what content does

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fashion communicate?”, International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 7:3, 170–178, DOI: 10.1080/17543266.2014.942892, http://dx.doi.org/10.10 80/17543266.2014.942892 Lurie, Alison, The Language of Clothes, New York: Vintage Books, 1981 Malloy, Kaoime E., The Art of Theatrical Design: Elements of Visual Composition, Methods, and Practice, Burlington: Focal Press, 2015 McConnell, Emily, “Designing Collaboration: In Search of a Taxonomy of Collaborative Methods”, Howlround Theatre Commons, May 17, 2022, https://howlround.com/ designing-collaboration-search-taxonomy-collaborativemethods Niermann, Timo, Collaborating Backstage, London: Methuen Drama, 2019 Roznowski, Rob, and Domer, Kirk, Collaboration in Theatre: A Practical Guide for Designers and Directors, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009 Singh, Satyenda, “Impact of Color on Marketing”, July 2006, Management Decision, 44(6): 783–789, DOI: 10.1108/00251740610673332 Shutterstock, “The Meaning of Colors in Cultures Around the World”, Shutterstock, October 26, 2021, www. shutterstock.com/blog/color-symbolism-and-meaningsaround-the-world Tortora, Phyllis, and Marcketti, Sara B., Survey of Historic Costume, 6th Edition, New York: Fairchild Publications, 2015

Diversity articles “Actor’s Equity Diversity Report”, Actor’s Equity Association, November 18, 2020, https://actorsequity.org/news/PR/ DandIReport2020/diversity-and-inclusion-report-2020 “Visibility Report for 2018–9”, Asian American Action Coalition, June 18, 2021, www.aapacnyc.org/2018-2019. html Brewer, Nicole, “Playwrights of Color, White Directors, and Exposing Racist Policy”, was originally published on Howlround Theatre Commons on August 29, 2019, https:// howlround.com/playwrights-color-white-directors-andexposing-racist-policy Freer, Katherine and Mcgovern, Porsche, “Design with an Equity Lens: Cultivating a Theatre Ecosystem That Can Hold Us All in Our Full Humanity”, Howlround Theatre Commons, February 22, 2021, https://howlround.com/ design-equity-lens Heartley, Al, and Dinkins Jr, Kelvin, “We Don’t Want Your Statements, American Theatre”, Stage Directions, June 19,

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2020, https://stage-directions.com/all/news/theatre-buzz/ we-dont-want-your-statements-american-theatre/?utm_ source=Stage+Directions&utm_campaign=a0943c331bEMAIL_CAMPAIgN_2020_06_24_09_54&utm_ medium=email&utm_term=0_1d6c90a03ea0943c331b-253213897 Lamb, Taylor Leigh, “Racism in the Theatre”, Theatre Design and Technology, USITT, Summer 2020 www.usitt.org/sites/default/fles/2020-09/ RacismintheTheatreTDTSum20.pdf Levy, Paige, “Dear White Theater People, It is Not the Job of the Black Artist to Change the Industry. It’s Ours”, June 6, 2020, www.onstageblog.com/editorials/it-is-not-the-job-of-theblack-artist-to-change-the-industry-its-ours?rq=paige%20 levy Marks, Peter, “This Actor and Choreographer Are On a Mission: More black people running Broadway”, Washington Post, July 23, 2020, www.washingtonpost. com/entertainment/theater_dance/this-actor-andchoreographer-are-on-a-mission-more-black-peoplerunning-broadway/2020/07/23/258318b2-cc4c-11eabc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html Nelson, Mallory Kay, and Maas, Michael, “The Importance of Including the Disabled Designers”, Howlround Theatre

Commons, May 29, 2019, https://howlround.com/ importance-including-disabled-designers Newton, Pamela, “The Broadway Season Was Diverse Offstage Too, Not That You’d Notice”, American Theatre Magazine, June 7, 2016, www.americantheatre. org/2016/06/07/the-broadway-season-was-diverseoffstage-too-not-that-youd-notice/ Ramos, Clint, “Tony-Winning Designer Clint Ramos On Broadway’s Return: Where Is The American Theater That Speaks To Everyone?”, Deadline, May 21, 2021, https://deadline.com/2021/05/clint-ramos-broadwayreopening-bipoc-diversity-questions-guest-column-slaveplay-1234760325/ Sola-Santiago, Frances, “Costume Designers Are Stars on Social Media. So Why Aren’t They Being Paid That Way”, Refnery29, September 17, 2021, www.refnery29. com/en-us/2021/09/10676505/costume-designers-payinequality-social-media Tangcay, Jazz, “Ruth E. Carter Makes History With a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame”, Variety, February 24. 2021, variety.com/2021/artisans/awards/ruth-carter-walkof-fame-1234913760/ WSYWAT Collective, “BIPOC Demands for White American Theatre”, June 8, 2020, www.weseeyouwat.com/demands

CHAPTER 4 C O S T U M E

D E S I G N

P R O J E C T S

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION This chapter encompasses many projects for costume design classes, ranging from beginner, including high school, beginning costume students and non-majors in higher education, to graduate level. I have been teaching costume design for over twenty-fve years, and have found that over time, that it’s been advantageous to rework and reinvent projects every time this class is offered. Many of these projects are my own; others are from professors with whom I have worked or have learned from. Sometimes the latter have been adapted; others have been kept as written. Sometimes I have made changes only to discover that the original way worked best! I have either taught or been taught all of these projects – none are theoretical; all are proven in the classroom. If a project was not created by me, the original professor and school are credited under the title of the project. The descriptions of their projects are their own words. Quite a few of these projects belong to JB Harris, who was the director of the MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Costume Design Program and the DDTM (Division of Design, Technology, and Management) Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for many years, retiring in 2007. JB was my mentor and after I graduated and began teaching, I asked his permission to use some of his projects in our classes. When I began to plan this book, I realized that I wanted to include more of his projects, partly because many of them have worked so well for our students, but also because I believed that they should be documented now that he has retired. JB has worked closely DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-4

with me to edit the descriptions of his projects, and there are some specifc thoughts from him in the notes area for many of them. Although there are projects in this chapter that make use of the standard Western theatre canon, for most of them, the idea behind the project is not necessarily germane to that specifc script. For example, Electra in Projects for Beginners is about learning to use color. There is no reason that it must be that script. These projects are presented as they were originally conceived and taught, but for scripts by dominant-culture playwrights, alternative scripts will also be suggested. Each project in this chapter is rated as to skill level, learning goals, and time needed to complete. The latter is indicative of student work hours; time will also need to be built into the class schedule for both explaining the assignment and for project presentations and feedback. With a large (ten to twelve students) class, presentations/feedback can take up to an hour and a half. In the class schedules, an extra week is built in for color roughs. If you are unsure what art materials might be needed for your class, see the list in Chapter 5 for suggestions. Many of these projects are referenced in the Costume Design: The Class chapter. However, you may substitute other projects in this chapter as desired. Each project follows the same format: period and characters are listed, as appropriate, followed by the description of the project. This is followed by an informal Notes area where project originators and I comment on how the project has worked for our students over time. I have indicated when the voice in 103

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the Notes section is the former; if there is no indication, the speaker is me. Projects are organized by type (see below), but many projects can fall into more than one category. They are cross-listed at the end of this chapter and in the Rendering Projects chapter.

•

PROJECTS

•

•

Projects for Beginners and Non-Majors o o o o o o o o o o

•

Research Projects Culminating in Design o o o

•

The Family Music For Dance The Four Seasons Color Project Elements of Design Board Electra Using Line to Create Contrasting Images A Field Guide to Dartmouth Clothing Abandoning the Color Wheel Wedding Attire A La Bridal Shower Games

Kiss Me, Kate! Camino Reale Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

Script Analysis Projects o o

Sylvia Everyman

•

Semester-Long Design Project

•

Projects That Use Music o o

•

Projects That Use Art o o

•

Picnic Romeo and Juliet

Projects That Use Fabric and Swatching o o

•

The Opera Project Jesus Christ Superstar

Hello, Dolly! Macbeth

Projects That Explore Character Development o o o o o o

The Music Man Anna Christie/New Girl in Town Name Your Adjective Caesar and Cleopatra Othello The Cherry Orchard

Projects That Utilize Well-Known Figures o o o o

The Meeting of Victoria and Albert The Tooth of Crime Actor to Actor Sweet Bird of Youth/The Trojan Women

Projects That Use Diverse and Non-Western Cultures o Medea ***

Projects for Beginners and Non-Majors The Family Professor Frank Poole Bevan, Yale School of Drama (adapted by James Berton Harris) Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Choosing a setting that accommodates characters; designing clothing that refects character description Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Characters: The Father – Dignifed and severe. 60 yrs. old The Mother – Serene and withdrawn. 55 yrs. old The Son – Aggressive and conceited. 30 yrs. old The Daughter – Flirt; coy. 25 yrs. Old The characters have no names. The assignment is to come up with a setting or situation for them and render them as they would be dressed for that setting, considering the ages and the character descriptions. For example, one student set them in a covered wagon on the prairie in the 19th century. It is important to stress that they are a family, and the setting and costumes need to refect that. Students are allowed to pick their period. The students may choose one black paint, one white paint, and all the shades of gray they can make with the two.

Notes: JB: I always told the students to not think of them as black, white, and gray costumes but they should think of them in a hue and if, for example, the son is wearing a green jacket, how dark is it and what shade of gray would best communicate the value. And then I would

Costume Design Projects

say, ‘think that you have rendered them in color and then have taken a black-and-white photo of your renderings’. JB: I changed this project from (Frank’s) version by having the students render it in black/white/gray. He had us do it in whatever colors or palette we chose. I wanted them to think in terms of value frst rather than hue. For some young designers their attraction to hue blinds them to the communicative power of value. I . . . next assign(ed) Electra and had the students render it in whatever hues they came up with by mixing two or all three of black, white, and one (hue) of red together. I always thought that these projects were a good method of working with value frst and then adding hue and intensity incrementally. Note: The Electra project is covered below. Jenn – For undergraduates, how modern a period they can choose is limited, to push them to research a period that interests them. Usually, they may go up to 1985. JB set the possible periods between 1300 and 1920. This is a great frst project for Costume Design. Remind students to render the entire fgure in a grayscale, including the hair and skin tones. As a beginning project, instructors may not want to include faces.

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The Father, The Family Project, Mallory J. Veil, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-2

Music for Dance Project Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Using music to inspire dance costume design Time required: One week outside of class Students design four characters for a dance based on a piece of music that they choose. They may use any music they like, and any style of dance. They may use any period, or “abstract no period” for the costumes. Provide croquis, or basic human form drawings, either electronic or a hard copy. Students can use any combination of male and female presenting, or gender fuid, as long as there is a total of four. The designs need to relate to the music choice as well as to each other. Students should use color (such as coloring pencils or markers). For the class presentation, students should be prepared to play a sample of their music and show and discuss their designs.

The Daughter, The Family Project, Sylvia Fuhrken, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-1

Notes: This project arose as part of a need to create an online project during the Covid pandemic in the spring of 2020. We were also in the process of developing an introduction to costuming class for dancers and were looking for work to which they could relate.

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If students have basic drawing ability, they could draw their own fgures. Students reacted very well to this project; I think this was because it felt relevant to them, after all our discussion about the relationship between choreographers and costume designers. It is recommended to fnd croquis with light-value lines so students can draw on top and see what they are drawing. For the class presentation in Zoom, students played their music for us, and shared their screen to show their renderings, which could be scanned, or they could share a photo of them.

Music Video Project 2, V Cangelosi, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-4

Music Video Project 1, V Cangelosi, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-3

The Four Seasons Professor Cheryl Yancey, Shenandoah University Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Designing and relating costumes within a group that ft the chosen setting and the seasons Time required: One in-class workday; one week outside of class Students design costumes representing the four seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. They can choose

whatever medium (paint, colored pencil, digital . . .) they want to use, and they will choose the concept. For example, a student may design them as dance costumes, or a particular character from a play, showing the four different seasons. They could be for a children’s production such as “Spring blew in” with one fgure representing spring. They could be for a review. How can students show that the costumes represent the different seasons? Students are encouraged to be creative. The designs must be in color. Students may use a template (croqui) to draw the fgures for the base or draw their own fgures. Designs will be graded on originality, use of color and texture and appropriateness of the season. The designs should be a cohesive set and must relate to each other in some way. To achieve this, students may use color, line, form, or any design principle. The fgures may be male or female presenting, or a combination.

Notes: This project is somewhat like the Music for Dance project, which was built off it. It was developed by Cheryl as a design project for Stage Costuming,

Costume Design Projects

which is a beginning class that all our theatre students take. The hope was to create a project that would be meaningful for all beginning students. Students have been very creative with this project, and often incorporate the holidays associated with each season. The challenge tends to be fnding a way to create a cohesive group, rather than designing four separate costumes, and opens the door for discussion about linking characters visually. We usually provide croquis but do not require the use of them. Costume design majors often draw their own fgures. Non-major students often choose to do modern dress (it feels more accessible to them), but there is the danger that it just becomes four outfts that are appropriate for each season rather than an overarching concept, so it is important to talk about design concepts. This assignment can land after the lecture on Costumes and Costume Designers: What is Their Function? so that students have some leverage on what makes a costume effective. This is a very appropriate project for beginning designers, including high school students.

Summer, The Four Seasons Project, Travis Gawason, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-6

Spring, The Four Seasons Project, Travis Gawason, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-5

Fall, The Four Seasons Project, Travis Gawason, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-7

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from one extreme to the other. Students seem to understand color theory much more clearly when they mix paints. This project can be used in any beginning design or rendering class. It is used in our Studio 3 (Costume Rendering) class to introduce media such as gouache and acrylic.

Winter, The Four Seasons Project, Travis Gawason, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-8

Color Wheel, Complement and Value Scales, Taylor Ann Vanaman, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-9

Color Project Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Painting color relationships Time required: One in-class workday (one hour) Students should bring to class the following materials: painting paper, a brush, and fve tubes of water-based paint: black, white, and the three primary colors – magenta/cyan/yellow. Following a lecture on color theory (see the Elements and Principles of Design lecture), students paint the following during class: •

Standard color wheel with primary and secondary colors

•

Value scale, using black, white, and one color (their choice)

•

Complementary scale, using two complementary colors

Notes: The value and complement scales can be a series of boxes or swatches, or one big rectangle that shades

Elements of Design Board James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Relating concepts of design to actual garments Time required: One week outside of class Following the lecture on the Elements and Principles of Design, students create a research board, using pictures of contemporary and/or period clothing. An example should be found for the following terms: •

Harmony of line – dominating angles

•

Harmony of line – dominating curves

•

Example of repetition

•

Example of alternation

•

Example of gradation

All should be clearly labeled.

Costume Design Projects

Notes: JB used this project to help students understand how elements of design were refected in clothing. The project originally was a poster board with mounted research, but today you might choose an online platform like Pinterest. This is a good project for beginning costume students or for non-majors, as an introduction to understanding how the elements of design work.

Electra, Euripides James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Using color in limited range Time required: Three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: An Octoroon, Branden JacobsJenkins

Notes: A collage is a good way for students to express feelings or reactions to a play in an abstract way; to gather their thoughts and look at the show purely through the elements of design. An abstract collage should not have anything identifable visually – it should not, for example, have pictures of research. Students should be encouraged to think of them as a piece of art, a reaction to the play. They are reacting to the mood, atmosphere, and themes of the play – they are not yet designing the costumes when they create the collage. The struggle for students, with this project, is transferring ideas from the collage to the renderings. It might be smart to limit them, in the collage, to the three colors allowed for the renderings (see JB’s notes on using this project as a progression after The Family). They sometimes get locked into a color they used in their collage, and then get very frustrated when they can’t use it for the rendering portion. This is a good place to talk about why they made design choices, as these choices are often instinctive and not intellectually considered. The collage concept is used in the Semester-Long Design Project as well.

Period: Classical Greece (4th–5th century BC) Characters: Electra Orestes Clytemnestra Aegithus Chrysothemus This is a two-part project. After reading the script, students create an abstract collage that incorporates the fve elements of design: line, shape, mass, texture, color. The collage should be a visual expression of the student’s emotional and/or intellectual response to the play and should not have any recognizable representative objects or symbols – it should be abstract. They may use any medium, and are encouraged to use non-artistic materials (Sand? Cotton balls? Wire?). After presenting and discussing their collages, students then use the collage to design costumes for the characters above. For the renderings, students may use black, white, and one hue of red or other colour paint. The red may be mixed with the black and white in any way desired. The collage and renderings are brought to class for the second presentation.

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F I G U R E 4 - 1 0 Clytemnestra, Electra, Taylor Gray Burke, Shenandoah University

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Using Line to Create Contrasting Images Professor Alexandra Bonds, University of Oregon, and Professor Lewis Crickard, University of Denver, USITT Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998 Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Focusing on using line in design Time required: One in-class workday OBJECTIVE The purpose of the project is to focus on one element of design, line. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Students explore the use of line by creating costumes for two contrasting images. REQUIREMENTS •

White paper

•

Pen and ink, watercolor, or marker

PROCEDURE •

The instructor presents information concerning the following: the language of clothes, the nonverbal communication of the visual image, the associative and formal values in design, and how the elements of design, line, form, color, and texture, can be used to express both values.

•

Each student chooses two contrasting images. Examples: o o o o

Sun/Moon Male/Female Youth/Age Happy/Sad

•

The student designs a costume for each image. One image is designed using only straight lines and the other image using only curved lines. The designs are rendered in black and white and use only the element of line. The designs need to relate to each other in style. Contrast should be achieved by the use and quality of line within the style of rendering.

•

Students should explore the full range of variety that can be achieved with line and a drawing medium. The instructor could provide examples or demonstrate drawing techniques including using the tip or the side of

the drawing instrument, shading with parallel lines, cross hatching, and contour and modeling techniques.

Notes: This project was included in the USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, published in 1998. I have used it for many years as part of our Costume Design course. It was credited to Alexandra Bonds, who in turn credited it to her graduate mentor, Lewis Crickard. From Sandy – When reviewing this project, I stress the variety of responses to a single assignment and how each student has their own style to develop. As it is the frst assignment, I don’t assign grades, but use the project as a baseline to measure improvement during the course. I review the projects to make sure that everyone understands the basic ideas of clothing communication and how to develop an idea from a design brief. This project is an evolution of a project created by Lewis Crickard. This was the frst of a set of four assignments I used at the beginning of Costume Design I to introduce the elements of design: line, form, color, and texture. With each successive assignment, I also added a component of design for theatre: characterization, performance genre, and story. After this sequence, we then moved on to script analysis and design concept. From Lewis – An assignment that I later used, as a follow up to the one in discussion, was to design four costumes from a period production  of the student’s choice, and to: .  .  . frst do the set of drawings rendered in fat color, no shading or attempt at a ‘realistic, dimensional’ sketch .  .  . and then after it was critiqued, to take the same four costumes and to . . . render them in as realistic and dimensional style as talents allow. The goal is to perfect the color choices in step one and then to render the designs a second time attempting to shade, shadow, texture, and dimension them to the best of one’s ability.

Costume Design Projects

From Jenn – This project is given as an in-class assignment after the basic lectures for the Costume Design class, which cover the material referenced above (the language of clothes, nonverbal communication, etc.). Students choose their own contrasting images for which to design, and they complete the assignment in class with pen or pencil. They could paint and fnish the rendering outside of class if desired – I don’t always do this. Taking away the medium of color makes students reconsider the power of the other elements of design. See also the Antigone Project. For non-costume students, provide a croqui (human fgure), which allows them to focus on the design and not struggle with the human fgure. Recently, many students wanted more time, so they fnished it outside of class and turned it in along with a brief paragraph explaining their choices.

Observe and analyze the variety of clothing styles worn by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College. Do students’ interests such as athletics, computers, the arts, etc., determine how they dress? Does the membership in a particular fraternity, sorority or organization require a particular style of dress? Using this information write a Field Guide to Dartmouth Clothing for the prospective Dartmouth student and the excited frst year who has just arrived on campus. They are both eager to “ft in” and want to know the inside story on what to wear at Dartmouth. This Field Guide to Dartmouth Clothing is based on the terminology normally used in standard feld guides, such as a feld guide to birds. Your job is to create 8–10 genus terms representing clothing groups on campus. Fill in the blanks for each genus by describing its species, description, habitat, range, behavior, diet, and calls. In addition to the written descriptions, include one or more of the following for each genus: drawings, cartoons, photos, or magazine clippings. Each genus term must be illustrated. Assemble the completed Field Guide as if it were a book or scrapbook. In other words, include a front and back cover. GENERAL BIRD or ANIMAL FIELD GUIDE TERMINOLOGY Genus: Species: Description: Habitat: Range: Behavior: Diet: Calls:

Using Line Project, Ivy Karissa Nechama Martinez, Shenandoah University

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a class, kind or group marked by common characteristics a logical division of genus color, plumage, size, or shape nest location region of activity activity types of food eaten voices, songs

DARTMOUTH FIELD GUIDE TERMINOLOGY

FIGURE 4-11

A Field Guide to Dartmouth Clothing Professor Margaret Spicer, Dartmouth College, USITT’s Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998 Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Considering how modern clothing styles group together Time required: One in-class workday; one to two weeks outside of class

GENUS: The term which labels a particular style of clothing, such as Jock, Preppie, etc. SPECIES: A sub-group of Genus. The name of the group of people who wear a particular style or genus of clothing, for example: Fraternity or sorority Dormitory or living unit Affnity organization Academic major Sports team Extra-curricular organization/activity

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Costume Design Projects

DESCRIPTION: How the genus and its various species look and dress. HABITAT: Where the genus lives on campus. RANGE: Places the genus frequents on campus. BEHAVIOR: What the genus does for activity. DIET: What and where the genus eats on campus. CALLS: The standard greeting or style of language used by this genus.

Notes: Margaret created this project in 1998, and it was included in USITT’s (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998. It has been used in our Costume Design class as the frst big project for the class. Students are assigned to teams to complete this project, and they are required to get out on campus and look at people! Some of our students don’t often venture beyond our Conservatory walls . . . Each team develops their own genus terms, but it is fne if there is some overlap with the other teams. (For instance, “jock” is a popular term.) Students are encouraged to take pictures on campus, with permission. They may also supplement their projects with magazine and internet sources. All genders must be included as well as a variety of races/cultures. It is suggested that the teams consider the project a handbook for the new frst year student on campus, as Margaret describes. We take one class day to present and discuss the projects, and I always learn a lot. The teams used to turn in paper scrapbooks, but now they do PowerPoint presentations. Each team must have a minimum of twenty slides (two for each genus, for a total of ten). The oral presentation is part of the overall grade, and each student also does a brief write-up about their work on the team’s project. This project is a great way to stimulate conversation about stereotypes and their roles on campus, in theatre and in costume design. Talk about where stereotypes are appropriate, how the style of a production affects the use of stereotype, and if stereotypes are useful. How do they visually inform the audience?

Abandoning the Color Wheel Professor Ann Hoste, University of Idaho, USITT’s Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998 Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Designing using elements other than color Time required: One in-class workday OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project is to explore the use of texture to achieve visual focus. This project bypasses color and relies on the manipulation of texture to illustrate the principles of unity, harmony, and variety. This project challenges traditional methods of costume design and the conventions regarding texture, status, and focus. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: In this exercise, students choose fabric swatches that represent a list of descriptive adjectives. Color options are eliminated, leaving only texture to infuence students’ decisions. Working collaboratively, students develop swatch combinations to represent specifc characters. REQUIREMENTS: •

Black or metallic/black swatches of various textures and weights

•

A list of adjectives for each group

•

A list of three characters, one leading and two supporting for each group

PROCEDURE: 1. The instructor divides the students into groups of three and provides each group with a list of adjectives. For example:

TABLE 4–1

Adjectives for Abandoning the Color Wheel

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Evil

Savage

Masculine

Ancient

Mysterious

Raw

Magical

Diseased

Grotesque

Primitive

Spritely

Accursed

Wealthy

Eerie

Romantic

Tragic

Elegant

Feral

Ethereal

Rotten

Costume Design Projects

2. Each individual selects fve swatches, without conferring with other members of the group. The quality of the swatch should represent the adjectives listed.

and gray), but I think Ann’s original plan works better as these three neutrals send very different messages based on their light/dark differences. Students enjoy this project, and guessing the characters always leads to good conversation.

3. Group members rejoin and pool swatches. 4. Each group eliminates all but twelve swatches. This is a collaborative process with discussion of rationale. The object is unity. 5. The instructor gives each group a list of characters. For example:

TABLE 4–2

Characters for Abandoning the Color Wheel

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Dracula

Macbeth

Oberon

Oedipus Rex

Two Females

Two witches

Two entourage Two suppliants

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Wedding Attire à La Bridal Shower Games Asst. Professor Kerri Packard, Kansas State University, USITT’s Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998 Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Designing in a group; designing in a three-dimensional setting Time required: One in-class workday

6. Each group selects fabric combinations appropriate for each character. Students must assign three swatches per character. No fabric swatch may be used more than once. The object is to use texture to create visual focus for the primary character.

ASSIGNMENT:

7. Students come together to discuss the various projects. Each group presents their work. The rest of the class identifes which character is the focal point. This can lead to discussion about proportion, fabric weight, and the refective and absorptive nature of textiles.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: In this project, the student is a designer of wedding apparel. Students work through the design process from consultation to actualization in one class period. The client is a famous person or character. Once the consultation is complete, they dress the client from head to foot. The “attire” is constructed from newspaper and tape, like a bridal shower game.

Notes: Ann created this project in 1998, and it was included in USITT’s (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998. It has been used in our Costume Design class to approach design without the medium of color, which is what young designers often focus on, to the detriment of other areas. Ann points out that the proportion of the swatch used affects its impact, which is another avenue of discussion. It is also helpful to include swatches with patterns, which is another kind of visual texture (still in black). Sometimes our students are allowed to cut their own swatches, with varying rates of success – it depends on your shop’s stock of fabric. They have also been permitted to select neutrals (black, white,

OBJECTIVE: This project provides a “hands-on” demonstration of the design process with instantaneous results. It also encourages the student designer to think and create in three dimensions.

REQUIREMENTS: •

Newspaper

•

Tape

•

Staplers

•

Scissors

PROCEDURE: •

Students are divided into groups numbering three to fve people.

•

Each group receives the name of their client. Fictional or real, historic or present characters all work well. Client examples include: o o

Prince Charming Dolly Parton

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Costume Design Projects

o o o

Cinderella Madonna Snow White

•

In collaboration, students agree on fve descriptive words or characteristics which describe the client. This process should take no more than fve minutes.

•

One person in each group is designated as the model.

•

In the next thirty minutes, each group must design and execute a wedding ensemble. The design must suit the personality and style of the client. They must dress the model/client from head to toe using newspaper, tape, and staples. Accessories and fowers are to be included. Imagination and creativity are essential.

•

A fashion show is held at the end of class.

•

The class discusses and analyzes the students’ creations.

Notes: Kerri created this project in 1993 for her Fundamentals of Costume Design course at Kansas State, and it was included in USITT’s (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998. It has often been used in our Costume Design class and it is a project that usually has positive student response. Kerri created it for a class that had a mixture of costume majors as well as actors and non-designers. The project was meant to incorporate an understanding of how character translates into costume as well as an exercise in thinking about how costumes go around the body. She points out that it is often a struggle to get students to consider issues like what the back of the costume looks like and where the openings are incorporated, as well as the three-dimensional quality of clothing. She talks about how using the elements of design (line, shape, etc.) and accessories can help to delineate character. Usually, students draw “fortune” slips to assign the character, and they can also participate in the choice of characters, as they have more buy-in that way. Include non-Western characters as well as the examples above. They can dress a male model as a woman and vice versa, as well as any permutation of gender

fuidity. Offer an incentive; in the past, this has been candy for the winning group, or having the students in the winning group each have their grade from one assignment raised up one letter grade (not the midterm exam). This defnitely creates incentive! The instructor chooses the winner after all groups present and the class discusses the choices.

RESEARCH PROJECTS CULMINATING IN DESIGN Kiss Me, Kate, Bella and Sam Spewack and Cole Porter Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Comparing character in multiple periods Time required: One in-class workday; three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Slave Play, Jeremy O. Harris Period: 1948/Tudor Characters: Lilli/Kate Lois/Bianca For this project, students are designing for two actors who each play two characters – one of whom is playing the other. Lilli plays Kate and Lois plays Bianca in the Taming of the Shrew production within the show. For the frst part of this project, students create research boards for each character (four total), providing “looks” for both characters for each pair and thinking about how each pair of characters relate to each other. They present and discuss their research, and then use it to create renderings for all four characters.

Notes: This project was developed to help students to learn to do research, and it’s also an interesting character study. Originally students created poster boards, but today Pinterest or another online platform makes sense. We talk about the purpose of research boards as a useful tool for both designer and director, as well as using research boards instead of renderings when a costume is going to be pulled

Costume Design Projects

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or shopped and not built (the dangers of designing yourself into a box!). •

The challenge here is interpreting the research for both the 1940s and the play-within-a-play – how does Lois play Bianca? Lilli and Katharine have some things in common, some not – what are they?

•

Some notes about character – Lilli is a motion picture star, and her 1948 costume should refect that. Lois is a nightclub singer, and she has been around the block; she is firtatious, and Lilli is very jealous of her. It is important to remember that Lilli/Kate is the star and not Lois/Bianca.

•

Another challenge for students when they move to the rendering part of the project is using their research for inspiration and not just copying it.

•

For a more advanced class, such as graduates, the whole question of stylizing the Italian Renaissance from the point of view of the 1940s makes a fascinating addition. Have students listen to the music to understand the style of the show; particularly “Tom, Dick, or Harry”.

F I G U R E 4 - 1 3 Bianca, Kiss Me, Kate, Katie Allen, Shenandoah University

Camino Reale, Tennessee Williams James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Using research to design historical characters in context of script Time required: Three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Jelly’s Last Jam, George C. Wolfe (researching both historical and fctional characters)

F I G U R E 4 - 1 2 Lois, Kiss Me, Kate, Katie Allen, Shenandoah University

Characters: Gutman Casanova Marguerite Kilroy Esmerelda Byron Don Quixote Sancho Madracita Son

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Costume Design Projects

This is a large research project, with a variety of fctional and historical characters. Students research the characters and present their visuals – specifc characters are assigned to each student, so the work is split up. They then render all the characters as appropriate for the play.

Notes: This entire project is large in scope and was originally built for a graduate class, Problems in Style and Research. For undergraduates, a selection of the characters might be more accessible. Interpreting these characters for this play is a research and design challenge. For example, Don Quixote and Sancho could be a mixture of WWII vets and Spanish conquistador/servant. JB’s class began with a guest lecturer on Williams and the scope of his work, as well as the signifcance of this particular play. Part of the message of the script might be, how do you face the unknown? The use of historical fgures is a play on stereotypes that are immediately recognizable to the audience – the costumes must support this context. Part of the challenge is to make characters from disparate periods, cultures, and sources ft into one world: the world of the play.

F I G U R E 4 - 1 4 Don Quixote, Camino Reale, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 4 - 1 5 Sancho, Camino Reale, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 4 - 1 6 Kilroy, Camino Reale, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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many of the named characters (Police Chief, etc.). Students then watch news footage of the incidents and collage a character storyboard as if it was played by actors who do not have multiple roles (i.e., “the documentary or flm”.) Part Two: The production then moves to a theatre and one actor will have multiple roles. Students submit groupings of characters that would show a character arc and explain how the characters “relate” and “grow” and defend the reasoning why one actor must play those characters. Students design a “neutral actor” look for each actor and the piece/pieces that can be used to defne the characters the actor will play. They may sketch these options on a croqui. Part Three: For some advanced classes, a one-woman show is assigned, as in the original production. The instructor may purposefully edit out some of the pieces, simply because there are so many.

F I G U R E 4 - 1 7 Esmeralda, Camino Reale, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Anna Deavere Smith Jenny Kenyon, Faculty Instructor, College of Art and Architecture, Penn State University Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Adapting research for characters based on actual people Time required: One in-class workday; up to three weeks outside class Characters (Part One): Reginald Denny Judith Tur, Newspaper Reporter (She turned out to be diffcult to research. We substituted Elaine Brown) Chung Lee, Korean Store Owner Daryl Gates, LA Police Chief Tom Bradley, LA Mayor Maxine Waters, Congresswoman Period: 1992 Part One: Students are assigned several of the characters/pieces that have a lot of images and research available from the period of the riots. For example, Reginald Denny, the newspaper reporters, the Korean Grocer, and

Notes: This was an intense project for our spring 2021 Costume Design class. It led to some very interesting discussions, both about character arcs and about the Rodney King riots and the George Floyd riots in 2020. Here is the project as I assigned it: This project is for a theoretical “shopped” show – we will not be drawing designs. For our show, for Part One, these actors will not be playing multiple roles (think of it as a documentary/flm). For the characters above, research news footage and photos from the Rodney King riots and create a Pinterest research board for each assigned character, with a minimum of fve slides and a maximum of ten slides for each board. Part Two: The production then moves to a theatre and one actor will have multiple roles. Choose one grouping of characters (any in the show – choose fve characters) that would show a character arc and explain how the characters “relate” and “grow” and defend the reasoning why one actor must play those characters. Design a “neutral actor” look for the actor and the piece/pieces that can be used to defne the characters the actor will play. Create Pinterest boards (min. fve slides, max. ten slides each) for each character, plus one for the base look of the actor. Students will present their boards to the class.

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Costume Design Projects

SCRIPT ANALYSIS PROJECTS Sylvia, A. R. Gurney Period: Modern day New York Project level: Intermediate Learning Goal: Using character descriptions for design Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Intimate Apparel, Lynn Nottage Character: Sylvia

The assignment is to design three looks for the character Sylvia: •

When Greg fnds her as a stray (p. 7)

•

When she comes home from the groomers (p. 24)

•

The “little black dress” look towards the end of the play when she is leaving (p. 63)

The challenge is to consider both the arc of the character and the written descriptions of her costumes. Why did Gurney describe her this way? What was the message? Students do not have to use his descriptions, but they must be able to defend why they made the change and how the new design works with the author’s intent.

Notes: This is a fun project; Sylvia is a dog played by a human actor, who is not dressed as a dog. For the groomer outft, there is a line that Sylvia is “part French poodle” – encourage students to fnd a way to use this. Some put her in a beret, but there are more creative ways to suggest poodle . . . for example, a jacket with fur cuffs and socks with anklet turnovers to suggest the standard poodle cut. How do we treat her hair? How many ways can we visualize a little black dress? This is a good exercise for discussing why playwrights suggest descriptions, and how locked into them we are as designers. Ask them, if a play has lines about a red hat someone is using, if that character must have a red hat. Yes, if there’s a line about it, but what if the actor has bright red hair and a red hat looks awful? If it’s a description rather than an actual line, how important is it? If we’re changing the original choice, how can we get the playwright’s original intent or message delivered with our new choice? Recently there was an unexpected reaction from one of the students, who was triggered by Greg’s treatment of Sylvia. The student said they had a friend who was in a domestic abuse situation, and the language was similar. This made me look at the script again, and in the future, I may try a different script that fulflls the point of the assignment. It is important not to get locked into scripts that have worked in the past.

Character

Needed

Suggested

Sylvia 1

•  Knee pads (she’s on the floor a lot).

•   Scruffy clothes; baggy sweater, patched jeans, old  boots, messy hair – she’s a stray dog; she’s streetsmart.

   on chain with name (her dog tag) – there are lines  •  Heart and business about it.

•   Described as “pert and sexy” (Gurney 7) – the  sexy needs to show through the stray. •   Should look as if she has all of her possessions with  her, to emphasize “stray” and homeless – I usually  encourage the use of a jacket. Sylvia 2

•  “Corny    outfit” (Gurney 24) as she is just back from  the dog groomer. Why did Greg have her groomed?  It shows his increasing involvement with her and  commitment to her: she is no longer a stray. •  “Basically    French Poodle” (Gurney 25) – this can be  used visually. Note: We see her in this outfit for quite a while – it’s  important not to get too corny, or the joke will wear thin.

•  New hairdo (here is a place to suggest poodle!). •  Bow in hair.

Costume Design Projects

Character

Needed

Suggested

Sylvia 3

•   Little black dress – “You look particularly glamorous  •   It doesn’t have to be a little black dress, but consider the  today” (Gurney 63). message of this garment in our culture. At any rate, the  costume needs to be pretty and glamorous. Why did Gurney specify this change? •   It draws a contrast when she goes back to the stray  outfit.   •   Are we seeing Sylvia through Greg’s eyes? He  adores her. •   We probably don’t want to have her in the corny  outfit for this scene – it’s too serious.  

FIGURE 4-19

Sylvia 1, Sylvia, Mallory J. Veil, Shenandoah

University

F I G U R E 4 - 1 8 Sylvia 1, Sylvia, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

Everyman, author unknown James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Using color in a period setting Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Everybody, Branden JacobsJenkins

F I G U R E 4 - 2 0 Sylvia 1, Sylvia, Taylor Gray Burke, Shenandoah University

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Costume Design Projects

Period: Gothic (early, mid, or late) Characters: Everyman Good Deeds Goods Fellowship Knowledge

•

The color symbolism, both from the point of view of the period and that of a modern audience, should be emphasized, perhaps with a brief lecture prior to giving the assignment.

ASSIGNMENT: Design costumes for these characters, considering the names of the characters and the images these names create. Choose one dominant color per character (value and intensity may vary, but only one hue may be used), and consider the symbolism of the color choice. To use this as an exercise in matching an existing color source with paint, have students fnd an existing color source such as mat board, paint swatches from a paint store, a fabric swatch, etc., and try to match the existing source with their paint.

Notes: •

You may or may not want to give students some insight into these characters, depending on the skill level of the students. For example: o

o

o

o

o

Everyman is just that, a representative of the common man. He shouldn’t be too fancy nor too poor, but it is good to give him somewhere to go with the character. Fellowship is of this world – he goes along for the good times; women and good drink and food, but he is a fair-weather friend. Goods – here is where we show Everyman’s love of riches! He could be so weighted down that he could hardly move. Goods blinds Everyman to what is truly valuable. Consider Good Deed’s frst entrance – she is lying on the ground. She is the only one to make the whole journey with Everyman. Knowledge is Good Deeds’ sister, but she does not follow Everyman to the end.

F I G U R E 4 - 2 1 Goods, Everyman, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Semester-Long Design Project Semester-Long Play Project James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner to Intermediate Learning Goal: The design process from script to renderings Time required: Units for part of Costume Design class over course of one semester (see Chapter Three for class schedule) Students are assigned a play to work on over the course of the semester. They could submit choices,

Costume Design Projects

and the instructor could choose a parameter such as all Shakespearean texts. Students complete the following tasks, in conjunction with related class lectures: 1. Read script 2. Abstract collage 3. Costume List and Plot 4. Research Boards 5. Color roughs for specifed characters 6. Final plates

Notes: This project is meant to teach students the steps to take when designing a show. It may seem silly to assign “reading the script”, but I have been truly amazed over the years at how many people do not realize designers need to do this. It’s good to set some guidelines when they are making play choices, so there is equity in the size of shows. I have tried using Shakespeare, which can overwhelm undergraduates because of the size of the cast and the complexity of the action, but it works well if they have assistance. Recently, we chose one script for the whole class: Pearl Cleage’s Flyin’ West, about Black pioneers in 1898 Kansas. This turned out to be a great choice, as it was a fascinating and challenging show to research with some very specifc costume references. We also had some powerful class discussions about the story, which was possible since all were using the same script. The reaction collage (and it should be abstract) is a great way for students to visualize their reactions to a script. It is a very good frst step for beginners approaching a design project. During the presentation of the collages, encourage them to explain and consider their choices. If they don’t do this, the opportunity to use the collage as an inspiration for their costume design may be lost. See the Electra project for another collage project. The costume list and plot are for organizing script information. The plot is particularly helpful as it does not use Xs to indicate costumes but uses

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numbers relating back to the costume list. In Chapter 3, lists and plots are discussed, and a template is included. JB assigned drawn research in a notebook. In subsequent years our students have created Pinterest boards, but it is certainly important to talk about primary vs. secondary research and the inherent dangers of internet research (a student once downloaded pictures of garments from a costume rental house and turned it in as period research). JB assigned six-inch color roughs for all characters, and then chose six or so for the fnal plates. This helps students see the show as a unit, and especially helps them to consider color choices. Sometimes it is a time issue, but the project is stronger if it is included. For large shows, it can be very helpful to do small roughs all on one page to see the color palette at a glance. An assignment on budget and costing could be a useful addition.

F I G U R E 4 - 2 2 Frank, Flyin’ West, Azaria Jade Rubio, Shenandoah University

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who is the composer; what is the opera about; who is the character and what are they singing about; when was the opera composed? They should also research the period in which the opera is set. Students prepare a presentation on all of the above, as well as their reaction to the aria (what did the music sound like, and how does their abstract refect their reaction to the aria?). They should bring their abstracts and fabrics and be prepared to discuss them. 4. Students create renderings of a costume design for the character in their aria, using their research, their abstract, and the fabric they chose. They may change the color of their fabric in their rendering. The fabric should be the main part of the costume.

F I G U R E 4 - 2 3 Fannie, Flyin’ West, Gabrielle Koon, Shenandoah University

Projects That Use Music The Opera Project James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Using music to inspire design, including research Time required: One in-class workday; three weeks outside of class with color roughs 1. Students listen to three opera arias chosen by the instructor. They are not told the names of the aria or opera, or any information about it. While they listen, they create an abstract drawing in response to the music with black markers or pencils and newsprint. 2. Using their abstract, students look through fabric samples provided by the instructor, and choose one fabric for each aria/abstract. Color should not be a factor. They should consider the fabric weight, fber, texture, and weave: what expresses what they saw in the music? 3. Students choose one (or more) abstracts/arias. For the next class period, the assignment is to research the aria –

Notes: JB created this project for a graduate program; we have used it for an advanced design class (it’s quite complex for beginners). This assignment follows the lecture on the qualities of fabric. In JB’s class, we did the research and renderings together in one week. This is a signifcant assignment for undergraduate students, so it can be broken up as above. The challenge is designing for the grandiosity of opera, as well as rendering a given fabric’s weight, drape, etc. Another challenge is interpreting the feeling of the music, rather than just designing costumes for the storyline. One big hurdle for undergraduate students often is understanding the opera. Tell them that if they are confused about the aria, to come and talk to you about it outside of class, rather than coming to the next class unprepared. Three arias I have used are below. Alternative operas: Treemonisha and Porgy and Bess. 1. Musetta’s Waltz, La Bohème, Puccini (1830, Paris – composed 1896). Christmas, Paris. Musetta is singing about her beauty and how everyone notices her. She is in a café with Alcindoro, her wealthy lover. JB, when he designed this opera, talked about her outft being an expensive gift from him. This is a beautiful, melodic aria. 2. La Donna e Mobile, Rigoletto, Verdi (16th century Mantua, Italy – composed 1851). The Duke of Mantua is disguised as a soldier and is at a seedy inn to seduce a local woman (Rigoletto is his jester). He is singing about women being fckle; that their affections are “wayward as the breeze”. Trying to

Costume Design Projects

win their hearts leads to sorrow – proof that he is indeed a philanderer, which belies the lightness of the music. 3. The Commendatore’s Aria, Don Giovanni, Mozart (17th or 18th century Seville – composed 1787). Don Pedro; the Commendatore, is a statue who comes to life. He has come back from the dead to take the wicked Don Giovanni to hell. He urges Don Giovanni to repent frst, which the latter will not do. This is a big, dramatic scene and the climax of the opera.

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Jesus Christ Superstar, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Taking a show out of period effectively Time required: One in-class workday; two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes, Marucs Gardley (adaptation of Tartuffe) Period: open Characters: Herod Three backup singers

F I G U R E 4 - 2 4 Abstract, Opera Project, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 4 - 2 5 Magda, La Rondine, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

ASSIGNMENT: The music of a show should guide and inspire us as designers. It is important to listen to the style of music of a show when designing the costumes. Instructor plays King Herod’s Song from Jesus Christ Superstar. The class discusses the style of music and how they reacted to the song. For this project, our director has decided that they do not want traditional Biblical robes for the show, but instead want the costumes to refect the modern rock quality of the music. Students may decide how they wish to interpret this request. They should use their imaginations; this is a rock opera. Students render for the above characters, including swatches.

Notes: This project was created in response to a memory of a production my husband, Rich, described. He played Herod and told me the costume designer dressed him in a bright pink formal tails outft, and he rolled out onstage on top of a baby grand piano. I always thought that was such a creative way of approaching the style of this song. Students have placed Herod in a variety of creative settings (for example, Katie Allen’s 1920s speakeasy in Figures 4-26 and 4-27). This is also a good place for a discussion about taking care not to let design hijack the show. I once judged a high school student’s costume designs for a competition using the musical Shenandoah. She decided to design it as a zombie apocalypse. That did not work. Care needs to

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be taken to ensure that the story is still being told, and this is a good place to open up that conversation. The backup singers were added to allow students more design freedom, but also because it can be challenging to design for an unnamed ensemble member.

Projects That Use Art Picnic, William Inge James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Emulating hyper-realism: The style of Norman Rockwell in design Time required: Three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script – Cadillac Crew, Tori Sampson Period: 1953 Characters (Act 2): Hal Madge Howard Rosemary

F I G U R E 4 - 2 6 Herod, Jesus Christ Superstar, Katie Allen, Shenandoah University

Herod’s Backup, Jesus Christ Superstar, Katie Allen, Shenandoah University FIGURE 4-27

This is a two-part project. After a brief lecture about the signifcance of the artist Norman Rockwell (below), students are each given a copy of one of his paintings (a different painting for each student). Follow your school’s copyright guidelines. The assignment for the frst week is to copy the painting. Students are advised to work with acrylics, and to really look at the entire work: details, faces, etc. The second week, students are assigned the four characters above, and the assignment is to render them in the style of Rockwell. For the costumes, students will fnd actual, specifc pictures from the period to render from – they should think of this as a shopped show. They will not be designing from scratch. They may pull accessories from different pictures. Lecture notes: •

Norman Rockwell was probably the best known of the many magazine cover illustrators of the 1920s through the early 60s.

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He worked primarily for the Saturday Evening Post, and he always considered himself a genre painter, or illustrator – not an artist. His paintings almost always have an anecdote or small story.

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What is particularly interesting about Rockwell’s illustrations are the high level of detail and realism – the more you look, the more there is to see.

Costume Design Projects

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His hands and faces, in particular, have great attention to detail and individuality – this is something to work on throughout this project.

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He worked directly from still life and model settings; he would set up entire scenes, or work from photographs he had taken, and he worked in oil on a very large scale.

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He is perhaps known best for his style, which developed into a nostalgic, idealized view of America, although in later years he was criticized as an artist because of this.

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At the time, he was portraying Americans as they wanted to see themselves.

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Today he is increasingly valued as an American artist, one who told stories about what it meant to be American, at least in terms of small-town mainstream values. Occasionally he made a social statement, such as the Post “Do Unto Others” cover from 1961, but this was rarer.

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His work sells today for huge sums (Saying Grace sold for $46,085,000 in 2013), and is still extremely popular, refecting the same nostalgia that people responded to when he was painting for the Post.

Notes: This is a great exercise in terms of faces and highlight and shadow work, as well as working in a high level of realism. Recommend that students work on a bigger scale than they are used to; a minimum of twelve-inch fgures and preferably ffteen-inch. This allows for the detailed work needed for success. When approaching Picnic, we talk about Inge, who was well known for realistic American drama, as a sort of counterpart to Rockwell, although his stories are often darker. Inge’s plays explore the lives of ordinary people, much like Rockwell’s paintings. It is important to stress that although they are designing for Act Two, it is crucial to read the whole play, as there are costume notes mentioned in Act One that affect Act Two. Students can attach a research picture of Hal’s jacket, since he wears it so

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briefy, and render him as he is seen for the longest time on stage. Madge has more than one costume; assign the dress she wears for the longest (not the party dress). If these are undergraduates who may not know the period (have they studied Fashion History yet?), consider creating a research packet to get them started (mostly text, so they fnd their own pictures). This project also could be stretched out an additional week – they could have a week to fnd the pictures they wanted to render from, and then a week to do the actual renderings. Note: Here are some of the character notes students should catch: Hal: 20s, very good looking. He is wearing a jacket he borrowed from Alan (did Alan lend him anything else?). He is a former football player. There are multiple references to his cowboy boots (many students miss this). Madge: 18, ravishingly beautiful. She refers to painting her toes and wearing sandals. Flo will not let her wear her party dress, but she still needs to look lovely. Rosemary: 40-ish “old-maid schoolteacher” who rooms with the family. She is wearing her new fall suit and an elaborate, expensive hat ($22.50!). One character notes, “I should think they’d smother in all those clothes” (Inge 28). She does not change between acts. Howard: Middle-aged, Rosemary’s beau. A smalltown businessman, he is gentle and refned. There is a reference to him wearing a Panama hat. This is a challenging project for undergraduates; JB used it as part of a graduate Costume Rendering course. Students are at frst intimidated by the Rockwell copy project, but they usually really do a good job with it. The struggle is applying what they learned to rendering for Picnic. This is the reason for the research from which to work; the “shopped show” aspect of the project: it is easier to paint in realism if you have something to look at and interpret.

Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Period: Italian Renaissance Scene: 1-v. Ball scene Characters: Lord Capulet Romeo Juliet Tybalt The Nurse

F I G U R E 4 - 2 8 Madge, Picnic, Lauren Boughton, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 4-29

Hal, Picnic, Lauren Boughton, Shenandoah

University

Project level: Intermediate Learning Goal: Using art to create color relationships between characters Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Zoot Suit, Luis Valdez

Students fnd one painting from the period – this will be their color image and palette. They are not copying costumes from the painting; they are just using the color palette. All colors should be taken from the painting, and students should use the same amount and composition of color as the artist does. Therefore, they need to fnd a painting whose color balance will work for all characters and their relationships. The painting does not have to have fgures in it. Students then create costume renderings for the fve characters above, using their painting as described. When presenting renderings, the painting should be shown as well.

Notes: JB used this project in his Costume History class, after covering the Italian Renaissance period. It’s a useful way to introduce students to using artwork for research beyond specifc fashions, as well as teaching young designers the concept of creating a color palette. Often students choose colors for individual characters without thought to the overall color image and the relationship between characters. Because these characters come from two different houses, this is a good project for exploring color relationships, as costume designers traditionally use one color palette for the Montagues and one for the Capulets. Explain to students that of the fve design elements, color usually evokes the strongest emotional response, both on the part of the designer and of the audience. A color image is the unconscious, instant mental color reaction to a script or character. If it is strong, they should document it and remember it – what does this color mean to them here? Talk about color qualities (by now basic color theory should have been covered in the class).

Costume Design Projects

Color has three qualities onstage: •

Descriptive – the type of show

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Mood – for example, bright pink versus soft gray. The emotional quality of a color can be used as a tool by the costume designer – blue = trustworthy, green = “of the earth” and soothing, etc.

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Character – e.g., age, social status, etc. For example, purple = royalty. This also applies to groups of characters, such as families or social groups.

Often the colors of a period are collectively seen more in the art of that period rather than the actual clothing. How do we visualize a period as a society? The art of a period is the strongest visual link, and color controls the focus. Some notes about the play and designing the costumes: •

Remind students that this is the pivotal scene in the play: the meeting of Romeo and Juliet.

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Students may fall into the trap of allowing Tybalt and his anger to be the focus of the scene. It is secondary to the meeting of Romeo and Juliet.

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Remember the masks!

F I G U R E 4 - 3 1 Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, Madeline Rikhoff, Shenandoah University

Assign fnding the painting and creating color roughs for the frst week, and fnal renderings for the second week, to make sure they are on track. This could also be a project that they work on in class.

F I G U R E 4 - 3 2 Juliet, Romeo and Juliet, Madeline Rikhoff, Shenandoah University

Projects That Use Fabric and Swatching

F I G U R E 4 - 3 0 Fra Angelico, The Annunciation, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

For any project that requires swatching, consider where students will obtain swatches, especially since many fabric stores will charge for an eighth of a yard now instead of giving a free swatch. Can students swatch from your shop

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stock of fabrics, or could you have a box or two of fabrics that can be swatched? Clarify that swatches should come from the edge of the piece of fabric.

Hello, Dolly!, Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: See learning objectives below Time required: Three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Effe, Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen Period: 1890s, Yonkers and New York City Character: Dolly Levi This is JB’s project, and he reconstructed it for me. It is presented in his words: THE OBJECTIVES: 1. Designing costumes for a leading lady in a big classic musical. 2. Creating rough sketches that are quick and free but adequately communicative. 3. Designing with at least two patterned fabrics. 4. Communicating the evolution of a character through the use of texture and pattern rather than relying only on color. This is one of the trickiest projects I assigned as it has multiple goals and multiple parts. You may want to simplify it or alter it in some way, but this is how it worked as I remember. 1. I distributed the libretto the week before I assigned the costume design. The students were to read the libretto and be prepared to talk about how Dolly Levi’s character evolves over the course of the musical. 2. The next week we discussed Dolly’s character and we looked particularly at her frst scene in which she enumerates her alleged skills. I then played, “I Put My Hand In” from the Broadway production. Note: I think you could use either the original (Carol Channing) or the recent revival (Bette Midler); I would not use the movie soundtrack (Barbra Streisand) as it is more Barbra Streisand than it is Dolly Levi. Once we have agreed that she has eclectic skills and many tasks, I said, we are going to communicate that by using two patterned fabrics to make up the majority of her frst costume. I then talked about

how to make two pattern fabrics work together: a shared color palette, two patterns of the same scale, two patterns employing the same motifs but in different scales or colors, etc. I sometimes brought in swatches of patterned fabrics that worked together or showed renderings of my own work or from the Stratford costume rendering collection. She carries a carpetbag that introduces a third patterned fabric. I then said that she wears the same costume for the entire frst act and at the end of the act she has her pivotal number, “Before the Parade Passes By”. I played that for them and explained that the parade passes behind her as she sings so she is in front of a calliope of color, texture, and movement. What about the costume you are about to design makes her stand out? We also discussed the appropriate scale for a musical and how one adapts historical research to make the design appropriate for a big musical presented in a big Broadway theatre. ASSIGNMENT: Select your swatches; present a rough, color sketch of her frst costume, the majority of which must be created with your two swatches. Your presentation must also include research for the carpetbag she carries but it does not have to be rendered. 3. The Next Class: A critique of their assigned work. If I thought that a student’s fabric choices did not work, I had them make an appointment before the next assignment was due to present new choices. After the critique, we discussed how Dolly’s character evolves during the second act. She now has a specifc mission or goal. How do we communicate that she is more focused and “together” through our fabric choices? She is still Dolly so we cannot abandon our original concept, but how do we modify it? It makes sense for Dolly to change during Act I, scene 2 when she is not on stage, so she has different attire for Act I scene 3. It also provides a transition between her frst costume and her Harmonia Gardens attire. And it can be designed with “Before the Parade Passes By” so that the frst costume doesn’t have to accomplish so many things. We do not see her again until she makes her entrance in the Harmonia Gardens scene (Act II, scene 2). I played the “Hello, Dolly” number and “So Long, Dearie”. She wears the same costume for both scenes. We then talked about how she is dressed in the very last scene when she comes to Yonkers to seal the deal with Horace. And the last costume is a tradition that started with the original production. When she came out for the curtain call, she was dressed in her wedding garb. It was not a wedding dress with a veil, nor

Costume Design Projects

should it be, she is a mature woman, and this is her second marriage. The original costume was a white or eggshell suit with matching hat. (But don’t tell them that, let’s see what they come up with). Again, she is still Dolly, so perhaps the costume is monochromatic but made of different textures. ASSIGNMENT: A fnal rendering of her frst costume including the carpetbag (now rendered) and rough sketches with swatches for the remaining four costumes. 4. The Next Class: And fnally, fnal renderings with swatches. Critique. Notes: JB added that if fve costumes seem like a lot for this assignment, he suggests cutting the curtain call costume. It is interesting to see if students choose to put Dolly in the traditional red gown for “Hello, Dolly” in Harmonia Gardens, and this is a good opportunity to talk about traditions in costumes and the question of copying other designers’ work. Many directors want what was done before, or is done traditionally, but this was originally someone’s design. How ethical is this? This project is a chance to work both on character and on how to convey it through fabric choices. It was a part of JB’s Fabrication class.

F I G U R E 4 - 3 3 Dolly, Hello, Dolly!, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Macbeth, William Shakespeare James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Intermediate to Advanced Learning Goal: Going beyond design comfort levels Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Marisol, José Rivera Period: open Scene: 3.4 banquet scene Characters: Macbeth Lady Macbeth Banquo (as Ghost) Three Witches (for beginning) This project encourages students to stretch as designers. The assignment is to choose a period or culture that will allow them to make bold, dramatic choices in their costumes, swatching all fabrics. Students are reminded to consider relationships between characters, such as Macbeth’s role as a new king and Lady Macbeth as a new queen; Banquo perhaps as a link to Macbeth’s “old life”, and ways to create variety within unity for the witches. Consider the complexity of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and try to avoid stereotypes.

Notes: JB encouraged us, when he assigned this project to my class of graduate students, to try to go beyond what we were used to doing. He also suggested that we not use the traditional Celtic period – I remember that I set mine in Mongolia, which was wonderfully challenging. He encouraged us to use a non-Western culture. My fellow costume educator Gypsy Ames uses other options, such as gender fuidity or making the whole work a dance. This project can be used as a culminating swatching project in Costume Design. It gives students a chance to apply what they have learned about what fabrics can and can’t do; to choose fabrics that suggest character/character relationships and effectively create their designs, and to render fabrics appropriately. Stress the importance of creating a sense of mood and period

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or place in their fabric choices. Students should try to render all qualities of the fabric – weight and drape, texture, the light-refective quality, etc. The Choosing Fabric lecture would precede this project. The Fabric Rendering project might be a good frst assignment.

FIGURE 4-36 The Witches, Macbeth, Spider Murphy-Taylor (fka Molly Hood), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 4 - 3 4 Macbeth, Macbeth, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Projects That Explore Character Development The Music Man, Franklin Lacey and Meredith Willson Project level: Intermediate to Advanced Learning Goal: Showing character development through four costumes for same character Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script – M. Butterfy, David Henry Hwang Period: early 1910s Character: Marian Scenes

F I G U R E 4 - 3 5 Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1-iii to vii – consider what happens in each scene 1-x & xi 2-i & ii – must work for both scenes. Our theoretical shop can build four outfts total 2-iv to end

Costume Design Projects

Students design four looks for Marian, which span the entire show. Students listen to the music from the show to understand its style. Consider Marian’s internal progression throughout the show; what happens to her and how she changes. How would this affect the way she dresses? How can her costumes suggest her inner landscape?

Notes: This assignment is usually preceded by a brief lecture/discussion (below) on Character Analysis. This project can precede or follow the Sylvia project, which also deals with character and change. For this project, the task is to analyze where the character starts at the beginning of the show (uptight librarian), and where she ends up (loving and open). How can students visually show that progress? What might cause a change in character? (Ask students) •

Change in social level (examples might include Cinderella, or Eliza Doolittle). Clothes should refect this change.

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Change in health – mental or physical – for example, La Traviata or La Bohème. We can use clothing to create metaphors about someone’s health, such as dressing Mimi to suggest the tuberculosis that is consuming her (a transparent layer?). Remind students to be subtle – we help to tell the story; we don’t want to beat actors to it and reveal the story early.

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A character is happy and becomes unhappy, or vice versa. Or perhaps they become sad, or depressed. How can we suggest this? Answers might include color use, covering up the body, or unfattering or unattractive apparel. Color is a very powerful tool here.

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A good example is Mary in The Secret Garden, who starts out as a withdrawn, unhappy girl who opens up and becomes happy through fnding the garden. She might start out in dark drab colors in the beginning, as she is in mourning, and be in

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colorful pastels at the end – both she and the garden have come to life. •

Change in maturity level – a child becomes an adult; a person moves to a new level of maturity or sophistication. This can include an awakening of sexuality. The reverse is also true – a character might become more childlike – ageing, loss of mental abilities, hiding from adult problems.

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Sometimes a character has a hidden secret – for example, a character in a murder mystery. Again, the trick is to not reveal the story too soon. The designer may want to give hints, or play a murderer completely straight, depending on the discussion with the director. In most cases, it is probably not a good idea to dress the (hidden) bad guy in black!

F I G U R E 4 - 3 7 Marian 1, The Music Man, Danielle J. Neill, Shenandoah University

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Costume Design Projects

Anna Christie/New Girl in Town, Eugene O’Neill/ George Abbott (book) James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 4 - 3 9 Marian 3, The Music Man, Danielle J. Neill, Shenandoah University

F I G U R E 4 - 3 8 Marian 2, The Music Man, Danielle J. Neill, Shenandoah University

Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Showing character development through the same characters in two different versions of the same story Time required: Three weeks outside of class with color roughs Characters: Anna Jimmy the Priest Larry Chris Marthy Period: 1921

F I G U R E 4 - 4 0 Marian 4, The Music Man, Danielle J. Neill, Shenandoah University

ASSIGNMENT: For the frst week, students read Anna Christie (1921) and design costumes for the above characters for Act 1, Scene 1. It is to be treated as realism, refecting the history of the play. Students frst create color roughs for these costumes. After an oral critique, students then create fnal renderings, and they also create color roughs for Anna, Chris, and Marthy for the same scene (1-ii to iii) in New Girl in Town (1957), the musical version of Anna Christie. The period this

Costume Design Projects

time is 1905. For both sets of roughs, students swatch and attach their fabrics. The challenge is to adapt the costumes for the same storyline for a “well-made” 1950s musical. After a second oral critique, students complete fnal renderings for New Girl, and they also complete the third part of this project: they design the opening number – a dock on the Atlantic waterfront. The design is for nine men: Oscar, Johnson, Alderman (minor offcial), two more townsmen, and four sailors (Merchant Marines), and nine women: Kate, Moll, Lilly, three more prostitutes, and three townswomen in the ensemble. For this part of the project, six-inch color roughs are created, with all the men on one storyboard and all of the women on the other. The dance will be active, with female singer/dancers being lifted. •

Women should have the same style of skirt, and variation can come in color and trim placement.

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How do Chris and Marthy affect the palette of the ensemble?

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The choreography will probably be as a group. How will this affect the weight and cut of the skirts, so that they move together? Note: The nine women’s skirts should be swatched.

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The trick here is to look at the group as a whole, so detail is not as important.

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A scale pattern for the women’s skirt should be included, and students should consider how to adapt the true period line to allow for movement (circle skirt?).

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Students get to make partner decisions, and this should be considered in costume choices.

Notes: This is a complex project, with several different goals:

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It is probably most appropriate for the graduate level. JB adds, One thing I wish I had done is show a big musical number from a ‘traditional’ musical (perhaps the ‘June is Bustin’ Out All Over’ number from the flm version of Carousel) so students have an idea of how athletic those numbers were. As we get farther away from the ‘golden age of musicals’ I suspect young folks today are less familiar with the choreographic style of that period.

F I G U R E 4 - 4 1 Anna, New Girl in Town, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Approaching a period play

Name Your Adjective

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Approaching the same story as a musical created in a different period

Professor Donna Meester, University of Alabama, USITT’s Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998

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How do the characters change; Marthy in particular? How do colors and other elements of design change? Considering choreography and groups of dancers in a period piece.

Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Using adjectives to inspire design choices Time required: One in-class workday; two weeks outside of class with color roughs

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OBJECTIVE This project introduces the student to using adjectives in character analysis and applying them to the design of their clothing/costume. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Students develop a list of three adjectives to describe each of their classmates. Using the adjectives, students design a costume for one of their classmates. REQUIREMENTS Rendering materials PROCEDURE 1. Students sit around a table or in a circle and try to learn about the character of each member of the class. The instructor may begin the process of fact fnding by introducing a topic that will allow students to comfortably share information about themselves, for example, childhood stories or their reaction to a particular movie. 2. Based on the information collected, students compile a list of three adjectives that describe each student (from now on referred to as a character). 3. All lists for each character will be collected by the instructor. The instructor will compile a list of names of each character along with all the adjectives given for the character. This information will not be shared. 4. The instructor will assign a character to each class member, along with the total list of adjectives. However, the instructor will eliminate two of the three adjectives submitted by the student. All this information is to be kept confdential, between the instructor and the student assigned the character. Note: If not, the designer will likely choose their own three adjectives and only have to work in two others. It is also recommended if particular adjectives are on several lists, to eliminate that word. If not, it will be quite obvious who the character is. 5. The instructor will advise the students to design a period costume based on the adjectives given for the character. It is not necessary to incorporate the entire list of adjectives but will need to incorporate no fewer than fve of the given adjectives. It is helpful to give a particular time period, for example the 1800s. The adjectives should refect appropriate colors, fabrics, and garments for the period. 6. Students will present the fnal design as they would a costume design for a production without naming the character on the front of the sketch. The adjectives should be listed either on the front or the back of the sketch. The

class will determine who the character is, based on the adjectives used and their interpretation by the designer. 7. The class discusses how adjectives can inform and affect design choices and how they might use the elements of design in a costume to express the character.

Notes: Donna uses this project for a graduate class, but I have used it with success with undergraduate students. This project was published in USITT’s (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, 1998. The project was originally titled “What’s Your Metaphor?”, but we have both found that adjectives work better and are more accessible to students. For a beginning Costume Design class, we have used modern day, but choosing a specifc period would be a very interesting project for advanced students. Explain that the adjectives should describe personality and not looks or visual adjectives – this is more of a design challenge. We talk, as Donna does, about likes/dislikes, music, favorite foods, reactions to a well-known movie, etc. Tell them they are designing and rendering that student, not a generic fgure. We talk in class about ways that these adjectives could be utilized in costume design – for example, quiet and shy could be interpreted as pastel colors and small, delicate details, while a chaotic adjective might mean that things don’t match, or that colors clash. Encourage students to consider how they are using the elements of design (line, shape, mass, texture, and color) to interpret their adjectives. Beginning students and non-costume designers may need help drawing the human fgure; you may want to provide croquis. When we used this project for our Costume Design class recently, another layer was added. I had wanted to fnd a way to incorporate the creation of personal style boards and thought these two projects might go well together. Outside of class, students created a Pinterest style board of fve to ten slides that showed their personal style. In class, each person presented and discussed their board. Students were then challenged to each to come up with a onesentence phrase that summarized their style (this was hard for them!). Some of the phrases they came up with included Edgy Dark Minimalism, Comfortable 80s Dad, and Slutty Queer Fairy.

Costume Design Projects

From there we proceeded with the project much as it is described above. The assignment was to create the rendering, choosing three of the adjectives to use as inspiration, as well as the style phrase. The students formed a Chat group, shared their Pinterest boards, and interviewed each other – all on their own; this wasn’t assigned. They really enjoyed this project, and I think the added layer was a useful one. In Figure 4-43, Lydia started with the adjectives caring, unapologetic, whimsical, passionate, and fearless for her rendering for fellow student Ivy.

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Caesar and Cleopatra, George Bernard Shaw James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Considering character development through fve costumes for same character Time required: Three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Charm, Philip Dawkins (character development for multiple characters) Period: Ancient Egypt (50 B.C.) Character: Cleopatra (fve costumes) JB gave several hints regarding costume and character, which are noted below, along with my notes. 1. Act I – In the Sphinx. JB:

F I G U R E 4 - 4 2 Name Your Adjective Project, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

For Figure 4-44, Ivy started with the adjectives vibrant, youthful, curious, kind, and bubbly for her rendering for fellow student Kaydee.

I found that the tendency of (and trap for) the students was to include little hints on her frst costume that she is a ‘princess’ but through Caesar’s lines about her it is very clear that he does not pick up on this. Point out to the students that he ‘conquered the world’ (almost) and is a very smart, sophisticated, worldly man. If the designer is sending signals to the audience, how is it that Caesar would not pick up on them? Do we presume the audience is more perceptive than Caesar? I don’t think so! There needs to be something of the ‘urchin’ about her look. 2. Act I – Adding her crown and robes with Caesar (this creates a totally different look for her, but there is not a lot of time to add costumes onstage. Don’t break the momentum of the scene.) 3. Act IV – In her boudoir (why is this scene set there? What sort of “intimate apparel” would she wear? Consider the intimacy of the scene.) 4. Act IV – Dinner costume – palace roof (she sees herself at the pinnacle of her political power, and she has learned how to use her sexuality. Shaw gives her a substantial entrance – use it.)

Name Your Adjective Project, Ivy Karissa Nechama Martinez, Shenandoah University FIGURE 4-43

5. Act V – Final costume – saying farewell to Caesar (she is in mourning. How do we keep this costume from being anticlimactic?)

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Notes: JB – “It was an exercise in character progression from a young girl who is treated almost as a peasant to an infuential queen”. This was an assignment for a graduate class in Character Delineation. Shaw, wordy playwright that he was, gave many details about Cleopatra’s character and her visual look. This is a great exercise in careful research of both script and character. I took this class with JB; below are some of my notes for my presentation: Costume 1 – Moonlight image (I used silvers and pinks). She is not dressed up but wearing whatever she had on at the palace. It was probably picked out by Ftatateeta. The costume should emphasize her youth; she should not look womanly. There is a line about her being Gypsy-like.

F I G U R E 4 - 4 5 Cleopatra 2, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 4 - 4 4 Cleopatra 1, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Costume 2 – I described how the robes went on onstage. The costume was all-enveloping to suggest that they wore her; that she was a little girl playing dress-up. Costume 3 – This costume makes her look slightly more adult. Note: JB added this one, if you would like to have a sixth costume. Costume 4 – Her colors moved into warmer tones as she matured. Her costume was more

F I G U R E 4 - 4 6 Cleopatra 3, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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fgure-revealing as she became more self-aware. This is the frst time we see her personality change – she sheds her vulnerability. Costume 5 – I used the image of the sunset to dress her in deep, hot colors, glittering with gold. The colors were meant to refect her hot emotions, and the costume was sheer, sexual, and very body-revealing (she is aware of using her power). It was also very dramatic, to heighten her entrance. Costume 6 – I thought she saw herself as a tragic fgure at this point. Dressing her in black, but with a rich silk shawl with long fringe and gold embroidery, set her apart from the other women. The shawl was meant to evoke the night sky and stars.

F I G U R E 4 - 4 7 Cleopatra 4, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Othello, William Shakespeare James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: How does period choice affect design and character? Time required: Four weeks outside of class with color roughs Period: 1530–40

F I G U R E 4 - 4 8 Cleopatra 5, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Characters: Othello Desdemona Cassio Iago Emilia This is a multi-part project on character delineation: Part 1 – Design costumes for the character of Othello for the following scenes:

F I G U R E 4 - 4 9 Cleopatra 6, Caesar and Cleopatra, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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2-i – Entrance into Cyprus

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3-iii – Garden (handkerchief scene)

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4-i – Othello’s ft of epilepsy

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5-ii – Murder of Desdemona

Notes for students – this is the disintegration of a noble character – how do we show his fall from grace? He is the tragic hero with a faw – he allows Iago to plant the seeds of jealousy in his head. How can we use the elements of design in this process? The second and third costumes for 3-iii and 4-i may be the same costume with some sort of change, as it could be inferred to be the same day.

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Students complete color roughs for the frst week. Part 2 – Design costumes for the following characters for Act 3-iii: •

Desdemona

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Emilia

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Cassio

•

Iago

How do the choices already made for Othello affect the choices for these characters? Palette and type of dress are two areas to consider. One point for students regarding color – they should strive to not be obvious; for example, matching Desdemona and Othello, or using green for jealousy. As JB put it when he taught this project, don’t state the obvious, especially with color coding – all of this is already set up. These are fve principals: fve individual voices singing together but singing their own lyrics. Each comes from an individual place. Students create color roughs for the four characters. Part 3 – Design costumes for the same fve characters in the same scene, in modern dress. Othello could be seen less in a military role, but more of an ambassador or diplomat. Iago is a minor diplomat or private secretary, or possibly Desdemona’s father’s attaché. Desdemona is the daughter of a senator. Students may move the setting out of Venice if they choose. For this part of the project, students are not creating costume renderings, but instead research boards (perhaps on Pinterest or another online platform). There should be one board for each character, and students may have more than one idea for each character’s costume. Color should also be shown with swatches. Part 4 – Complete (period) renderings, altering color roughs as necessary, for the fve characters for 3-iii, but not for the other three Othello roughs. When these renderings are brought to class for presentation, the two sets of roughs and the research boards should also be brought.

Notes: This was part of JB’s Character Delineation course, and when we brought in our fnal research boards, much of the conversation centered around what moving the show into the modern day told us about these characters. Many of us found the characters easier to relate to and design for in modern dress. How could we bring what we learned to approaching period costume? Was our color palette still appropriate, and did our modern palette adjust our color values? He

particularly stressed Desdemona, asking us to consider how we could communicate our ideas about her to a modern audience while using period clothing. A few character notes for the instructor to consider when looking at renderings: Othello – He begins as the conquering hero, a professional soldier. For the second costume, is there a way to suggest vulnerability? For the third (same?) costume, fnd a way to suggest a progression, a stripping of layers, or dignity, of energy. For the fnal costume, the scene is their bedroom, a very private and intense moment. This is Othello at his most vulnerable. Desdemona – She is younger than Othello; she is from a wealthy and aristocratic background; she is pretty. She is also a strong character; she is brave and true. Can we show a little skin at the shoulders and neck to heighten a pretty, slightly sexy, vulnerable quality for this scene? Emilia – Older than Desdemona, she is Iago’s wife and lower socially than Desdemona. She is a little cynical and down-to-earth; the irony is that even she is fooled by Iago. Cassio – In this scene he is hungover, contrite, and embarrassed. An open and honest character, he has an educated background in addition to being young and handsome. He should be dressed simply and yet with care. Iago – Layers can help to show how much he hides his true character. He is a soldier who has worked his way up, probably from a poorer background. He plays the role of a simple, down-to-earth friend who Othello trusts and feels comfortable with.

F I G U R E 4 - 5 0 Othello, Othello, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Period: 1904, Russia ASSIGNMENT: Students render the thirteen characters above. All fabrics are swatched, two inches by four inches, and arranged top to bottom or out to in. Students are to imagine that the show is ready to move into the shop and can be started without them, as if they were designing long distance. Part of the assignment was also to provide pattern research for the character of Madame Ranevsky.

F I G U R E 4 - 5 1 Desdemona, Othello, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov

Notes: This was the culminating project for JB’s Character Delineation course. It is perhaps more suited to graduate students, as it is a complex play and a big rendering project if all thirteen characters are used. The use of symbolism in Chekhov’s later work makes this project a particularly interesting one. The melancholy of the piece, the superfuous quality of the nobility, the rich lushness of deep summer, doomed to the death of autumn – there is an acknowledgment of the ending of a way of life in Russia at the turn of the 20th century. Rendering the whole set of characters is a valuable part of this assignment. They represent a variety of social classes; you might think of them as the haves and the have-nots.

James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Using swatches to advance character Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Red Velvet, Lolita Chakrabarti Characters: Lyuba Ranevsky Yermolay Lopakin Leonid Gayev Varya Anya Peter Trofmof Firs Dunyasha Yasha Charlotte Boris Simeonov-Pishchik Simon Yepikhodov A Passerby

F I G U R E 4 - 5 2 Anya, The Cherry Orchard, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Projects That Utilize Well-Known Figures The Meeting of Victoria and Albert James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Designing the same costume for different types of productions Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternate characters: Other historical couples such as Marc Antony and Cleopatra, Kalaˉkaua and Kapi’olani, and Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The farce may be eliminated if it seems inappropriate. Period: 1840 Characters: Victoria Albert The setting is a ball; Victoria is eighteen. Students must frst research the period and determine appropriate dress for each character. The assignment is to then design one basic costume for four styles of shows: •

Realistic drama

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Musical comedy – they are singing a duet to each other with very lush, romantic music (think Disney’s Beauty and the Beast).

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Classical ballet – pas de deux. Students will need to research traditional classical ballet costume and movement – a pas de deux implies partner movement such as chest slides by the ballerina and lifts at the waist by her partner.

•

Farce for TV (the scale will be very close). Students are encouraged to look at Carol Burnett satires and Saturday Night Live sketches. For this part of the project, there are two guest stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Victoria) and Danny DeVito (Albert).

Students start with one set of research and therefore start at the same place for all four designs. For Victoria, for example,

one dress is designed and then adapted for the style of each production. What changes are made for each show? The basic color must remain the same; value and intensity may be altered. Trim and accessories may be added or subtracted; the length of the dress may be changed for Victoria, and different fabrics may be used. Students should consider the appropriate house size or venue for each show, the nature of the genre, and the expectations of the audience coming to see it. Four renderings should be created, with one couple per rendering.

Notes: Give students a few hints – Victoria is eighteen and meeting the man who becomes her consort and the love of her life. The marriage was pre-arranged (was her love equally reciprocated? This has been debated). Should Albert be in a military uniform or formal wear? This assignment is usually preceded with the lecture on Design Styles. This sets the stage, so to speak, for considering different genres. Students generally enjoy this project, but they do not always get the point, which is to alter the same basic costume as the genre changes. For undergraduates, this is a substantial amount of research, so you may not choose to assign a one-week turnaround. It has been used as the fnal project for our Costume Design class, as this assignment is given well in advance. The pair of characters can be altered. It is important, for the farce, to stress that students should fnd a way for the costumes to be part of the joke, and not just draw the two men in funny poses, with ordinary costumes. My friend and fellow University of Illinois student, Jessica Parr, teaches an adaptation of this project at Northwestern State University. She explains, I altered the Victoria and Albert project for my current undergraduate students by condensing it to three categories (straight play, musical, and farce). I began using Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Victoria and Jack Black as Albert to appeal to younger generations yet maintain the humor of the large muscle man and the short round goofball.

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F I G U R E 4 - 5 3 A realistic drama, “Victoria and Albert”, Nicole Lala, Northwestern State University

F I G U R E 4 - 5 4 A musical comedy, “Victoria and Albert”, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 4 - 5 5 A classical ballet, “Victoria and Albert”, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

The Tooth of Crime, Sam Shepard James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Updating a period show to refect the same message; designing for well-known social fgures Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Period: modern day Characters: Hoss Crow

F I G U R E 4 - 5 6 A TV Farce, “Victoria and Albert”, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

For the assignment, the play is moved to modern day, and students pick two specifc musicians on which to model the show. Hoss is the older, established star, and Crow is the contender. Students may change the gender of the character(s). The challenge is to make the same statement, with the update and choice of performers’ genre, that the show made in 1972. The characters do not change clothes, so only two renderings are needed.

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Notes: Tooth of Crime is about dueling rock stars – when Sam Shepard wrote it in the late 60s (it premiered in 1972), he was writing about the changes in music in the 60s. JB suggested that the characters were based on Elvis Presley and Mick Jagger. Students enjoy this project because they are choosing performers who are relevant to them. When I took JB’s class in 1998, I chose Prince as Hoss and Snoop Dogg as Crow, as I thought the street quality of rap was very appropriate for Crow, and classmates had choices from all over the music industry. Hoss was the innovator; now he is the accepted standard. Crow is from a world he doesn’t understand or relate to, and Hoss can’t follow Crow’s slang. Crow does not have a glam image; he is a tough survivor and the “master adapter”. There is a real danger and immediacy to Crow that Hoss tries to cultivate but lacks; he is so mainstream and conventional that he is out of the loop. Hoss talks about the breakdown of the system; the loss of art and craft – a familiar argument. This is an interesting challenge for students.

F I G U R E 4 - 5 8 Crow, The Tooth of Crime, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Actor to Actor Project James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner to Advanced Learning Goal: How does a well-known actor affect costume design choices? Time required: Two weeks with color roughs for original project; three weeks for revision This project has morphed; the original project is described below, followed by JB’s new version. As JB points out, the original project is dated – do students know who Lena Horne is? Are they familiar with this song, and what Madonna’s style was when she sang it? How relevant are music videos at this point? However, the gist of the project – designing for a modern performer playing a classic star, is still relevant and useful. ORIGINAL: Period: Modern Character: Madonna as Lena Horne F I G U R E 4 - 5 7 Hoss, The Tooth of Crime, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Two songs are played for the class: Madonna’s “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” and Lena Horne’s “Stormy Weather”.

Costume Design Projects

The class discusses the differences and similarities between the two songs: voice timbre, sense of place, story of the song and how it is told, mood of song. The assignment is to imagine a video for Madonna emulating Lena Horne, singing “Love Don’t Live Here. . .”. Students should consider the differences between theatre and flm. Students create a rendering for the costume for the video, setting the style and story of the piece. They should research Horne’s 30s club acts, as well as researching Madonna’s style – how would she use Lena Horne’s image? One rendering will be brought to class, with research included in the presentation. This is for a modern video, which can be thought of as a club act with a beginning and an end. It can have a story within the video.

It is done in two parts, the frst presenting research of the iconic star and discussing that woman’s fgure and taste (what is similar about most of the clothes she wore?), and a similar presentation of the actress of their choice with the same discussion. The second part, a week later, is the design for the flm. The fact that the costume is for a made-for-TV movie brings in the scale issue and the project also presents the challenge of melding two different images into one.

Notes: The original project was part of a course JB offered at the University of Illinois in the 90s. For a modern project, you may wish to use a different modern singer than Madonna, but care should be taken to fnd a performer who has the same quality of reinventing her image. It would certainly be appropriate to consider a singer of color. These are stories of lost love, but with different methods of expressing passion and pain. JB:

F I G U R E 4 - 5 9 Madonna as Lena Horne, Actor to Actor Project, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

REVISED PROJECT: Students are designing a costume for a made-for-TV biopic of an iconic movie star: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, etc., to be played by a contemporary actress (or actor) of their choice. The instructor can come up with the situation: dinner party, movie premier, awards ceremony, press interview, etc. The goal is to justify the look of the iconic actress and the taste of the contemporary actress.

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A few years ago, I did a one-on-one tutorial with a senior in high school and assigned this project. The high school student loved the (revised) project and had great success with it. She was surprised at how easy it was to determine the taste of each of the actresses by looking at a number of things that they had worn in life and on flm; one almost always dressed in shades and tints of the same hue; or one always wore patterned fabrics or heavily decorated garments; or one always wore plain undecorated fabrics with the emphasis on the line, shape, and drape of the garment; or one wore asymmetrical garments; etc. etc.  Were there ‘fgure problems’ that were compensated for with the designs? Edith Head’s designs for Barbara Stanwyck always compensated for the fact that she was short-waisted and whoever designed Judy Garland’s costumes tried to compensate for her very short neck, etc. It was challenging but the high school senior was very bright and very into pop entertainment and current fashion so in some ways the project was right up her alley. Music videos don’t have the same relevance for students today as they did in the 1990s; this is one reason JB suggested the change to the project.

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Sweet Bird of Youth (Tennessee Williams)/The Trojan Women (Euripides) James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Designing two different shows for the same well-known actors. How does the actor’s style infuence design choices? Time required: Five weeks with color roughs Alternate script: Top Girls, Caryl Churchill (choose two characters from Act 1) Characters: Sweet Bird of Youth – Princess Kosmonopolis The Trojan Women – Helen of Troy Period: •

Sweet Bird of Youth – 1959

•

The Trojan Women – Ancient Greece (5th century BC)

ASSIGNMENT: This project develops students’ ability to consider what the actor brings to the costume design discussion. Two wellknown female actors are assigned to students for the frst week of the project. JB suggests Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn (see his notes below), or the instructor may choose two stars that seem appropriate: stylistically and physically different from one another. Options could include modern stars like J.Lo, Tilda Swinton, Viola Davis, etc. Students begin with Sweet Bird of Youth and the character of the Princess Kosmonopolis, Act 2. For the frst week, students bring in research of a few choices for each actor; imagining that they are presenting research to their actors. This research should suggest each actor’s style and taste, and it should consider the age of the actor. How do they differ? How would their interpretation of this character differ? The design must be based on four factors: •

The student’s perception of the character

•

Research of the period

•

The body type of each actor

•

The student’s perception of each actor’s public persona

For the second week, students create color roughs with swatches (same character, two different roughs – one for each actor). It is suggested that they consider the color palette popular in the late 50s, and JB suggested that students render directly from their research, making their own statement with their color and fabric choices. When the roughs are presented, the research should also be shown again. Color plates are then completed. For the second part of the project, students use The Trojan Women and the character of Helen of Troy. The same two actors are used to design this character, with the same parameters as above. Students create color roughs with swatches for week one, are critiqued, and then create color plates with corrections. Again, how do they differ? How would their interpretation of this character differ? This is a period that students will be less familiar with, so understanding how to refect the actor’s persona will be more challenging – therefore it is the second part of the project.

Notes: JB: Two ‘stars’ who were very different body types and very different public personas.  One was obviously sexy; the other more elegant. I think it would be easier for today’s students to see Marilyn Monroe in Sweet Bird and the clothes of 1959 would be similar to what she wore during her heyday. It would be more challenging to see her in Greek garb. Consider using Audrey Hepburn as the second star. Her young boyish, fat-chested fgure (not to mention her elegance) would be a greater contrast to M.M. than Grace Kelly, who was elegant but had a 1950s fgure albeit not to the degree of M.M. Two years ago, I did a one-on-one tutorial with a high school senior who was interested in pursuing a career in costume or fashion design. I started by letting her pick two current actresses who had different fashion taste and public personas. She chose two television celebrities that I didn’t know or had never seen. But I had her bring in lots of pictures of them that she got off the internet, so I had an idea of their personal taste. It ended up working quite well. JB adds: Another project I did with the high school student that she found frustrating (which was a good thing

Costume Design Projects

as we have all been there in real life and found it frustrating) was as follows: using the contemporary stars she chose, I gave her the scenario that they were going to play cameo roles in a big Hollywood movie and the scene was the red carpet at the Oscars. They would be walking the carpet and identifed by the master of ceremonies as they passed by. The crowd would cheer as they entered the theatre. Money was no object. They and the director would expect them to be dressed in designer/couture gowns. The student was to do paste-up boards with research for the gowns of their choice as well as the jewelry and shoes. She was to discuss how the style of the dresses, the color palette, fabric, and the accessories refect the taste of each actress. The second step included the same scenario but this time it was a low-budget, independent flm being produced and directed by a dear friend, and they were appearing as a favor to them. I gave the student a budget of $1,500 ($750 per actress) and they now had to fnd gowns, shoes, and jewelry within the confnes of that budget while still refecting the taste of each actress.

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F I G U R E 4 - 6 0 The Princess Kosmonopolis, Sweet Bird of Youth, Karen J. Weber, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

This project is a very useful exercise in considering the style of a star and how it affects costume designers working with them. It is a logical project to follow the Music Video Project and/or The Tooth of Crime. They were all part of JB’s Character Delineation course. As a student, it was fascinating to analyze both characters and then bring out aspects of each character for each actor. Starting with a period with more accessible research and more of a realistic slant (1959) and then moving to a more abstract period (ancient Greece) is also an interesting challenge.

Projects That Use Diverse and Non-Western Cultures Medea, Euripides

F I G U R E 4 - 6 1 Helen of Troy, The Trojan Women, Karen J. Weber, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Researching and designing for a non-Western culture; interpreting a classic script through this culture

Time required: Three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternate script: Twelve Ophelias, Caridad Svich Period: Specifc to culture

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Characters: Medea Aegeus Creon Jason Medea’s two small boys Tutor Nurse Chorus (three women) For this assignment, students are assigned a specifc nonWestern country in which to interpret the play and design costumes for the above characters. Students research the period and also present this research when the renderings are shown.

Notes: Looking at this play through the lens of a different culture brings home the universality of its themes – exile, revenge, hubris, manipulation, and the roles of men and women – justice in an unjust society. It is also an opportunity to explore non-Western dress and culture and moving a play out of its original period. When I took JB’s Styles class, of which this was the culminating project, it also challenged me to draw people who did not look like me (my country was Nigeria). I knew very little about Nigeria and its people and fnding a way to ft the story into this country’s culture, particularly the relationship between Medea (the alien), and the Greek community, was a creative and meaningful exercise. Medea is described repeatedly as a descendant of the sun – how can students use this?

F I G U R E 4 - 6 2 Chorus, Medea, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

See below for a cross-listing of other projects that utilize diverse and non-Western cultures.

CROSS-LISTED PROJECTS Diverse and Non-Western Projects from Other Sections and Chapters Chapter Three: Costume Design: The Class: •

JB: My purpose was to throw a wrench in the students’ thinking. It has happened to me and perhaps to you too. One knows that one is about to design Macbeth and you start thinking Celtic costumes but walk into the frst production meeting and the director says, ‘I want to set this play in 13th century Mongolia’. As I remember I selected as many non-Western cultures as there were students in the class, wrote the name on a slip of paper, and each student drew one. That way the chances of their selecting a culture with which they were already familiar for whatever reason was slim.

Diversity in the Industry Group Project

Chapter Four: Costume Design Projects: •

Macbeth (Projects that use Fabric and Swatching)

•

Flyin’ West (Full Semester Project)

•

Twilight Los Angeles: 1992 (Projects for Beginners and Non-Majors)

Chapter Six: Costume Rendering Projects: •

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Rendering Figures in Motion)

Costume Design Projects

•

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Caesar and Cleopatra (Projects That Explore Character Development)

•

The House That Will Not Stand (Representing Character in Renderings)

•

Period Forms (Artists, Fashion, and Copywork)

•

Fashion Illustration Copywork (Same)

•

Modern Designers (Same)

•

The Rehearsal (Styles Projects)

•

Fabric Swatching Project, Anna in the Tropics variation (Projects That Use Fabric)

•

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (full version) (Rendering Figures in Motion)

•

Antigone (with dye work) (Projects That Work With Color)

•

The Tempest (Projects That Use Art)

•

The Romancers (Projects That Use Art)

Rendering Projects:

See Chapter Seven for plays by diverse playwrights.

Other Projects That Use Music •

Kiss Me, Kate (Research Projects Culminating in Design)

•

The Music Man (Projects That Explore Character Development)

Other Projects That Use Fabric and Swatching •

Opera Project (Projects That Use Music)

•

Othello (Projects That Explore Character Development)

BIBLIOGRAPHY Finch, Christopher, Norman Rockwell: 332 Magazine Covers, New York: Abbeville Press, 1994 USITT, ed. Patricia Martin, Anne Hoste, Donna Meester, and Pam Rehberg, Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium (A Project of the USITT Costume Design and Technology Commission), Liverpool: USITT, 1998

Scripts Projects More Appropriate for Graduate Students Costume Design Projects: •

Picnic (Projects That Use Art)

•

Camino Reale (Research Projects Culminating in Design)

•

The Opera Project (full version) (Projects That Use Music)

•

Anna Christie/New Girl in Town (Projects That Explore Character Development)

•

Hello, Dolly! (Projects That Use Fabric and Swatching)

•

The Cherry Orchard (because of size) (Projects That Explore Character Development)

•

The Trojan Women/Sweet Bird of Youth (Projects That Use Well-Known Figures)

•

Othello (Projects That Explore Character Development)

Agay, Denes, Rice, Tim, and Webber, Andrew Lloyd, Jesus Christ Superstar, Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1985 Anonymous, Everyman and Other Miracle and Morality Plays, Mineola: Dover, 1995 Chakrabarti, Lolita, Red Velvet, London: Bloomsbury, 2014 Chekhov, Anton, The Cherry Orchard, Mineola: Dover, 1991 Churchill, Caryl, Top Girls, Samuel French: London, 1982 Cleage, Pearl, Flyin’ West and Other Plays, Syracuse: TCG, 1999 Dawkins, Philip, Charm, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2018 Deavere Smith, Anna, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, New York: Anchor, 1994 Euripides, Ten Plays, Kolkata: Signet Press, 1998 (Electra, Medea, The Trojan Women) Gardley, Marcus, A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes, North Yorkshire: Methuen Drama, 2015 Gershwin, George, and Heyward, DuBose, Porgy and Bess, Van Nuys: Alfred Publishing, 1993 Gurney, A. R., Sylvia, New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1996

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Harris, Jeremy O., Slave Play, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2019 Hwang, David Henry, M. Butterfy, New York: Plume, 1989 Inge, William, Picnic, Dramatists Play Service, 1998 Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden, An Octoroon, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2015 Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden, Everybody, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2023 Joplin, Scott, Treemonisha, Mineola: Dover Opera Scores, 2012 Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, Don Giovanni, New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1986 Nottage, Lynn, Intimate Apparel, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2005 O’Neill, Eugene, Anna Christie, Bexar County: Bibliotech Press, 2022. Puccini, Giacomo, La Bohème, New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1986 Rivera, José, Marisol and Other Plays, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1997 Sampson, Tori, The Cadillac Crew, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2021 Shakespeare, William, William Shakespeare Complete Works 2nd Edition, New York: Modern Library, 2022 (Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello) Shaw, George Bernard, Selected Plays of Bernard Shaw, New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1948 Shepard, Sam, Seven Plays, New York: Dial Press, 1984 (The Tooth of Crime)

Svich, Caridad, Twelve Ophelias, New York: NoPassport Press, 2008 Valdez, Luis, Zoot Suit and Other Plays, Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1992 Verdi, Giuseppe, Rigoletto, New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1986 Williams, Tennessee, Camino Real, New York: New Directions, 2008 Williams, Tennessee, Sweet Bird of Youth, New York: New Directions, 2008 Wolfe, George C, and Birkenhead, Susan, Jelly’s Last Jam, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1993 Musical librettos can be trickier to come by. Here are the companies that own the rights, as well as a novelized version of The Music Man: Eyen, Tom, and Krieger, Henry, Dreamgirls, New York, Concord Theatricals, 1981 Herman, Jerry and Stewart, Michael, Hello, Dolly!, New York, Concord Theatricals, 1964 Merrill, Bob, and Abbott, George, New Girl in Town (italicize play title), New York, Music Theatre International, 1957 Specack, Bella and Sam, and Porter, Cole, Kiss Me, Kate, New York: Concord Theatricals, Revised 1999 Wilson, Meredith and Lacey, Frank, The Music Man, New York: Music Theatre International, 1957 Wilson, Meredith, The Music Man: A Novel, Boynton Beach: Pyramid Books, 1962

Chapter 5 C O S T U M E R E N D E R I N G T H E C L A S S

C L A S S :

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION What is costume rendering? It is the term used to describe a drawing of a costume, created by a costume designer.This is the professional term we use in our industry, in much the same way that we speak of building a costume, not making one. Both terms refect the complexity and skills required of what we do. Costume Rendering can be a stand-alone class, part of an Introduction to Costuming class, or a multiple-semester class (more common at the graduate level and some BFA programs). I have taught the subject of Costume Rendering (currently titled Studio 3 at our school) in various ways over my twenty-fve-year teaching career. This chapter will share ways to structure the class, although like all classes, I am continually refning it! Over the years, I have changed as an artist and educator, and the student body has changed in terms of how they approach their education, their art, and the world – any educator who doesn’t reassess their classes regularly is doing their students a disservice. In our current undergraduate class, we cover graphic arts media such as acrylic, gouache, and markers as well as Costume Rendering. While this may seem like a lot to cover in one semester, it is important to explain that in our Studio series, which all theatre design students take, Studio 1 has a brief unit on drawing the human fgure and covers pencil and charcoal, Studio 2 teaches watercolor, the frst half of Studio 3 covers additional graphic art skills as mentioned above, and Studio 4 teaches Computer Rendering, all of which I used to try to cover in a one-semester class. Now, each of these classes is an entire semester. Not all instructors of a Costume Rendering class will have the beneft of their students getting DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-5

prior classes in drawing and graphic media before taking their class, so this chapter will cover the Costume Rendering class from the most basic to the most complex. If you have never taught a rendering class before and don’t know where to start, I’ll walk you through the process. If you teach in a setting that allows you to cover more material, I’ll discuss that as well. Later in the chapter we’ll touch on teaching digital rendering, a large subject, and provide further resources. We’ll talk about how I have taught various iterations of Costume Rendering over the years, and how to cover what students need if you only have one class for everything related to Costume Rendering. If you need to teach an introduction to Costumes class, see Costume Design Classes for Secondary Education and Non-Design-Major Undergraduates for a class that includes a small amount of rendering and is meant as a generalist course that introduces students, both majors and nonmajors, to costume design and technology. If you are teaching more advanced classes, or have the beneft of multiple graphic arts classes, expanded topics and projects will be covered at the end of the chapter. Many books will be referenced in this chapter that are useful for content for teaching costume rendering. All of them are listed in the bibliography. As a costume educator, it will behoove you to start a good costume library, if you haven’t already begun collecting books. There is, of course, a lot of worthwhile information available online, but keep in mind, as we tell our students, that the internet is not always a dependable resource. What should a student get out of a Costume Rendering class? Here is an example of some possible learning outcomes, as well as some projects that can fulfll them, for a 149

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beginning Costume Rendering class. All of these projects may be found in Chapter 6.

5. Render in a variety of styles (Princess and the Frog project, Styles Princess project, Modern Designer project).

Learning Outcomes

6. Render in a variety of media (Heeley, Rockwell (Picnic), and Marker projects).

Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Accurately render the human fgure. 2. Accurately render clothing and fabric, including fabric movement, to clearly communicate the idea of the costume. 3. Accurately render the human face. 4. Work in basic graphic media (pencil, charcoal, and watercolor).

evidence of Student Learning 1. Period Forms (as well as the other rendering projects, but this is the baseline). 2. Period Forms project, Fabrics Painting project, Still Life project, Figures in Motion (fnal). 3. The House That Will Not Stand project. 4. Still Life, Fabric Painting project. For a more advanced class, add these learning outcomes:

Table 5-1

Rendering in a large variety of media is not strictly necessary for a beginning class, so if you can at least include watercolor, pencil, and charcoal, you will have given students a good foundation on which to build.The ability to render in more than one style may be too advanced for beginning students, but the Styles project above is a good introduction to thinking about things like line weight, crosshatching to show shadow and highlight, and being suggestive as well as realistic. It’s a useful project for a class with some familiarity with graphic skills.

WHAT TO COVER IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE CLASS If you are in a situation in which you need to teach costume rendering, including graphic art skills like pencil and watercolor, in one semester, here is a potential schedule.This assumes that you have your students for two classes per week, one-and-a-half hours for each class, for a ffteen-week semester. If your timing is different, adjustments can be made to the schedule below. All of this is expanded in more detail in Table 5-1.

Class schedule for Rendering class with graphic arts

Week

Day 1

Day 2

assignment

1

Class introduction: go over all class supplies (have for Day 2)

Introduction to pencil

Cubes and Spheres

2

pencil (continued)

Introduction to Charcoal

Still Life in Charcoal

3

Still Life – Model

Drawing from Life – fabric still life

(In-class work)

4

human Figure

human Figure

Figures – fve male-presenting/fve femalepresenting

5

Period Forms

Period Forms

Period Forms project

6

Introduction to Watercolor; lecture/Color theory

Watercolor (continued)

Color wheel, value and complement scales Period Forms due

7

Watercolor continued – practice washes

Watercolor continued – paint rendering

Instructor provides line drawing of fgure to paint

8

Faces

hands and Feet

The House That Will Not Stand project

9

Color roughs due/The House. . .

Workday

10

present The House. . . renderings

painting Fabric

Fabric Painting project – original version; one to three renderings as desired

Costume Rendering: The Class

Week

Day 1

Day 2

assignment

11

Color roughs due – Fabric Painting Project

Introduction to Digital rendering

assign Figures in Motion – A Midsummer Night’s Dream project

12

present Fabric Painting Project renderings

Digital rendering (continued)

Digital rendering of a princess

13

Digital rendering (continued)

present digital princess

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Discuss setting choices for Figures in Motion 14

Color roughs due – Figures in Motion

15

present Figures in Motion at fnal exam

Workday

The class should consist of work time and presentation of projects. This shouldn’t be a lecture class for the most part, although demonstrations are going to be very useful. If you feel unsure of your own media skills and your ability to teach them, there are many YouTube videos available, plus the books referenced in this chapter, both to strengthen your skill set and to use in class. As projects are due, depending on the number of students, take time in class for them to present their work and get feedback. The classwork will be included in this chapter. The projects in this class help students to draw the human fgure and clothe it, draw faces, hands and feet, paint fabric, and if there is time, work on developing their own rendering style(s). The class also touches on digital rendering, if you are able to include it. You may fnd that your students already have some Photoshop or Procreate skills. If this is too much to include, those two weeks can be used for more time for other projects currently in the schedule. For example, more time for Period Forms, or Hands and Feet. The culminating project teaches students to draw fgures in motion, using the entrance of the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I have used other projects over the years, which will be included at the end of this chapter for those teaching more advanced classes.

WORKDAYS, FEEDBACK, AND GRADING Students work at different rates and speeds. I remember being terribly frustrated at how slowly I rendered in graduate school, while my friend Jessie, a fellow frst-year student, could produce beautiful renderings in what seemed like no time at all. Our students express similar concerns – why is that student better/faster than me? How can I compare? Well, don’t compare, is what I say to start with – but that is

very easy to say. And hard advice to follow when you are a new designer. But ultimately, I want each student to develop their own style, ideally a fexible one, and it takes time and practice to develop that. I came to graduate school at the University of Illinois with minimal graphic art training (two fashion drawing classes during my undergraduate time, and no painting skills). In my second semester, while taking Costume Rendering, I wailed to my professor, JB, that I was not progressing, that I was not good at rendering, that I had no confdence in myself. He was very kind in encouraging me, and he told me that he had seen students plateau for long periods and then suddenly make a jump to a new level of ability, like putting down roots and suddenly having a growth spurt. That sounded great, but I didn’t have a lot of faith it would happen to me. But I kept drawing and painting, and later that semester, amazingly, it did happen! I didn’t realize it until I was fnishing the Romeo and Juliet project, and thought, huh, these renderings look a little different. When I presented them in class, JB said, “What happened?” and proceeded to praise me – I had made the jump! It was probably one of my proudest days in graduate school. I tell that story to students who struggle, and one just this past spring did the same thing with the Flyin’ West project that ended the Costume Design class. But this doesn’t happen without a lot of practice, keeping the hand loose, and developing a strong skill set. All of this is to say, a good class schedule allows students to work at varying rates and skill levels. This is why it is good to build in a lot of practice in class workdays, so you can see what they are doing. Take care to critique them accordingly. You can imagine I made quite a fuss over the student above, who had been terribly discouraged. Sometimes there is valid criticism to be given that a student might not be ready to process. Too much criticism can

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shut students down. I always, always look for positive things to point out, in addition to constructive suggestions. Along those same lines, while it might seem easy to just demonstrate where students are having diffculty on their own drawings, I never draw on a student’s work, in progress or fnished, without their permission. It is their art and I respect it and them. When projects are due, students present them in class and receive an oral critique from the instructor, and, with the presenter’s permission, from the rest of the class. Our students have generally been very supportive of each other and always provide positive and constructive criticism. If a student chooses to be negative in a way that is not constructive, the discussion needs to stop and pivot to defning what is meant by constructive criticism. If a student does not want peer feedback, that is honored, and they receive feedback from the instructor alone.The reason students present their work in class is that it is part of their training – any design student needs to have the ability to present their work succinctly and confdently to a group, as they will do this in production meetings and at rehearsals throughout their career. Students are expected to be able to explain their design decisions, not just say, “I like it”, or “I thought it was pretty”. Why did they design it this way, and how does it relate to the character, the script, the assignment? It is diffcult to grade in creative felds, and for many of us, grading is our least favorite part of teaching. I never grade students against each other in the Rendering class, nor any creative class. I give an oral critique, but I do not grade the projects until the end of the semester. This is not my grading method for all classes, but for rendering, I want to see the body of the work as I grade. Students know what I think of individual projects, since they have received the critique, and any student who is concerned about their progress is invited to meet with me to discuss it. At the end of the semester, I lay out all the work for each student so I can see growth and patterns. Each student is graded against themselves – where did they start at the beginning of the semester, and what happened over the course of the class?

THE FIRST CLASS In the frst class, spend time going over the syllabus, class supplies, and the goals of the course.This is a good time to invite feedback from the class about the proposed syllabus and class schedule. For example, students might suggest

that they would like more time on a unit or skill or would like to include something that isn’t currently covered. When students are involved in these choices, their buy-in to the class is much greater. Show a variety of rendering styles by different costume designers, including your own. Costume Design:Techniques of Modern Masters by Lynn Pecktal is a very useful resource.This is a good source of inspiration for students. This moves into a discussion of styles of rendering, and trends in the industry. For example, are designers currently using backgrounds, or is the style to put a simple wash behind the fgure? What works best? This is a good topic to open for discussion, as there are as many answers as there are designers. Personally, I prefer renderings that do not have crowded, busy backgrounds, and allow the eye to focus on the fgure.This can be done with a background wash, a shadow beside or under the fgure, a line beneath the fgure, or a box around the rendering. Another topic is realistic rendering styles versus more suggestive styles. See the Desmond Heeley project as well as the Modern Designers project. A well-executed rendering helps to sell the design. Point out to students that the audience rarely sees our renderings, but many other people do, so at this point we talk about how the rendering shows: •

The director: how the costume designer has interpreted their vision; the rendering sells the design.

•

The other designers: the costume designer’s stylistic approach as well as color choices.

•

The actor: the costume designer’s approach to their character as well as the characters they interact with, and their freedom (or lack) of movement.

•

The costume shop technicians: what to build; it is the blueprint for creating the design. We also talk about designers who render in a very suggestive and abstract manner and the importance of including pencil sketches if this style is desired. If it isn’t clear to the shop what they should build, the rendering is useless to them.

It is important to give students some grounding in what you expect them to include when labeling renderings. Ask for:

Costume Rendering: The Class

•

Name of the play, and the act and scene if appropriate.

•

Name of the character, and costume number, if appropriate.

•

Their signature. o

•

We discuss coming up with their own signature, which can include initials (I use JF Adams), or their entire name. If their signature is diffcult to read, ask them to print their name on the back, to make grading easier.

as needed:

o o

•

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Encourage the use of colored paper like Canson, in addition to plain white paper. However, if you are teaching a class to complete beginners, have them buy one type of paper pad until they gain more experience and skills. Recommend a basic watercolor paper or Bristol board. I love the latter; it is easy to fnd, cheap, and takes paint well.

#2 pencils; other weights if desired. o

It’s fun to play in class with harder and softer pencils.

•

Charcoal sticks.

•

erasers – pink pearl and kneaded erasers are both useful.

•

black fne felt-tipped pens (for Period Forms).

CLASS SUPPLIES

•

Here is a list of the supplies that can be required for any iteration of the class:

White pencils and white charcoal if desired (I like them for highlights).

•

Paint – buy colors and type as needed, rather than buying a big kit. For the beginning class, students should purchase watercolor tubes or cakes in magenta, cyan, yellow, black, and white. This will cover the frst unit, and students can buy more colors as needed for the rendering projects.

o o o

•

Scripts – list titles and authors o

•

•

Make sure students understand that they should not try to paint on newsprint, because it is too thin and will buckle and shred; or use it for fnal rendering plates, because it degrades and yellows over time, like newspapers. It’s a great cheap source of paper for beginners and for rough sketching projects.

o

•

o o

Rendering paper – will depend on the project.

At least two brushes; a larger one for big areas and a smaller one for detail. Avoid cheap brushes, which don’t hold up and tend to molt hairs all over painting surfaces. Be sure to discuss how to wash and take care of brushes.

•

Plastic or ceramic mixing palette.

•

Workable fxative, or hairspray, but the latter cannot be reworked. o

They can share the pad with another student (for Period Forms project).

eighteen- or twenty-four-inch C-thru ruler, for drawing human fgure and measuring proportions.

More advanced projects include gouache, acrylics, and markers, but are not necessary for a beginning class.

brushes – an assortment of sizes and types. o

Tracing paper pad – large enough for ffteeninch fgures. o

•

Currently, I use The House Will Not Stand (for Faces), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (for the Figures in Motion project), and Anna in the Tropics (for the Fabric Painting project). For a beginning class, you may wish to use the original Fabric Painting project, which does not require a script.

Newsprint pad, large enough for ffteen-inch fgures o

•

Notations (it’s fne to write on renderings!) Pencil sketches of details or back views. attached research.

•

This will fx the drawing so it doesn’t smear; particularly important when working with pencil, charcoal, or pastel.

Colored pencils – as needed. o

For a beginning class, they aren’t crucial. Many art stores will sell them by the pencil, which is good from a cost perspective.

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Costume Rendering: The Class

Encourage students to explore media, and for the most part do not dictate what they use for the class projects, unless the media is specifc to the project. For more advanced classes, explain that mixing media is acceptable and encouraged, as is exploring types of media and paper. However, be mindful of the cost of art supplies. I spent so much money on paint and paper and brushes when I was in school, which was diffcult to afford on a graduate student stipend, and it is important to recognize that this is similarly diffcult for many students. To that end, I do not always require a textbook for the class but do give them titles if they want to expand their libraries – see the bibliography. If you do not use a textbook, but want to use handouts from various books, be sure to check with your school library as to how your school handles copyrighted material. There is, of course, also a tremendous amount of material and videos available online. This is a good time to remind students about being wary of online research, as it is often unregulated. However, YouTube and other online videos can augment your demonstrations in class, especially if you feel a little shaky about your skill set.

CLASS TOPICS pencil and Charcoal Pencil work is the most basic way to create a rough sketch on newsprint or other inexpensive paper, which is then transferred to painting paper and painted to create a rendering. Charcoal is less common for renderings, but the ease with which charcoal blends makes it a good medium to teach highlight and shadow work. Begin with pencil, as it is easier to manipulate and control than charcoal. Be sure students have a way to clean up after working with charcoal, as it is messy. You will probably have students with varying skill sets, ranging from complete beginners to students with some impressive arts skills. Allow students to work at their own pace, and for more advanced students, don’t hesitate to move them forward in the projects if they are ready for it. If they already know how to draw and shade a cube, have them draw something more complicated that day, like their shoe. For both pencil and charcoal, students can start with basic geometric shapes that they then shade to create three dimensional objects, such as cubes and spheres. If you need help teaching this, see Draw Fashion Models! by Lee Hammond, Chapter Four – Blending and Shading. The Drawing from Life unit and the Faces project can make use of both pencil and charcoal. Demonstrate how pencils with different lead weights make different marks and blends. Demonstrate how to draw shadows and highlights, and

show them how leaving the paper clean, or using an eraser, can create a highlight. Helen Q. Huang’s book Character Sketch: A Drawing Course for Costume Designers has a good discussion of using pencil and charcoal in costume renderings. Set up a still life on a desk or table and shine a clamp light or other directional source on it. Dim the overheads. This way highlights and lowlights can be seen clearly.

Drawing From Life If you can include a Drawing from Life unit (fgure drawing with a live model), this will be very helpful for students. I often pay a theatre student a small stipend to pose wearing tight-ftting clothing such as dance wear for our class for an hour. If this is not feasible, lean on a colleague or friend, and take them out for coffee afterwards. Ask your model to wear simple clothing with no graphics or prints. Ideally, get models with a variety of body shapes and sizes to encourage students not to draw the same fgure for every rendering. We usually use one of two warm-up exercises to loosen and free the hand: 1. Figure 5-1 The model takes a series of sixteen poses, each for thirty seconds. Students divide a large (18x24) piece of newsprint into sixteen sections by drawing lines with a marker or charcoal stick. They then try to capture the essence of each thirty-second pose in a block. No details are necessary; the drawings should be suggestive and quick.

FIguRe 5-1

Drawing from Life – Warm-up exercise 1

Costume Rendering: The Class

2. Figure 5-2 This time, no boxes are drawn; the poses are still about thirty seconds each, but students do not lift their drawing instrument, and let one pose merge into the next, gradually traveling around the paper (again, 18x24 newsprint). The last pose is held longer (two minutes) to allow more detail to fnish. The whole exercise takes about eight minutes.

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maybe 5 to 10 seconds and put it back in the bag. Tell them to draw it. Lots of screams, and outbursts, then they get down to it. It’s a great exercise to get them to hone their observation skills and dive in. •

Have them do blind contour drawings of each other’s faces. The portraits are hilarious, but also a very useful observation exercise.

After the warm-ups, ask the model to stand in a variety of poses, lengthening in time, with breaks between them for the model. Begin with fve-minute poses and work up to ffteen minutes. Pencil or charcoal may be used; charcoal is darker and easier to see, but it is messier.Try both and see how each works.Time can also be given to capturing highlight and shadow. To draw folds in fabric and to capture highlight and shadow, include class time in which you drape fabric on chairs, tables, or mannequins for students to draw with pencil or charcoal. This can be a separate class, depending on how long your class meets. FIguRe 5-2

Drawing from Life – Warm-up exercise 2

approaching the human Figure This is kind of like stretching for an athlete. It warms up the hand muscles and gets students ready to use their whole hand while drawing, rather than drawing in a cramped fashion, holding the pencil tightly and hunching over the drawing. To aid this, if possible, ask students to stand while they draw, which requires a drafting table or easel that can be raised to a corresponding height. Either of these exercises makes for a good start to the class. As an alternative, you can play music and ask students to draw abstracts (non-representational drawings) as a reaction to the music, as another warm-up. Revealing the title and artist of the music afterwards is always a good way to explore different reactions to the same piece of music. See the Opera project, which uses this method as part of a longer project to create renderings. My friend and fellow costume educator Gypsy Ames shared some of her exercises with me. She says, First up, for my classes, is to get them to loosen up and to observe. Both of these exercises are quick, make them laugh, and get over the fear of the blank page. •

Put a bunch of random stuff in a big opaque bag or box, like a shoe, a tool, whatever. Advise them that they will look at the article and draw it. Take something out, hold it up and turn it about for

The Human Figure is a multi-week unit that uses the Period Forms project, in which students practice drawing fgures and then dressing them in period clothing. The project starts by breaking down students’ drawing style in terms of human proportion and their own accuracy. Students draw a fgure on their own (labeled Figure A) and then draw a second fgure using the eight head method (Figure B), so they can see where their inaccuracies lie. The Human Figure units in the class schedule above are a part of this project. Focusing on all body types is crucial, and this is discussed in the Period Forms project notes. Most of us who have been trained to draw the human fgure for costume design use the standard “seven and a half to eight heads high” model, rather than the ten to twelve head fgure used in fashion design, which distorts the body and is not as useful for theatre. If you are not familiar with this concept, see the excellent book Character Costume Figure Drawing by Tan Huaixiang. When starting the Period Forms project, this is a chance to see where students are having problems drawing the human fgure. If students have previous drawing skills, this project can fne-tune proportion challenges they may be having. We cover the concept of the eight head fgure and proportionally how that works both in terms of height and width (how many heads wide should a man’s shoulders be, for example?). Gypsy Ames suggests teaching students to

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FIguRe 5-3

Handout for Eight Head Figure

consider the hinge points on the skeleton (shoulders, hips, knees, etc.) to help them to understand proportion. The visual to use to discuss heads proportion is in Figure 5-3. Note that this sketch was done from a photograph, and illustrates the fact that people vary within the eight head concept. Students need to be drawing all body shapes and sizes, and different races and ethnicities should be a part of the class. Live model drawing is a great way to encourage students to draw a variety of bodies, as well as using photographs. For more advanced classes, there is a cross referencing of diverse design and rendering projects that encompass non-Western and non-white cultures in Chapter 4. When teaching the frst part of Period Forms, many students have a great deal of diffculty drawing a variety of poses without a visual reference. In the Period Forms project description, there are several links to online websites with models. Students can also create their own fgure morgues on a platform like Pinterest (a similar morgue is created for the Figures in Motion project). After students have drawn fgures A and B as discussed above for the frst part of Period Forms, they work on practicing drawing fgures in a variety of poses. Cover axis lines, drawing an invisible line that shows the support for the body – this usually bifurcates the neck and is centered between the legs for a fgure that is standing with the weight balanced on both sides. This helps students to balance leg placement so that fgures don’t look like they

are tipping over. The ways shoulders and hips work as the body moves are also discussed – see Drawing the Head and Figure by Jack Hamm for good graphics to aid in teaching this. Figure It Out! The Beginner’s Guide to Drawing People, by Chris Hart, has good explanations and graphics for manipulating the human body. Students then practice drawing fgures in a variety of poses, ultimately drawing fve male-presenting and fve female-presenting fgures. For this project, students should avoid complicated poses, as they will be harder to draw period clothes on in the next part of the project. The next step is drawing clothing on these fgures. Demonstrate ways to draw things like gathers, folds, hats, and the way sleeves and collars encircle arms and necks, and make use of illustrations, so students have visuals to work from. I particularly like A Handbook of Costume Drawing: A Guide to Drawing the Period Figure, by Georgia O’Daniel Baker, illustrated by Helen Redel Pullen. Students receive fve period illustrations or paintings to use to dress their fgures. The artwork and fashion illustrations that students work from for this part of the project can be any period you like, but it is effective to start with simpler shapes (1920s and Victorian male-presenting) and move to more complex (Victorian female-presenting) and fnish with the most challenging (Elizabethan and Tudor).

period Forms Victorian woman by Lauren Boughton, Shenandoah University

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There are a lot of opinions about this, and you may disagree, so if gouache or acrylic are media that you believe are better for beginners, feel free to substitute them. However, this section will focus on watercolor. No matter what media you choose, a brief lecture on color theory will be helpful to start with, particularly monochromatic, primary, and secondary relationships. The Elements and Principles of Design lecture includes a breakdown of basic color theory that is good for this purpose. Demonstrate and have them practice color mixing and washes. Helen Q. Huang’s book referenced above has an excellent chapter on using watercolor. Character Costume Figure Drawing by Tan Huaixiang and The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design by Rebecca Cunningham are also good resources. For classwork, students can paint value scales, which is painting a series of chips going from lightest to darkest by adding black and white to a single hue. Students can also create complementary color scales (hues going from red to green, for example).

period Forms Victorian man by Lauren Boughton, Shenandoah University

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After you and the students choose the best three female-presenting and two male-presenting poses from their human fgure drawings, they use tracing paper and pencils to draw the clothing on their fgures. They may choose which of their fgures to use for each period, which will not necessarily match the original pose. This will not be a problem if the poses are not complicated. When these are complete, the last step is to use a fne ink pen to go over the pencil sketches. This makes it much easier to see the drawing on the tracing paper. Faces and hair are not required but may be used if desired. See Period Forms for the full description of this project, my notes, and online fgure resources. It’s important to know that students will have to spend time on all of these projects outside of class – they are not going to have time to fnish them in your class period unless they rush. The classwork periods give you time to give feedback and help that they can then apply when working on their own.

Watercolor Watercolor is a good place for beginning painters. It comes in different options (cakes or tubes) and is easy to work with.

Color Wheel, Complement and Value Scales, Taylor Ann Vanaman, Shenandoah University

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Students can practice color mixing by using the primaries plus white to make color wheels – this could go beyond secondaries, as far as you want to go into splitting the color wheel into multiple colors. Using true pigment primaries (magenta, cyan, and yellow) will yield more accurate color mixing abilities. These activities will get them comfortable working with watercolor before they attempt a rendering. You can also give them a line drawing to practice painting. The projects in the rest of the class will give them a lot of practice with watercolor. As students move into the rendering projects after Period Forms, spend some time in class talking about how to transfer rough sketches to painting paper, such as watercolor

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paper or Bristol board. Students really should not draw their sketch on the paper that will be painted, as many erasures are often necessary, which can damage the paper surface and leave marks. Encourage them to create sketches on their newsprint pad (known as rough sketches) and then transfer them to the fnal paper once they are satisfed with the sketch. Here are three good methods:

for them to work from. Huaixiang’s book has wonderful illustrations. Fashion illustration books are also helpful, but like fashion fgures, tend to be exaggerated and may not be as useful for theatre. We then discuss highlight and shadow and if your students also take Basic Stage Makeup, you can reference the approach to contouring the face in that class: •

•

graphite paper and drafting adhesive dots (so as not to damage the paper). The graphite paper gets sandwiched, dark side down, between the sketch and the painting paper, and the drafting dots hold everything in place. use a pencil to draw over the lines in the sketch, transferring them to the painting paper.

•

light box, if available, or use drafting dots and a sunny window to trace the image. This requires painting paper that is not too thick.

•

use a copy machine to transfer the design to the painting paper. This is my favorite method, as it is quick and maintains the energy of the original drawing (sometimes the drawing gets stiff when it is traced). This method ends up with a drawing that looks like ink work, and it does not smear or run when painted.

Faces This unit follows Period Forms and watercolor and is students’ frst time painting their own renderings. Start this unit by demonstrating basic faces for the class and talking about general proportions (for example, eyes are typically one eye width apart). Discuss and show a variety of faces from different races and cultures. Character Costume Figure Drawing by Tan Huaixiang is particularly helpful in delineating the differences between different racial and ethnic groups. Explain to students that while we start out, in the class, drawing large-scale faces, the point of this is to practice representing the face while drawing on a scale that allows a lot of detail to gain skills representing facial features. Faces on renderings tend to be much smaller, and I demonstrate some ways I simplify or suggest features. Most costume designers have their own ways of approaching this, so show your students what works for you. The frst exercise for the class is to draw a face: malepresenting, female-presenting, or gender fuid, and any race or culture, in which proportion is practiced.The face should be about fve inches tall. A line drawing of a face is useful

Consider bone structure: o o o o

Highlighting what sticks out (the nose, for example). Shadowing what goes in (beneath the cheekbone, for example). Drop a shadow in along the hairline, and under the jaw. In order to be able to express the contour in the face, they must put down an initial value (darker than the paper), even if the face is of a white person and they are working on white paper. White skin is not stark white.

I follow this by having students do two drawings of faces from photographs. One drawing is pencil, and the other is charcoal. This gives them practice with highlights and shadows in two different media. I give them faces that are at least fve inches tall, and black and white rather than color, so they focus on the contour. A very helpful book is Faces of America by Pablo Delano. This is a compilation of photographs taken of visitors to the Statue of Liberty in 1992, and as such, is a wonderful cross section of Americans. There is great diversity of age, gender, race, and ethnicity, and a wide range of types of faces, with no airbrushing or flm makeup that I can see.

Face in pencil by Heather Reid Hauskins, Shenandoah University

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This seemed like a good opportunity to introduce painting skin tones, and there had been requests from students that we cover painting diverse skin tones. This is a powerful play, and we spent time in class discussing the context of the script. This project can be found in Chapter 6. We also talked about how to approach painting skin tones; here are some notes to bring up with the class: •

black skin: show some renderings and emphasize that there is great variety in tone. Start with different varieties of tan (which can be warm or cool or pull in yellow or red) for a midrange and raise/lower value for highlights and shadows. Very deep skin tones may need yellow in the highlight, just like stage makeup.

Face in charcoal by Heather Reid Hauskins, Shenandoah University

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Choose interesting faces that differ markedly from each other and select one frontal and one three-quarters view.They must work in the size (or larger) of the original photo but may not go smaller. Students at this point should have some comfort with both pencil and charcoal, so if this is a stand-alone class, remember that charcoal can be challenging for beginners (for example, the concept of erasing in highlights is not as intuitive as one might think). It’s not crucial, but charcoal is a good medium for playing with highlights and shadows because of how easily it blends. Several years ago, I was looking for a script for a project for the Faces unit, and I found The House That Will Not Stand by Marcus Gardley. This is a play about plaçage women in 1836 Louisiana, and in part explores how their differing skin tones affect their lives.

F I g u R e 5 - 1 0 Creon, Medea, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Agnes, the house that Will Not Stand, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

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•

asian, or asian american Pacifc Islander (aaPI) skin: start with tan, but not too dark. There may be more yellow in the skin tone, but this can become cartoony if not handled thoughtfully.

•

White skin: explain that to be able to express the contour in the face, they must put down an initial value (darker than the paper). Start with red and white to make pink and add a

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very small amount of green to make peach. explain why this works (complementary color theory). brown may be added to peach to create a shadow tone. It may be helpful to leave unpainted areas to indicate highlights for fair skin. •

latinx: like black, there is variety of tone, and the browns are fairly warm.

•

Native american, or Indigenous: not too much red, as this is an offensive stereotype.

•

For all skin tones, work from a picture – beginners should not try to dream up what skin tones look like.

•

Highlights and shadows can be done with the paint being used, or with pastels and a Qtip after painting the skin tone, depending on the type of paint used.

Overall, for faces, encourage students to work from pictures. We all develop our own way of drawing faces as designers, but there is a danger in settling into drawing all faces the same way. I have had students show me renderings with no faces, arguing that the rendering is about the costume, not the face. I respectfully disagree. Bringing out the character includes the face. A rendering with a blank face looks like a mannequin to me and does not do its job of selling the costume – and the designer’s interpretation of the character – to the director. If you have time, a unit on drawing hair would be very useful. Students can struggle with how many individual hairs to draw, and often end up with very line-y drawings that can look stiff or overworked. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if hair is drawn in a blocky method, it can look too heavy and solid. For help with drawing hair, look at The Complete Book of Fashion Illustration by Sharon Lee Tate and Mona Shafer Edwards, which is in its third edition and is widely available.

hands and Feet Students (and all of us) tend to struggle with hands and feet, so when there is time, include a unit on drawing them. It may be tricky to include both the House project and a unit on hands and feet, but in the class schedule above, faces are covered on one day that week, and hands and feet the other day, and the House project is assigned as homework. If you prefer to have more time, you can adapt this schedule. The Book of a Hundred Hands by George B. Bridgman (Dover Press) is a useful resource, as is A Handbook of

Costume Drawing and Character Costume Figure Drawing, both referenced above.The trap many beginners fall into is drawing both hands and feet too small. Demonstrate for them, with your own hand, that our hand is generally the same length as our face, and our feet are bigger than our hands. Discuss and demonstrate drawing the hand, including the infamous “lobster claw” that so many people draw. Suggest that they show individual fngers, and that they use their own hands, as well as the books above, to draw from. Pose your own hand for them to draw, if it’s a small class, or divide them into pairs to model for each other. We usually do three to four poses in twenty minutes. When talking about drawing feet, talk about and demonstrate that when we look at a fgure, we are generally looking down on their feet. Drawing feet angled straight down is a very awkward way to stand and ends up with a fgure who looks as if they are being hanged. Most people stand with their feet angled outward, but not in full profle (another common beginner error). A Handbook of Costume Drawing has good illustrations of feet, including different kinds of shoes. Get up on a chair if possible and model three poses for them to draw (from the knees down), each for about ten minutes. Depending on the length of your class, you could cover both hands and feet in one day or take one day for each. Homework can include practicing drawing their own hands and feet, or those of a friend. Encourage drawing shoes as well, as costume designs include them, for the most part. Character Costume Figure Drawing has a chapter on hands and feet that can help you break down these challenging appendages for students.

Still Life and Fabric painting For the Still Life and Fabric Painting projects, the next two units, see Chapter 6 for full descriptions. The Still Life project provides a mannequin with a period costume. Students make a rough sketch and paint color swatches, taking all notes they believe are necessary. The mannequin is removed, and they create a full color rendering outside of class. The assignment is about accurately rendering colors and garments, as well as learning to take notes and make sketches to be able to reproduce a costume when it is not in front of them. The Fabric Painting project gives students three fabric swatches.They design three costumes, each using one of the fabrics, and render the costume.The challenge is not only to accurately render the fabric in terms of color, pattern, and the way that it drapes and moves, but to design a costume that makes appropriate use of the fabric – not all fabrics can do all things.

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F I g u R e 5 - 1 3 Fabric painting Project, Lauren Boughton, Shenandoah University

Digital rendering Why Teach Digital Rendering? FIguRe 5-11

Mannequin with dress for Still Life Project.

Photo by the author

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University

Still Life Project, Gavin Sexton, Shenandoah

It is important to introduce students to digital rendering if at all possible. This is the direction the costume industry is heading, and these skills will help them to generate renderings more quickly and effciently than paper renderings. This is a large topic and explaining how to use the various programs is beyond the scope of this book. Below, I cover how I have approached teaching the subject, and what resources I have used. If digital rendering is something you wish to include in your class, and it isn’t a skill set you have, work from the books below, look online for videos (there are a multitude on YouTube), and consider an online workshop for yourself, such as the one referenced below for Procreate. Figures 5-14, 5-15, and 5-16 are examples of student work. For my own designs, I primarily render digitally at this point. Among other things, I appreciate the ability to quickly fx mistakes, make changes, share renderings with out-oftown directors, and make multiple copies easily. I used Photoshop for many years, but have recently switched to Procreate, which I fnd more intuitive to use. The catch is that you must have an iPad to use it. Since we cannot assume every student will have access to an iPad, unless your school provides them, I am going to discuss the methods I used to teach Photoshop when it was a part of my class. If you are interested in learning Procreate, Lauren Roark and Eric Abele teach excellent workshops online.

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F I g u R e 5 - 1 6 Digital rendering, Mila Marushkina, Shenandoah University

F I g u R e 5 - 1 4 Digital rendering, Madeleine H. La Vean, Shenandoah University

Week 1 – Introduction: •

Opening a new document in Photoshop; working with Rbg mode

•

using the Tool bar and the Options bar

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using the brush Panel

•

Drawing straight lines

•

How to erase

•

How to step backwards

•

basic layers

Week 2 – at that point we moved on to the exercises in Chapter 2:

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•

2-a Having Fun (playing with tools)

•

2-D The First Costume Sketch

•

2-e Magnify

Digital rendering, Kyle Dill, Shenandoah

University

To teach Photoshop, I used Digital Costume Design and Rendering: Pens, Pixels and Paint by Annie O. Cleveland as the textbook. Many of her exercises are available online (the code to access them is in the book). This book covers both Corel Painter and Photoshop, but it is not hard to use it to teach one or the other. Here is the recommended format (all of this is in the Digital Costume Design and Rendering book above). This generally took a month of class time.

Week 3 – Choosing and using Color: •

exercise 3-a – using the Color Mixer Panel

•

using the Color Swatch Panel

•

Saving Colors in the library

•

exercise 3-b Working with the Color Set library

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Mixing your own colors; using the Paint bucket Tool and the eyedropper

Costume Rendering: The Class

Week 4 – Selections: •

exercise 5-a – Making Selections – Changing colors using the Polylasso tool and the Magic Wand

•

exercise 5-D – Moving Selections between Two Documents

There is, of course, so much more covered in this book – for example, further work with layers, cloning, and working with patterns – which is why digital rendering often gets its own course. If this is not a possibility, the outline above will introduce students to the concepts behind Photoshop, and they generally like the program enough that they are encouraged to continue working with it. If you are teaching the beginning class schedule included earlier in this chapter, you could use Weeks One, Two, and Three, abbreviated as necessary, to give them a taste. After demonstrating each new technique, give quite a bit of class time for students to work and ask questions. Students today have formidable computer skills, and many pick Photoshop up very fast. You may fnd that they already have experimented with the program. The frst rendering project was an offshoot of the Styles Princess project: the assignment was to digitally render a princess. This is a subject with wide ranging possibilities, and they are allowed to use any period and style they wish. One of my favorite student renderings from that unit was of Grace Kelly. . .a princess. I should add that we drew fgures in pencil and then scanned them into Photoshop. Prior to starting to use Procreate, my students and I were working with Wacom tablets, and it is challenging to draw fgures with that method as it is necessary to look at the computer screen while you draw on the pad, which can get very confusing. Procreate makes use of the Apple Pencil, which is much easier, and we encourage our current students to draw directly on their iPads. Photoshop now also has an app for iPads. Not all schools can have all of their students using the same computer technology, so if you are dependent on what your students have, it may vary quite a bit. Photoshop can be used on both Windows and Mac computers, so if your students have a variety of computers, this may make more sense than Procreate. If your students have a range of Windows and Mac computers, you will need to be comfortable with both platforms to teach digital rendering with Photoshop. There are other digital rendering programs available, and the feld is growing and changing, so don’t feel that you must limit yourself to these two. Other programs include Clip Studio Paint, Adobe Fresco, Autodesk

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Sketchbook, Corel Painter, Sketchbook Pro, Leonardo, Rebelle 5 Pro, Krita, and Infnite Painter. YouTube is a great source for how-to videos. If you decide to include digital rendering, it should be the last unit for the class. Students need graphic skills to manipulate Photoshop; the program doesn’t draw or paint for them. There is also the trap of focusing on creating interesting effects with the program, and losing sight of the design, so keep students thinking about what the costume is communicating. There are other textbooks now available for learning digital rendering. Digital Costume Design and Collaboration: Applications in Academia, Theatre, and Film (Rafael Jaen) is a worthwhile resource, and there is also a unit on Photoshop in Character Costume Figure Drawing.

Figures in Motion For the fnal unit in the class, Figures in Motion, students learn to render fgures in active poses, using the entrance of the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They choose a setting, considering the three worlds of the play (royals, rustics, and fairies), even though they are only designing for the fairies, and they must explain this choice when presenting their renderings. They research pictures of dancers for their setting (for example, one student set her in a circus and researched aerial silks) and render their fgures in dance poses. Figures 5-17 and 5-18 were set in Mexico and in a restaurant, respectively.

F I g u R e 5 - 1 7 Titania, a Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sam McQuiston, Shenandoah University

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Titania, a Midsummer Night’s Dream, Heather Reid Hauskins, Shenandoah University FIguRe 5-18

F I g u R e 5 - 1 9 The Prince in the style of Georgie Ripper, princess and the Frog Project, Jenna Linnert, Shenandoah University

TEACHING A MORE ADVANCED COURSE If you, like me, have the advantage of multiple graphic arts classes, you can add more to your Rendering class, since you might not need to cover subjects like basic graphic arts and watercolor. In Studio 3, one major focus is on encouraging students to develop multiple rendering styles if they are ready for this. Some students will work hard to develop a single style of rendering, rather than multiple. Graphic arts skills can be taught; they are not dependent on innate talent alone. I had a drawing teacher who told us, “If you can write your name, you can learn to draw”, and there is a lot of truth in that. But some students will struggle more with rendering than others, who will (seemingly) effortlessly produce beautiful work. Drawing in multiple styles, whether it is the time-honored method of copy work (reproducing a work of art) or using copy work as a springboard to produce original work, is benefcial to both kinds of students. Often copy work can be very empowering for a beginning student, who is encouraged to see what they can create. My favorite type of rendering class project is one that doesn’t stop at the copy work but encourages students to use what they learned in follow-up work that is their own. For example, The Princess and the Frog project challenges students to use the style of a children’s book illustrator to create renderings for this fairy tale.

F I g u R e 5 - 2 0 The Princess in the style of Georgie Ripper, princess and the Frog Project, Jenna Linnert, Shenandoah University

Costume Rendering: The Class

Other projects have students copy a work of art or a rendering and then use that skill set to create renderings of their own design, as in Picnic, The Godey Project, which uses the skill set to render a costume on a mannequin, and The Styles Princess Project. Both Princess projects work for any skill set. How can students apply what they learned from copy work to their own rendering styles? These projects, and others, encourage them to fnd out. The course I currently teach is the third in a series of four studio graphic arts classes and it incorporates graphics arts media beyond watercolor, pencil, and charcoal as well as costume rendering. Here is a sample of the class schedule. Each day meets for an hour and ffteen-minute block: The class largely consists of work time and presentation of projects. Demonstrations are used for new material, but the Studio 1–2 sequence has covered a lot of the basic skills I expect students to have so we can move forward. Table 5-2

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For the frst few weeks, we concentrate on new media. Because watercolor is covered in Studio 2 very thoroughly, this class includes gouache, acrylic, and marker. Each week students are given class time to work on a copy work assignment that is a good representation of the medium, or which is achievable with the medium. Since gouache is similar to watercolor (more so than acrylic, in my opinion), this is introduced frst, using the Heeley Project.There is a brief lecture and demo about how to work with the medium, including YouTube videos, which are readily available.We then use the medium to practice painting color wheels, value scales, and complement scales, using magenta, yellow, cyan, black, and white paint. Class work time is important so that they can ask questions and get help.They have some time to work on their copied Desmond Heeley piece in class, and they can supplement with additional paint colors as needed.The week the project is due, each student presents their work for feedback.

Class schedule for Studio 3

Week

Day 1

Day 2

assignment

1

Introduction to class; go over all supplies (have for Day 2)

Introduction to Gouache

Heeley Project

2

Workday

present Heeley

3

Introduction to acrylics

Workday

4

Workday

present Rockwell

5

Introduction to Marker

human Figure

Marker Project (in class)

6

Live Model Drawing

human Figure (continued)

Complete three female-presenting fgures for next week

7

human Figure (continued)

Period Forms

Complete three male-presenting fgures for next week

Rockwell Project

Period Forms 8

Period Forms

Faces (The House. . .project)

The House That Will Not Stand project

Period Forms due 9

hands and Feet

Still Life Mannequin

Still Life project

10

present color roughs/The House. . .

assign Final (Figures in Motion) Workday

Figures in Motion (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

11

present The House. . .renderings

Fabric painting (Anna in the Tropics)

Anna in the Tropics project

Workday 12

present Still Life

present color roughs/Anna

13

The Princess and the Frog workday and discussion

present Anna renderings

14

present color roughs/Princess and the Frog

In class workday – discuss Figures in Motion setting choices

15

present Princess and the Frog renderings

present color roughs/Figures in Motion

Final exam

present Figures in Motion renderings

The Princess and the Frog project

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In the following weeks, the same format is used for acrylic, using the Norman Rockwell portion of the Picnic project. We then explore markers, but because markers are expensive and I try to be aware of class costs, we brought in the marker collection of another professor and the workday was an in-class project that was collected at the end of class. We provided a line drawing of a rendering so students could copy and color it with markers on vellum paper. If you don’t have a marker stash, perhaps you can buy some basic colors with department funds for students to play with. If they like this media, they can then invest in a larger set themselves.

The beneft of these copy projects is that students can buy a small amount of the new media and see if they like it. If not, it’s not a big fnancial outlay. If you are teaching media that you are not completely comfortable with yourself, don’t feel any shame at making use of videos to show technique. Once you have a frmer grasp on the media, you can do your own demonstrations. Students will naturally gravitate towards different media, so giving them a taste of several is a good way to help them fnd what works best for them. Most recently, students surprised me with their love for gouache! I also made a recent change to the Fabric Painting project in the beginning class schedule earlier in this chapter, incorporating a script, Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz. I liked this show enough that I wanted to fnd a way to use it in class, and this project was a natural ft. We used the dock scene with the three lead women, and I chose three fabrics that students could assign – one per character. This allowed students to not only practice drawing and painting fabrics, but to consider character in assigning the three fabrics. The complete Costume Rendering syllabus for this class can be found at the end of this book.

PREVIOUS CLASS PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS

F I g u R e 5 - 2 1 Copy of a portion of Young Love, painting by Norman Rockwell, Jenna Linnert, Shenandoah University

FIguRe 5-22

by William Pierson)

Marker sample by Rachael Severts (sketch

This class has morphed and changed over the years; Figures in Motion (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Period Forms have been the two consistent projects. All the projects I use and have used over the years, as well as projects from other professors I have worked with, can be found in Chapter 6. Here are some of the other projects I have used for our undergraduate class: •

Picnic – this one was always challenging for undergraduates and is perhaps better suited for graduate students, a conclusion I came to after trying it several times. If you have a graduate program, it is a great project for developing rendering styles.

•

Projects particularly useful for working with color include Romeo and Juliet, Electra (can also be used in a Costume Design class, following the Family Project), Antigone, and The Tempest.

•

good projects for experimenting with rendering styles: Fashion Illustration, Modern Designers, The Tempest, and Styles.

Costume Rendering: The Class

There are quite a few other projects from my mentor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, JB Harris, that I have included, even if I have not used all of them in my classes. As a student, I was assigned all these projects, and I believe that they are strong teaching tools that should be documented now that JB has retired. JB’s program was an MFA, and the projects were developed largely for graduate students, which is in part why I have not used all of them. Available space in the one-semester class has also been a factor. JB used these projects for many years, and his notes can be found on many of them. If you are teaching at the graduate level, look at the cross-listing of projects appropriate for this level at the beginning of Chapter 4. All JB’s projects included in this book were used for students at the undergraduate and graduate level, but some are more pointed towards advanced study. If you have additional time, including an expanded unit, or a whole class, on Digital Rendering will be of huge beneft to advanced students.

Table 5-3

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TEACHING A MERGED COURSE What if you need to teach a class that includes both Costume Design and Rendering in one semester? Here is a suggested schedule for a ffteen-week class, plus the fnal. For the Costume Design portion, see Chapters 3 and 4 for class descriptions and projects. You can include reading assignments during the second half of the semester – see Using Textbooks for suggested titles. The description of the units for weeks 8–16 may be found in Chapter 3. Feel free to substitute other projects; look at Projects for Beginners as a starting point.

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND AND SHENANDOAH CONVERSATIONS One year, as I was planning the class schedule, I received an offer to work with the Shenandoah Conversations project

Class schedule for Design/Rendering combined class

Week

Day 1

Day 2

assignment

1

Class Introduction; go over class supplies

Introduction to pencil

Cubes and Spheres

2

pencil (continued)

pencil (continued)

Still Life – one each class; draw their shoe as homework

3

human Figure

human Figure (continued)

Draw fgures – fve male-presenting/fve femalepresenting

4

Period Forms

Workday

Period Forms project

5

Introduction to Watercolor – demo and color theory lecture

Workday – demo and practice washes and blending

Color wheel, value and complement scales

6

Still Life – set up mannequin

Faces

Still Life project

7

present Still Life

hands and Feet

8

Fabric painting

Lecture – Costumes and Costume Fabric Painting project – original or Anna version Designers: What is their Function?

9

present color roughs/Fabric Painting project

Lecture – the role of the Costume Designer in the theatre Structure

Supplementary reading (use online discussion board format)

10

present Fabric Painting renderings

Lecture – Fabric and Fiber

Supplementary reading

11

The Family

Lecture – the Life of a Costume

The Family project

12

present color roughs/the Family

tBa – extra time if lectures run long

Sylvia project

13

present The Family renderings

present color roughs/Sylvia

Final project – choose from Chapter 4. examples: The Music Man, Jesus Christ Superstar, Actor to Actor

14

Using Line – in-class project

present Sylvia renderings

15

Workday on fnal

present color roughs/fnal project

16

Final exam – present fnal project Written exam on lecture material if desired

Period Forms due Day 2

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used in the classroom but not all the elements of a formal refective structured dialogue are used. Dialogic moments are useful to prepare students to become familiar with the practices of refective structured dialogue and to help students connect with and refect on course content).

at my university to include a class assignment that utilized Refective Structured Dialogue. This is the description of the project: Shenandoah Conversations is a campus wide initiative designed to promote a campus culture of engaging in civil dialogue around diffcult issues while improving communication and perspective-taking skills in our students through three interrelated classroom-based actions: an encounter with a social issue, an in-class dialogue to practice engaging perspectives on the social issue, and an individual refection to express a point of view and analyze diverse perspectives on the social issue. The House Will Not Stand project referenced in the Faces discussion above seemed like a great way to enable a dialogue about the concept of race and beauty, so with the help of the Shenandoah Conversations faculty, I crafted the following project to include with the Faces unit of my class: •

In the Costume Rendering class, students read the play The House That Will Not Stand by Marcus gardley. This play examines the plaçage system in 1830s louisiana and specifcally the way skin color affects three sisters in this system. The students will read the play and paint the three sisters from the shoulders up. They will therefore be defning the look for each character as well as the skin tone for each one. before receiving the painting assignment, students will read the script, and there will be a brief lecture on the background of the play, the playwright, and the historical setting. after the lecture, we will discuss their reaction to the story and its historical context.

•

Shenandoah Fellows might be used as additional facilitators in class but cannot be the main facilitators in one session.

Purpose of the Dialogue: To refect on how society’s perceptions of race affect the way people are treated and how the stories that we tell can shift the way we perceive each other. •

45 minutes – Dialogue:

Question 1: Please share a story about a time in your life in which someone else’s perception of your race or ethnicity affected how they treated you or share a story about a time in your life in which you saw someone treated differently because of their race or ethnicity. What happened and how did it affect those involved? (Ninety seconds per student – the students are divided into four groups of three to four students each, with a Shenandoah Conversations student moderator leading the discussion.) Question 2: Based on the story you just shared and your reading of The House That Will Not Stand, in what ways do society’s perceptions of race or ethnicity affect how people are treated? What impact does that have on people’s lives? (Ninety seconds) Question 3: In what ways have you seen popular cultural stories perpetuate stereotypes about race or ethnicity? How do you see people trying to change the stories that shape how people perceive others based on their race or ethnicity? (Ninety seconds)

ENGAGE

•

•

1. Agnes tells her youngest and darkest sister that part of growing up is realizing that black is not beautiful. “You’ve got more brown than the paper bag. . .this means that you have no choice in life – you’re at the bottom” (Gardley 32). This suggests that race and beauty are concepts that must be taught to have validity.

Description: Students will engage with peers over challenging ideas and express their understanding across differences using Refective Structured Dialogue (RSD) to conduct civil discourse in the classroom.

A Shenandoah Conversation Engage piece must. . . •

Be used at least one time as a full RSD session.

•

Be used at least two additional times as Dialogic Moments (A Dialogic moment is any time one or more elements of refective structured dialogue are

Thirty minutes – Follow-up questions:

What is your reaction to the idea that race is a social construct, with little scientifc basis? 2. Gardley’s interest is in the way some stories become history, while others get “buried, lost, forgotten, and written over”, (Thompson in Gardley, xix)

Costume Rendering: The Class

Do you think American history is taught to tell all stories? Why or why not? 3. Each character in this play defnes freedom differently – the freedom of fnancial independence, for example, or the freedom to marry whom they choose. Whose interpretation of freedom most resonated with you? Explain. Students then wrote a two-to-three-page refection paper at the end of the semester covering the following topic: In the play The House That Will Not Stand, Marcus Gardley addresses issues of 19th century New Orleans; examining the concept that growing into womanhood is defned by one’s ability to internalize social constructs for race and beauty. Articulate your reaction to this statement in response to the following questions: 1. How did 19th century New Orleans defne what it meant for a woman to be beautiful? How did that affect women of color? 2. Are these beauty standards still relevant today? How do defnitions of beauty affect women of color now? 3. If standards of racially based beauty must be taught to be understood, are they valid, in your opinion? 4. How is your position different from the position of others, and why might some other people disagree with your perspective? Format: 1. 12 point font, 1-inch margins, single space, upload on Canvas. 2. Name, date, and title (title should refect your viewpoint). 3. Essay minimum length: two pages. 4. Essay maximum length: three pages. 5. Footnotes and a bibliography should be included at the end of the paper. We made use of Shenandoah Fellows for the dialogue class. These are students who have been trained in RSD (Refective Structured Dialogue). It was a successful day, with all students participating and talking. The additional dialogues happened when they presented their renderings for The House and on the last day of class, when they turned in their papers. Was this an appropriate use of a Costume Rendering class? Shouldn’t they just be honing their drawing skills?

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In my opinion, it was valid, because costume rendering includes costume design, which analyzes characters, stories, and societies. I utilize scripts in this course; I don’t just have students dream up costume ideas. As theatre artists, it is our job to understand and respect the stories we are telling as we bring them to life, and this is true for anyone involved in theatre. I plan to utilize a similar project in the Costume Design class in the future. For the paper, the students were particularly challenged by the last question (articulating viewpoints other than their own), so this is something that would warrant more discussion.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Baker, Georgia O’Daniel, A Handbook of Costume Drawing (2nd edition), Burlington: Focal Press, 2013 Bridgman, George B., The Book of a Hundred Hands (Dover Anatomy for Artists), Mineola: Dover, 1971 Cleveland, Annie O., Digital Costume Design and Rendering: Pens, Pixels, and Paint, Los Angeles: Silman-James Press, 2014 Cruz, Nilo, Anna in the Tropics, New York: Theatre Communication Group, 2003 Cunningham, Rebecca, The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design (3rd edition), Long Grove: Waveland Press, 2020 Delano, Pablo, Faces of America, Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992 Gardley, Marcus, The House That Will Not Stand, London: Bloomsbury, 2014 Hamm, Jack, Drawing the Head and Figure: A How-To Handbook That Makes Drawing Easy, New York: Perigee Books, 1994 Hammond, Lee, Draw Fashion Models, Cincinnati: North Light Books, 1999 Hart, Chris, Figure it Out! The Beginner’s Guide to Drawing People, New York: Sixth and Spring Books, 2009 Huaixiang, Tan, Character Costume Figure Drawing (3rd edition), New York: Routledge Press, 2018 Huang, Helen Q., Character Sketch: A Drawing Course for Costume Designers, New York: Routledge Press, 2018 Jaen, Rafael, Digital Costume Design and Collaboration: Applications in Academia, Theatre, and Film, New York: Routledge Press, 2018 Pecktal, Lynn, Costume Design: Techniques of Modern Masters, New York: Backstage Books, 1993 Ruby, Erik, The Human Figure: A Photographic Reference for Artists, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1974

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Stipelman, Steven, Illustrating Fashion Concept to Creation, New York: Fairchild Publications, 2002 Tate, Sharon Lee and Edwards, Mona Shafer, The Complete Book of Fashion Illustration, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1996

WEBSITES Johnson, Douglas and Maureen, “Figure Drawing Models”, Art Models, 2005–22, www.posespace.com/posetool/ models.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3IDYb9Ka9kLe87oMYbiwO

C1WPcxXnjDv_YtMfuZt6WRet3IeOtqWwoDkY – human fgure models Volpintesta, Laura, “Plus Size Fashion Sketch Practice Resources and Videos”, FashionIllustrationTRIBE, 2022 www.fashionillustrationtribe.com/member-area/plus-sizefashion-fgure-fle-for-sketching/ - human fgure models Rojas, Mandy and Freeman, Devan (artist), “Croqui Project” – https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_Tjo5JXs2y4LTY BnSbuOIafUUCFK9Aux?usp=sharing – variety of shapes and abilities – model fgures

CHAPTER 6 C O S T U M E

R E N D E R I N G

P R O J E C T S

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION

•

o o o

Like Chapter 4, Costume Design Projects, this chapter encompasses projects for a wide range of skill sets and levels. The format is the same – •

Each project has a description of skill level, learning goals, and time needed.

•

When a script is by a dominant-culture playwright, alternative scripts will be suggested.

•

When appropriate, period and characters are listed.

•

This is followed by a description of the project as assigned.

•

The project description is finished with informal notes about how it has worked in the classroom.

Projects may include intermediate color roughs for feedback before completing the fnal renderings. Projects are organized by type, but many fall into more than one category. They are cross-listed at the end of this chapter and in Chapter 4, Costume Design Projects.

PROJECTS •

Modern Designers and Copywork o Desmond Heeley Project o Modern Designers Project

DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-6

Artists, Fashion, and Copywork

•

Rendering Figures in Motion o

•

Antigone Mary of Scotland The School for Husbands

Projects That Use Art o o

•

Still Life Mannequin Project

Projects That Work with Color o o o

•

The Princess Project The Princess and the Frog The Rehearsal

Working from Life o

•

The House That Will Not Stand

Styles Projects o o o

•

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Representing Character in Renderings o

•

Fashion Illustration Project Period Forms Godey Project

The Romancers The Tempest

Projects That Use Fabric o

Fabric Swatching Project

* * * 171

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Modern Designers and Copywork Desmond Heeley Project James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Emulating different rendering styles Time required: One in-class workday; one week outside of class Students are given a reproduction of a rendering by the costume designer Desmond Heeley. (Follow your school’s copyright guidelines.) Each student gets a different rendering. The assignment is to reproduce the rendering as accurately as possible. It is suggested that students render the fgure no smaller than twelve inches to allow for detail and expression while working.

Notes – Desmond Heeley was a very highly regarded scenic and costume designer, who designed for many years at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario. The point of this rendering project is to work in his style, which was decidedly not strict realism. It has a very loose, free hand, with a great deal of suggestion and movement. This project pushes students to explore rendering styles beyond realism, and I use it as part of a unit encouraging them to develop their own, varied styles. See Chapter 5, Costume Rendering: The Class for more details. The Princess Styles project particularly correlates with this one. Encourage students to accurately recreate the fgure proportions, which were often exaggerated in the originals. In Studio 3, this project is used to introduce working with gouache paint.

Choose a well-known modern costume designer whose rendering style you would like to emulate. Examples include Paul Tazewell, Gregg Barnes, Santo Loquasto, Ann Roth, Patricia Zipprodt, etc. They may be a flm or theatre designer. Find a rendering that will challenge you, copy it to the best of your ability, and consider what medium they used. The fgure in your rendering should be ffteen inches tall. Please research your designer and be prepared to speak to why they are important/well-known and why you chose their style to emulate. Notes – This project grew out of the previous project (Desmond Heeley), when I had a desire to introduce students to modern costume design artists. All of the designers on the list had very different styles and getting to choose their designer and rendering gave the students a lot of ownership of the project. It was also a challenge for them to determine what media had been used, and many modern designers now use digital media, which was permitted. There was no overlap – each student had a different designer. This is a project which would be appropriate for later in the semester, once students have good fgure proportion and graphics skills, especially if they are going to make use of digital media.

Modern Designers Project Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Emulating different rendering styles Time required: One in-class workday; one week outside of class Students are given a list of well-known modern costume designers. Students choose a designer and research their work, fnding a rendering to recreate. They then copy the rendering as accurately as possible. This is the description of the assignment from Canvas:

F I G U R E 6 - 1 Copy of rendering by Willa Kim; Beth Bowles,

Echoes of Harlem; Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

Costume Rendering Projects

Artists, Fashion, and Copywork Fashion Illustration Project James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Adapting to different rendering styles Time required: One in-class workday; two weeks outside of class with color roughs Students are given one or two fashion illustrations to copy. (Follow your school’s copyright guidelines.) These can be modern or period illustrations. Students recreate the illustrations, considering both proportion and media. The work is presented and discussed in class.

Notes – You could let students fnd and/or choose their illustrations. They could provide three choices and the choice can be made together. It is helpful for them to choose artists whose style is markedly different from their own, to encourage them to enhance and adapt their personal style. Cover the difference between fashion illustration proportions (typically ten to twelve heads) and costume design proportions (seven-and-a-half to eight heads). Fashion illustrations are strikingly different in appearance because of this. Students should understand that fashion proportions are generally not useful for theatre, as most actors do not look like fashion models. The point of this exercise is to emulate different styles of rendering, so the illustration chosen to copy does not necessarily need to be a full fgure.

Period Forms James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Learn to draw and clothe human form Time required: Three in-class workdays; up to two weeks outside of class This is the frst project in Costume Rendering:

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1. Students draw a fgure, either sex or gender fuid, twelve inches tall. They do not work from a picture but draw as they normally do. This fgure is labeled A. 2. Students are given a handout that covers standard heads proportions for costume design (eight heads). See Chapter 5 for more information on heads proportion as well as the handout. 3. Students then draw another twelve-inch fgure, same sex as A, but following the handout. This fgure is labeled B. 4. The instructor and student analyze the differences between A and B, to see where students are misreading proportion. 5. Students then practice proportion by drawing a series of fgures (fve male-presenting, fve female-presenting) in a series of poses. It is helpful to provide photographs of fgures for the students to draw from, and the instructor is highly encouraged to provide fgures that refect diversity of race, body shape and weight, and ableism (see below for website links). 6. The instructor and student choose two male-presenting and three female-presenting fgures from the students’ work for the next part of the assignment. A period illustration or painting is chosen for each era and made available to students. (Follow your school’s copyright guidelines.) This project is a multi-week exercise in drawing garment shapes, from simple to complex, as well as trim and detail. For example, the Victorian woman I use includes drawing fur. Handouts for the different fgures can be loaded on Canvas, or whatever online platform you are using. Students may also be given hard copies, copyright permitting. There are fve: three female-presenting (1920s, Victorian, and Elizabethan) and two male-presenting (Victorian and Tudor). It is recommended that students start with the simpler fgures (1920s/Victorian), and work towards the more complex (Tudor/Elizabethan). A handout or two for drawing garments, such as skirt shapes, hats, collars, etc. is helpful. Note that skirts are a little longer in the front than on the sides, due to the way we view them. This project is also a visualization of how different periods reshape the body – look at the difference, for example, between the 1920s and Elizabethan. Students may choose which of their human fgures to use for each period form. The pose will not be the same as the original; they should not worry about this. Tracing paper is laid over the fgure and the new, clothed fgure is drawn in pencil. They do not need to do faces or hair but may if they wish. When it is complete, students go over the drawing and

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ink it in with a fne-tip black pen (not ballpoint) to make the drawing clear and easy to see.

Notes – This is a good project for beginning and non-major students. The frst part is very helpful to determine where students are making common proportion errors, such as making female-presenting shoulders too wide, or making fgures too thin overall. We provide links to websites with fgures in various poses, but I was frustrated, when researching them, at their sameness (of race, body shape, etc.). A Pinterest morgue with more variety could be a group project for the class. See the following websites for a variety of body shapes: www.posespace.com/posetool/models. aspx?fbclid=IwAR3IDYb9Ka9kLe87oMYbiw OC1WPcxXnjDv_YtMfuZt6WRet3IeOtq WwoDkY (Links to an external site.) (The link above has many poses – warning; they are nude.) www.fashionillustrationtribe.com/memberarea/plus-size-fashion-figure-file-for-sketching/ The next link is a wonderful resource for differently shaped and abled fgures. These designs are free to use, but I encourage you to “tip” the artist, Devan Freedman, on Venmo @Devanfreedman if you use them. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_Tj o5JXs2y4LTYBnSbuOIafUUCFK9Aux?usp=sh aring PGM (People of the Global Majority) fgures are shockingly diffcult to fnd online. You and your students could research them and create a Pinterest board, as we did for our class. Students are encouraged to choose simple poses, and preferably nothing with crossed arms. Convoluted poses will make it diffcult to draw the more complicated period clothing, such as Elizabethan and Tudor. Handouts from books such as A Handbook of Costume Drawing by Georgia O’Daniel Baker help to show how to draw parts of garments. Go over handouts in class before students start the period drawings, demonstrating various methods for the class. For patterns (such as Queen Elizabeth I, who I use for Elizabethan), students may draw the pattern on one panel of her skirt, and for other fgures they may do the same on one-half the fgure, or one leg for pants. Some of these garments are really complicated, and they seem to be less overwhelming if the patterns are simplifed.

F I G U R E 6 - 2 Period Forms Project, Elizabethan woman by

Rachael Wiers, Shenandoah University

F I G U R E 6 - 3 Period Forms Project, Tudor man by Lindsey

Barshick, Shenandoah University

Godey Project James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Costume Rendering Projects

175

Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Methods of creating highlight and shadow with pen and ink Time required: One in-class workday; four weeks outside of class with color roughs Students are provided with access to a fashion illustration print from Godey’s Lady’s Book from the mid–late 19th century. (Follow your school’s copyright guidelines.) The frst part of the assignment is to copy the illustration to the best of their ability. After presenting the project and receiving feedback, the next step is to complete the Still Life Mannequin Project. The fnal step is to render the mannequin costume from this project in the Godey style.

Notes – Godey fashion prints were widely seen in the mid–late 19th century, and they are a useful source of research for the period. Because they were colored engravings, the shadows are created with the engraving lines, and this is the challenge for this project – recreating the sense of shadow and highlight using pen and ink, on top of a painted rendering. The clothing is also complicated enough to make this a good rendering challenge for experienced students.

F I G U R E 6 - 5 Copy of Godey’s Lady’s Book illustration, Lori

Kremer, Shenandoah University

Rendering Figures in Motion A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner to advanced (project has several options) Learning Goal: Rendering figures in motion; adapting period of script Time required: Two in-class workdays; two to three weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, Ntozake Shange Students render four plates total for the following characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

F I G U R E 6 - 4 Copy of Godey’s Lady’s Book illustration,

Karen J. Weber, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Characters: Oberon Titania Puck One of following four fairies – choice: Pease-blossom Moth Mustard-seed Cobweb

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Costume Rendering Projects

Students choose a setting or period that accommodates the three “worlds” of the play. They are encouraged to explore non-Western settings. The scene is the entrance of the fairies, which for the class production will be a dance. Students decide on a style of dance that fts their period and render their fgures in motion. They will need to research dance poses for the type of dance they plan to use. Students also choose a piece of music for this dance and use it in their presentations. Notes – The twist of this project, in JB’s class, was that we all drew pencil roughs, and on the day that we were moving to transferring and painting them, he told us that we had to paint freehand, looking at the roughs – but not transferring the drawing from the roughs. There was a good deal of wailing, but ultimately, the class created some beautiful fnal renderings. I kept my Titania rendering in my portfolio for many years. He also assigned all seven fairies, which in recent years I have cut back to four for our undergraduate class. It’s a big project, and many of them have not necessarily had the fashion history course yet. I will admit that usually our class doesn’t paint their fnal renderings freehand. They are not as experienced in graphic arts as graduate students, and the project works well either way. This project is the fnal for our Studio 3 (Costume Rendering) class. As far as the three “worlds” go, we spend time in class talking about what this means: the royals, the rustics, and the fairies. You could use the rustics or the royals in place of the fairies and choose a different scene. However, students enjoy the fantasy quality of designing for the fairies. It is also a good time to discuss what happens when a play is moved out of its original period, and how moving the period affects the story. I am not a proponent of moving a period for the sake of pretty clothes unless it supports the story. Students need to be able to explain their setting choice and how it fts the play. This should happen in class before the fnal presentation, so they can get feedback about their choice before they render. Give some examples of settings that would support all three worlds (19th century Western America? Medieval Japan?). Over the years our students have come up with some very clever ideas: a restaurant, a circus, a street scene in Harlem. Recently, students were encouraged to use a non-Western setting, and this was very successful.

F I G U R E 6 - 6 Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kyle

Dill, Shenandoah University

F I G U R E 6 - 7 Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

Kathleen D. Jordan, Shenandoah University

Costume Rendering Projects

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Representing Character in Rendering The House That Will Not Stand, Marcus Gardley Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Rendering faces and skin tones Time required: One in-class workday; two weeks outside of class with color roughs The assignment: Render the following characters from The House That Will Not Stand. Characters: Agnes Maude Lynn Odette

F I G U R E 6 - 8 Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

Braxton Cooper, Shenandoah University

F I G U R E 6 - 9 Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lori

Kremer, Shenandoah University

Students will be rendering the characters from the shoulders up, so they will draw their faces, hair, neck, and shoulders (i.e., this is all we will see of the costume). The period is 1836, so they will need to do some research of the period for fashions in hair and clothing. This is an exercise in interpreting character through not only hairstyles and clothing, but depicting their skin tones, as this is an important part of the story. Students should fnd a picture of an actual person for the skin tone for each character and use it to establish colors. Each face should be on a separate plate. The renderings should be done in color, with paint, not colored pencils (although students may augment with colored pencil for details). The faces should be fve inches high. The hair may go above that. Students should read the script as well as the forward carefully, so they understand the characters and their story.

Notes – The House That Will Not Stand is a newer play (it premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in January 2014) that deals with women of color in the plaçage system in New Orleans in 1836. The play is beautifully lyrical, and the students in Studio 3 had been asking for an opportunity to paint diverse skin tones. The variety of skin tones of the three sisters is an important part of the story, as noted above, and I was very interested in using a diverse body of playwrights in the class. This was a successful introduction to drawing and painting faces, and the students created some very beautiful renderings. Although the assignment did specify that the faces should be fve inches tall (not including hair), many students chose to render much

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larger faces. For some, this worked to their advantage, as it freed and loosened their hand to work on a large scale, but other, less experienced students found this very diffcult, especially those using watercolor. This is now discussed when the project is assigned. Prior to assigning the project, go over mixing paint for skin tones, and show the class examples of renderings. See Chapter 5, Costume Rendering: The Class, for more information. It is very helpful for students to work from actual pictures of skin tones, rather than making them up.

F I G U R E 6 - 1 2 Odette, The House That Will Not Stand, Lindsey Barshick, Shenandoah University

Styles Projects The Princess Project (Rendering Styles) Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Developing a variety of rendering styles Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs

F I G U R E 6 - 1 0 Odette, The House That Will Not Stand, Azaria Jade Rubio, Shenandoah University

F I G U R E 6 - 1 1 Odette, The House That Will Not Stand, Rachael Wiers, Shenandoah University

For the frst part of this project, students are given handouts, electronic or hard copy, that show art which refects three distinct drawing styles. Generally included is line weight use, suggestive/loose/nonrealistic drawing, and crosshatching, but the assignment does not have to be limited to these. (Follow your school’s copyright guidelines.) The professor sets up a still life for the students, often a costume accessory such as a hat or pair of shoes, and the students draw the same still life three times – once in each style. For the second part of the project, students choose one of the three styles, and render a costume for a princess in that method. They may use any period and any medium they think is appropriate for the style.

Notes – This project is used after we have completed both the Period Forms and Still Life Mannequin projects. It is a

Costume Rendering Projects

way to segue away from strict realism and encourage students to work on developing different rendering styles. It was developed after conversation and advice from my friend and fellow costume educator, Gypsy Ames, from Colorado College. It has been a very useful project to explore non-realism-based styles, and the Desmond Heeley project is a good companion. Examples of the three styles indicated above are provided, taken from both fashion illustrations and art from a variety of periods. It is always fun to see the ways students interpret “princess”. It’s broad enough to allow for many interpretations – such as Grace Kelly in full 1950s dress, cartoony princesses, and a variety of periods.

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This is a project that approaches drawing and painting styles, in terms of rendering in a way that is appropriate for the theme of the script and the story being told. The instructor reads the fairy tale The Princess and the Frog in class. Students make all appropriate notes, so they know the story details. Students will be rendering the following characters. Characters: The Prince (as the Prince) The Princess The King A Lady in Waiting – this is a chance to be creative with a less central character. Students may choose her age, weight, race, etc. For this assignment, students choose an illustrator of children’s books who has a style that seems appropriate to them for the story. They render the above characters in the style of their illustrator. They may use any medium appropriate – any kind of paint, marker, pencil, etc. – but it must be in color. They may use any period that reads “fairy tale”. Students should have examples of their illustrator’s work to show when they present their renderings.

F I G U R E 6 - 1 3 The Princess Styles Project, Heather Reid

Hauskins

The Princess and the Frog, Brothers Grimm James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Intermediate to Advanced Learning Goal: Emulating different rendering styles Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs

Notes – This project is always hugely popular with students, including those who don’t have strong graphics skills yet. The project has been in my class rotation since I began teaching, and it is one I always keep, both for its popularity and for how it challenges students to stretch their styles. At one point we read The Princess and the Pea, but we like using the frog version better, as students enjoy alluding to the frog in the rendering of the prince. (Although I did once have a student do a separate rendering for me – of The Pea. That one hangs in my offce.) There are many fairytales from a variety of cultures that could be used – see the following for ideas: https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c= read&author=mcpherson&book=native&sto ry=_front https://fairytalez.com/regions/ https://www.storynory.com/category/variousfairy-tales/

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I G U R E 6 - 1 4 The Princess in the style of Kate Greenaway, F Princess and the Frog Project, Brianna Jarvis, Shenandoah University I G U R E 6 - 1 6 The King in the style of Terrie Fry Kasuba, F Princess and the Frog Project, Braxton Cooper, Shenandoah University

The Rehearsal, Jean Anouilh James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Rendering using swatches Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: The Colored Museum, George C. Wolfe Period: 1959/Rococo France (1715–60)

I G U R E 6 - 1 5 The Prince in the style of E. H. Shepard, F Princess and the Frog Project, Vicki Kobelka, Shenandoah University

Characters: Hero The Count Villebosse Damiens The Valet The Countess Lucile Hortensia

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Students render the characters in their “play within the play” costumes, swatching all fabrics.

Notes – The trick with this project is to realize, as designers, that when the play opens and we see the 18th century characters, that we do not realize that they are 1950s aristocrats rehearsing the French playwright Marivaux’s play Double Inconstancy, written in 1723. The two periods need to relate – these are, after all, not actual Rococo garments, but a 1959 version of them – but JB stressed that the story was stronger if the audience does not realize at frst that what they are seeing is a play within a play. It is particularly useful to consider the popular palettes and fabrics of the 1950s and make use of them (this is the “styles” portion of the project). This is not a project suggested for undergraduates; it is complicated and challenging and is perhaps more appropriate for more experienced students.

F I G U R E 6 - 1 8 The Countess, The Rehearsal, Spider Murphy-Taylor (fka Molly Hood), University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

Working From Life Still Life Mannequin Project James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Accurately rendering a garment – color, shape, pattern Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs

F I G U R E 6 - 1 7 Lucile, The Rehearsal, Spider MurphyTaylor (fka Molly Hood), University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

The instructor provides a garment on a mannequin for students to study. Students take notes about the shape and style of the garment, do a rough sketch of the front and the back, and paint swatches for all colors. The mannequin is then sequestered, and students have a week to render the garment on a fgure. When students present their work, the mannequin returns so their accuracy as to shape and color, etc. can be evaluated.

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Costume Rendering Projects

Notes – This is a good beginning project, both for accuracy in taking notes/matching colors, and for drawing garments. We have a specifc bustle dress we usually use, because the color is a little tricky – it is a grayed-out teal with burgundy trim and two different fabric patterns. It is recommended that students draw a three-quarters view fgure so that the bustle can be seen as well as the front of the garment. Students usually fnd accurately matching the colors is a challenge. The mannequin is hidden between classes so they can’t peek at it, and photographs are not permitted on the frst workday. It is suggested that they render the fgure between twelve and ffteen inches tall, to give them room to work and put in details. For JB’s accompanying part of this project, see the Godey Project.

F I G U R E 6 - 2 0 Still Life Project, Lauren Boughton, Shenandoah University

F I G U R E 6 - 1 9 Mannequin with dress for Still Life Project.

Photo by the author.

F I G U R E 6 - 2 1 Still Life Project, Lindsey Barshick, Shenandoah University

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Creon Haemon Eurydice For the frst part of this project, students render costumes for all fve characters in black/white/grays only. They also swatch white fabrics for all costume pieces. They should consider the fabrics’ qualities beyond color, such as light refection, texture, drape, and mass, and they should strive to render these qualities. They should also try to choose fabrics whose qualities are appropriate for each character – for example, what sort of drape is right for Antigone? How much mass should Creon have? Swatches should be no smaller than two by four inches, and they should be paper clipped to the renderings. After presenting their renderings and receiving feedback, students then choose colors for their costumes, and dye their swatches to these colors. They should consider the value range they created with their original renderings, as this affects the color choices. They then render the same costumes again, accommodating design feedback, and this time using the colors of their swatches.

F I G U R E 6 - 2 2 Still Life Project, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

Projects That Work with Color Antigone, Sophocles James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Considering the role of color in design Time required: One in-class workday; two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: Wedding Band, Alice Childress Period: Ancient Greece Characters: Antigone Ismene

Notes – There are a great number of opportunities for creative freedom in the design approach to the characters: two very different sisters, a dominant older king, a queen, and a young prince. In the frst part of this project, the most familiar element of design is taken away – color. Unless they have had a dye class, you may not choose to expect undergraduate students to dye their fabrics. In this case, they can simply repaint the renderings with the colors they have chosen. For advanced students, dyeing the swatches allows them to see how light refection, texture, etc. are affected by adding color, and it’s also a challenge to then render those dyed colors accurately. You could consider swatching neutrals instead of only white fabrics. A variety of white fabrics can be tricky to fnd without a good fabric stock in your shop or access to good fabric stores. The plus of having them swatch in white is that all the focus in choosing goes to the other elements of the fabric. Create a “swatch box” that can be added to over time, from which students can select samples.

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Costume Rendering Projects

Mary of Scotland, Maxwell Anderson James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Using complementary color schemes Time required: Two weeks outside of class with color roughs Alternative script: TopDog/UnderDog, Suzan-Lori Parks Period: Elizabethan England Characters: Mary Stuart Elizabeth Tudor

F I G U R E 6 - 2 3 Eurydice, Antigone, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (black and white)

F I G U R E 6 - 2 4 Eurydice, Antigone, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (color)

Students render costumes for the above characters, making use of a complementary color scheme: one character has a color; the other has its complement. Students should research portraiture of the two women to get a sense of their taste and may take the style of dress directly from portraits, although this is not required.

Notes – The project can link with a unit on Elizabethan dress for a fashion history class. It would also be a good project to follow a lecture on color theory in a design class. Students do not have to use primary colors but may explore any complementary relationship they choose. The challenge is to fnd a relationship that refects the characters accurately; Elizabeth being the ferier character. JB also noted that it is important not to foreshadow too much or it cuts the drama of the scene. They should meet as equals; Mary should not be subservient to Elizabeth, even though the former is the latter’s prisoner. In other words, don’t make it obvious who wins. It is interesting for students to explore the nuances of color relationships and mixing/painting them. This is a fne project for beginners, assuming they either have some knowledge of the period, or have time and the ability to research it if it is not covered in class.

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Project level: Beginner Learning Goal: Using triadic color schemes Time required: Two weeks outside class with color roughs Alternative script: Bad Jews, Joshua Harmon (Jonah/Melody in one hue) Period: Restoration (French) Characters: Color A: Leonn and Isabella Color B: Lisette Color C: Sganarelle and Ariste Students render costumes for the above characters, making use of a triadic color scheme (evenly spaced on the color wheel, such as red, blue, and yellow).

F I G U R E 6 - 2 5 Mary, Mary of Scotland, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Notes – Like Mary of Scotland, this color project works well for a costume design or a fashion history course. It can follow Mary as a further development of working with color relationships. It’s a complex, fascinating period in fashion history, and like Mary, is a good project for beginners if they have access to the period through classwork or time for research. Again, it is good to encourage students to go beyond the most basic color relationships (primaries and secondaries) and explore the wide range of shades available as they mix their paints.

F I G U R E 6 - 2 6 Elizabeth, Mary of Scotland, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The School for Husbands, Molière James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

F I G U R E 6 - 2 7 Ariste, The School for Husbands, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Projects That Use Art The Romancers, Edmond Rostand James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, based on a project by Professor Frank Bevans, Yale University Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Recreating 18th century painting styles, particularly use of highlight/shadow Time required: Three weeks outside class with color roughs Alternative script: The House That Will Not Stand, Marcus Gardley (early 19th century) Period: 18th century France

F I G U R E 6 - 2 8 Léonor, The School for Husbands, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Characters: Monsieur Bergamin Madame Pasquinot Percinet Straforel Sylvette Students research a single painter from the 18th century and choose a painting of a fgure for each character above, all by the same artist. Students then copy the fgures in the paintings for the assignment.

F I G U R E 6 - 2 9 Lisette, The School for Husbands, Jennifer Flitton Adams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Notes – I will say that this is one of the hardest assignments I had in graduate school. . .copying fve eighteenth century paintings in a week was quite diffcult! Above, it is suggested that two weeks might be a good timeframe. It certainly seems more appropriate for graduate level students, but it is a great way to approach recreating the sense of an oil painting without using oil. A third-year graduate student advised me to use acrylic paints, and that was a huge help. This project can, of course, be scaled back for undergraduate students. It is very useful for teaching students to paint chiaroscuro, or highlight and shadow. This play is also sometimes titled The Romantics, which is how the renderings in the illustrations are titled.

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The Tempest James Berton Harris, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Project level: Advanced Learning Goal: Adapting art (paintings) into designs Time required: Two weeks outside class with color roughs Alternative script: The Sweetness of a Sting , Chinonyerem Odimba Period: English Renaissance Characters: Prospero Miranda Ferdinand Caliban Ariel I G U R E 6 - 3 0 Pasquinot, The Romancers; a copy of F Thomas Gainsborough’s painting The Countess Mary Howe, Jessica Parr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

I G U R E 6 - 3 1 Percinet, The Romancers; a copy of F Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s painting The Progress of Love: The Meeting, Laurel (DeWees) Dunayer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Art can be a research source not only for fashions, but for color and style. This project uses abstract art to focus on the elements of design, separate from period costume research. Color is one source of inspiration when choosing paintings for individual characters; students should also consider the other elements of design, such as line, shape, texture, and mass. Students read the script and choose an artist whose work is abstract: no representations of anything recognizable. They then choose a painting by this artist for each character. Students create fve renderings, using the paintings as inspiration, including the placement of color, the use of line and shape, etc. Is there a blue box in the center of the painting? It needs to be represented in the costume.

Notes – This project lends itself well to being spread out over two weeks, so students can frst create color roughs and get feedback before completing fnal renderings. Utilizing abstract art is a challenge for them – it is easy to pick the paintings, but how to use them? This also gives the instructor a chance to make sure the tenets of the assignment are being followed regarding non-representational paintings before students paint fnal renderings. Tempest is a great script for this project because the fantasy aspect lends itself well to the abstract art

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theme. The mixture of fantasy characters (Caliban, Ariel), characters that should be in period costumes (Ferdinand), and characters that fall in the middle (Prospero and Miranda) provide a wide range of creative design opportunities. The period could certainly be moved at the discretion of the instructor.

I G U R E 6 - 3 2 The Goddesses, The Tempest, Jessica Parr, F

University of Illinois I G U R E 6 - 3 4 Ariel, The Tempest, Mila Marushkina, F Shenandoah University

Projects That Use Fabric Fabric Swatching Project Project level: Beginner to intermediate Learning Goal: Accurately rendering fabrics; accurate use of fabrics for design Time required: One in-class workday; two weeks outside class with color roughs

I G U R E 6 - 3 3 Ariel, The Tempest, Laura Whittenton, F Shenandoah University

Students are given three fabric swatches. The assignment is to design and render a costume – any period, any sex – that is appropriate for the fabric swatches. In designing, careful consideration should be given to fabric weight (particularly drape), texture, color, and pattern. The renderings should work to emulate these qualities of the fabric, as well as being an appropriate use of the fabric in terms of the design of the costume. Students may ask the instructor for advice (particularly if they are non-majors). Students should have three renderings, one for each swatch. Fabrics shouldn’t be mixed; each swatch should only be on one rendering. Students design a costume that uses that fabric for the majority of the costume (not just a blouse, for example, or just trim). If a fabric is sheer, they may paint an underlayer.

Costume Rendering Projects

Students may use any media covered in class – for example, acrylic, gouache, marker, or watercolor. Colored pencils may be used to augment renderings, but the whole rendering cannot be colored pencil. Swatches are attached to the renderings. The critique focuses both on accuracy in rendering the fabric itself, as well as appropriateness of the chosen garment for the fabric. Notes: Projects similar to this one can be found in various publications. It is one consistently used in our Rendering class, although we sometimes make changes based on our student body in a particular year. One year, students swatched their own fabrics in the costume shop, and I approved all choices before they started their renderings. While this gave them more ownership and thus more enthusiasm, I do think having one set of swatches for the whole class makes the presentation of renderings more useful. The whole class is familiar with the fabrics used and can therefore compare and contrast the success of different choices. When the fabrics are chosen for the students, a wool plaid, something metallic (so they paint highlight and shadow), and an interesting print are good places to start. For a recent semester, we included a play in the assignment, as I was interested in incorporating a Latinx playwright, Nilo Cruz, and his play Anna in the Tropics. We talked about the script in class (the play forward was very helpful) before three specifc swatches were handed out: the same swatches for all students. Here is the assignment: Please read Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz. You will be designing costumes for the following characters for Act 1 Scene 1.

that fabric for the majority of the costume (for example, not just a blouse, or just trim). Some things to think about: •

The period and setting of the play – how will that affect your choices?

•

The differences between the three characters, and how they relate to each other.

•

What are they doing in the scene, and how does that affect the way they are dressed?

•

What can your fabrics do? Some are stiffer than others. How will that affect garment choice as well as the way you render it?

You may draw your own design or fnd primary research and render your version. Costume design students should ideally create their own designs, as well as anyone else, but everyone has the option to render from research. You may ask my opinion if you are unsure what your fabric can do, but I can’t tell you what to design or to which character your fabric should be assigned.

Characters: Ofelia Marela Conchita Read the script carefully, both to understand who the characters are, and to understand the context of the scene. There are some specifc costume references. You will be given three fabric swatches in class when the assignment is given. You need to choose one fabric for each character and design a costume that uses

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F I G U R E 6 - 3 5 Fabric Painting Project, Lydia Chamberlain, Shenandoah University

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CROSS-LISTED PROJECTS Other Projects That Use Artists, Fashion, and Copywork •

Picnic

•

Modern Designers Project

Other Projects That Represent Character in Rendering •

Picnic

•

Antigone

•

The Rehearsal

•

Mary of Scotland

•

The School for Husbands

Other Projects That Use Color F I G U R E 6 - 3 6 Conchita, Anna in the Tropics, Lindsey

•

Electra

Barshick, Shenandoah University

Other Projects That Use Art •

Romeo and Juliet

Other Projects That Use Swatches •

Opera Project

•

Macbeth

•

Hello, Dolly!

•

1 Play Semester Long Project

•

Anna Christie/New Girl in Town

•

The Cherry Orchard

•

The Rehearsal

BIBLIOGRAPHY

F I G U R E 6 - 3 7 Marela, Anna in the Tropics, Jenna Linnert, Shenandoah University

Anderson, Maxwell, Mary of Scotland, Whitefsh: Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 2010 Anouilh, Jean, Five Plays: Antigone, Eurydice, The Ermine, The Rehearsal, Romeo and Jeannette, New York: Hill and Wang, 1990 Baker, Georgia O’Daniel, A Handbook of Costume Drawing (2nd edition), Burlington: Focal Press, 2013

Costume Rendering Projects

Birch, Brad, and Chinonyeren Odimba, Alice Birch, Chris Bush, In-Sook Chappell, Fiona Doyle, Phoebe Eclair Powell, Natalie Mitchell, Barney Norris, National Theatre Connections 2018, North Yorkshire: Methuen Drama, 2018 Childress, Alice, Wedding Band, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 1973 Cruz, Nilo, Anna in the Tropics, New York: Theatre Communication Group, 2003 Gardley, Marcus, The House That Will Not Stand, London: Bloomsbury, 2014 Harmon, Joshua, Bad Jews, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2015 Parks, Suzan-Lori, Topdog/Underdog, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2002 Rostand, Edmond, The Romancers, Glasgow: Good Press, 2020 Shakespeare, William, William Shakespeare Complete Works 2nd Edition, New York: Modern Library, 2022 (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest) Shange, Ntozake, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, New York, Scribner, 2010 Sophocles, Antigone, Mineola: Dover Reprint Editions, 1993 Wilbur, Richard (translator), The School for Husbands and Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold, New York: Ecco, 1994

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Wolfe, George C., The Colored Museum, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 1987

WEBSITES Johnson, Douglas and Maureen, “Figure Drawing Models”, Art Models, 2005–22, www.posespace.com/posetool/models. aspx?fbclid=IwAR3IDYb9Ka9kLe87oMYbiwOC1WPcxX njDv_YtMfuZt6WRet3IeOtqWwoDkY – human fgure models Volpintesta, Laura, “Plus Size Fashion Sketch Practice Resources and Videos”, FashionIllustrationTRIBE, 2022 www.fashionillustrationtribe.com/member-area/plus-sizefashion-fgure-fle-for-sketching/ – human fgure models Rojas, Mandy and Freeman, Devan (artist), “Croqui Project”, https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_Tjo5JXs2y4LTY BnSbuOIafUUCFK9Aux?usp=sharing – variety of shapes and abilities – model fgures Heritage History | Native Fairy Tales of South Africa by Ethel McPherson Fairy tales from around the world | Fairytalez.com World Fairytales Archives – Storynory, Storynory.com

Chapter 7 C O N N E C T I N G C O S T U M E D E S I G N F A S H I O N H I S T O R Y C L A S S E S

A N D

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION Undergraduate and graduate programs in universities and colleges often have a wide and differing range of costumerelated classes. If you are a new educator, you may be inheriting classes from your predecessor, who you may or may not have been able to meet. Before asking to make sweeping changes, it is a good idea to go through an academic year to see why things work the way they do. At that point, you’ll be better equipped to explain why, for example, you might need a stand-alone Fashion History class. Understanding fashion history is, of course, crucial for costume designers, but your program and the students in it should dictate the form that it takes. For example, if you are teaching primarily non-majors, a two-semester Fashion History class may be a lot more information than they need. If yours is an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) program in costume design, a two-semester class would be of great beneft to those students. Smaller programs may have fewer costume-related classes, in which case some subjects may need to be combined. This can actually be a positive thing in the case of teaching fashion history, as it can give the opportunity to connect students to the periods being studied in ways that will resonate with them. A Fashion History class can be combined with costume design so that students are designing for the periods they are learning about. In his year-long Costume History class at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, JB Harris included costume design lectures and he used period scripts, from which the class read and designed selected costumes throughout the course. This is a DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-7

good example of making class content relevant to students, and I can tell you that I remembered the periods much better after researching them and designing within them myself. The costume design students moved on to advanced design classes, but for the other MFA and BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) designers, this was their only costume class, and it combined elements of both design and fashion history. An important point is that the research was built into the class, which made it easier for non-majors to design period costumes. Fashion history at some level is a necessary topic for any design student, as it impacts their design work. Practically speaking, for example, a scenic designer may need to accommodate an oversized costume such as a hoop skirt in decisions about furniture and door openings. Understanding the way other design disciplines work and have developed over time makes for better collaboration and more wellrounded designers. At Shenandoah, we have combined our two-semester Fashion History course with our one-semester Architecture and Decor class to make one year-long course for all our BFA Theatre Design and Production students, entitled Period Styles. We recognized that they were hearing the same history twice, each time with a different focus, and it seemed like a better use of their time to combine the class. It will take time to see how effective this is, but for now it is working well. I particularly like the ability the class has to point out similarities between fashion, architecture, and decor in different periods and cultures. Students see how these elements developed together, how they were affected by the political, economic, and class aesthetics of the time, and how they affected each other. For example, 193

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TABLE 7–1

Design program class fowchart

Year

Fall

Spring

1

Introduction to Stage Costuming

Introduction to Design

Studio 1 (Basic Drawing)

Studio 2 (Graphic arts)

Scenic Design

Costume Design

Studio 3 (advanced Graphic art and Costume rendering)

Lighting Design Studio 4 (Digital rendering)

3

period Styles 1

period Styles 2

4

theatre Sound (not required for costume program, but some take it)

production Collaboration

2

classical Greek fashion mirrors the architecture of that period. Our program also has separate classes in the different design disciplines, including costume design, scenic design, lighting design, and sound design, and these design classes are mutually supportive of each other and with the Period Styles class. Table 7-1 shows how these classes intersect for our costume students. Ideally, an undergraduate or graduate costume design program would have separate classes for costume design and fashion history, but this doesn’t mean that costume design can’t be a part of a history class. Do high school students need a fashion history course? It is doubtful that a stand-alone class could be included at many public schools (performing arts schools may have more opportunities), but projects that include researching time periods and cultures are useful for any student learning about costume design. After all, clothing changes over time, and not all plays are set in modern-day America. But fashion history is a huge topic, particularly when you consider “decolonizing” the history classroom and not focusing on the Western European trajectory. In this chapter, I’ll discuss projects and plays that lend themselves well to underscoring fashion history, as well as providing a suggested class schedule if the need is to offer a combined class. I’m also going to briefy explore the concept of decolonizing, or decentralizing the history classroom, but this is a big topic that deserves its own book (which is anticipated to publish in December, 2023 – the title is New Approaches to Decolonizing Fashion History and Period Styles Re-Fashioning Pedagogies, edited by Ashley Bellet, Routledge Press).

DECENTRALIZING AND THE COSTUME CLASSROOM Decolonizing is a term that is used increasingly in academic circles, but this term has a very specifc meaning, and, as Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang point out, it is not a metaphor (Tuck) for other types of social justice and education work.

What is it being used for, in the academic sense? A working defnition is “disrupting norms”. A more accurate term, coined by Kimberly Jenkins (Mau), is decentralizing; meaning, in the Fashion History classroom, that the dominant culture (European; white; male; Christian; heretosexual, etc.) is not the focus. Decentralizing and disrupting norms in an academic sense can and does relate both to content (what is taught) and pedagogy (how it is taught). Fashion history has traditionally been taught linearly, and it has focused on Western Europe from ancient Greece to modern day. Today that concept is being challenged by many educators. In March 2022, at the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) “Together” National Conference, Michelle Hunt Souza; Kent State University, Anastasia Goodwin; Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Grace Cochran Keenan; Kent State University, and Maile Speetjens; University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa gave an inspiring presentation titled “Costume History – New Strategies in Teaching”. They discussed their individual fashion history courses in terms of their growth and change as each worked to create classes that were both equitable and meaningful for all their students, with a focus on the decentralizing conversation above. While fashion history is a tool for the costume designer to create messages and deeper understandings about characters and stories, it would be a mistake to assume that this is its only value. Souza and her colleagues discussed learning objectives that encouraged students to understand that the history of dress is the history of our cultures, a method that enriches any student. Teaching a history class in a linear style can limit students’ abilities to connect what they see on slides with their own lives. Seeing images in a linear method and memorizing dates and garment names doesn’t enable students to see how cultures interact and overlap, up to and including their present day lives. Souza shared connections made by Eric Abele, Senior Lecturer

Connecting Costume Design and Fashion History Classes

and Associate Chair at UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) Department of Theatre, between conventional teaching methods in fashion history and the article “White Supremacy Culture” by Tema Okun (www. whitesupremacyculture.info/):

Perfectionism •

Memorizing terms and dates; valuing attendance

Sense of Urgency •

Need to complete 3,000 years of history in a semester or year

Defensiveness •

This is how I learned it! I’ve done it this way for XX years!

Quantity Over Quality •

Need to teach everything

Worship of the Written Word •

Visual course that emphasizes written assessments, perfect language

Only One Right Way: A Fashion History class is not going to cover the entire global history of fashion in one or two semesters in anything but a perfunctory way. Rather than trying to cram a huge amount of information into students’ heads (that they are likely going to forget when the class is over), why not build the class to teach them how cultures connect and refect each other, and give students the tools they need to research in the future? As an educator and a designer, I certainly don’t know everything, but I know how to look for things and answer my own questions. What is important and relevant about fashion history, and what does the student need to take away from the class for their career? Having the tools to fnd and interpret research, and to know how to use their research and not just copy it, are worthwhile goals for both fashion history and costume design classes. Goodwin suggests that student learning outcomes are more important than specifc class content, saying: My students should learn to fnd credible sources of research, to evaluate images based on where/when/by whom they were created, to use proper terminology when

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describing a garment, to recognize their own cultural biases when selecting research, etc. Goodwin, in her presentation, discussed not only the familiar Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guide for creating learning objectives (or goals), but also Fink’s Taxonomy, which includes metacognition, or understanding oneself and how one learns. For example, Fink’s Taxonomy includes objectives such as Learning How to Learn, Human Dimension (learning about oneself and others), and Integration (connecting ideas, people, and realms of life) (Fink 30). It brings a human element to the classroom that is sometimes missing in Bloom. Goodwin explains, Research on cognition shows that learning occurs when our brains build on what we already know, adding new connections to the information acquired before. Therefore, fnding ways to help students feel personally and emotionally connected to the subject is not a feel-good bonus; it is essential to the process of learning. In her case, she broke her class into four modules: Body Modifcations, Textiles, Silhouettes, and Cultural Connections, saying, Overall, the aim is to explore what we agreed to call the ‘fashion instinct’ from the most immediate (our relationships to our bodies) to the tools and methods we use to make our appearance communicate something to the people in our communities and beyond. Each module covered topics from all over the world, and students saw how, for example, Body Modifcations are a common thread in many cultures. Some classes included hands-on learning, such as actually creating shibori (Japanese tie-dye) in a unit on textiles. Goodwin explained, As theatre artists, we use (fashion) history as a tool to help tell stories of the human experience. Therefore, I made it one of my goals to always keep the human experience present as we explore materials, garments, and techniques. Our case study model allows us to choose to focus on the creators of articles of fashion (those who design or produce them at every stage from agriculture to manufacture) or the consumers (those who distribute or wear them). Students are beginning to understand that a garment is never ‘just a . . . (shirt, pants, belt, handbag, etc.)’. They are practicing empathy, they are learning to consider multiple points of view on situations and materials, and in the context of classroom discussions, they are practicing communication and collective problem-solving. These sound like great goals for any designer: communication and collective problem-solving. Beyond that, these are

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all useful tools for any member of a functioning society, transcending the theatre classroom. The concept of fipped learning was also touched upon by Keenan, and this is a method that I have been using for some time in some of my classes. The idea is that students learn new information outside of class and spend time in class applying the new knowledge. She explained it as active versus passive learning, and asked, “How can I use my role as a maker in this area?” I really love this statement because it acknowledges that clothing is made by people; it doesn’t just magically appear. Where is the voice of the weaver, the craftsperson, the stitcher, the milliner, etc., in the history classroom? In addition, thinking about makers opens all kinds of avenues for class activities that build on reading and learning students have done outside of class (such as watching a video of a lecture). For example, a unit on textiles could include natural dyes and actually dyeing fabric, as Speetjens did in her class. This enables class time to focus on group activities and individual attention rather than information intake, which students can choose when to interact with outside of class. Lesley University points out that with fipped classrooms, “(educators) are able to spend more time with struggling students while allowing more advanced learners the freedom to work ahead. It’s large-scale differentiated instruction, built into the curriculum at every opportunity” (Lesley University, https://lesley. edu/article/an-introduction-to-fipped-learning). Flipped learning is thus more accommodating of all students in the classroom. For more information about fipped learning, see the Flipped Learning Global Initiative website at www. fglobal.org/. The class projects that all four professors discussed were focused on process rather than product. Rather than tests, projects were built to encourage students to explore and do deeper dives on subjects related to the class. This particularly resonated with me, as an alumna of Sarah Lawrence College, whose educational environment is built around, in part, encouraging students to do just that. Class projects included researching elements of the week’s focus, such as narrowing research to a specifc garment, as well as hands-on units, such as Speetjens’ session on natural dyes. Speetjens also has students write a weekly collaborative journal, in which they focus on an object that has deep personal meaning for them and research this object (she gave an example of a claddagh ring entry). The professors encouraged listeners to consider lowstakes projects, to give students a chance to develop their skills before tackling projects that were a large portion of the class grade.

They also discussed structuring courses in such a way that early assignments function as skill building blocks for later ones. Much like we teach basic watercolor skills before assigning a full color plate, teaching specifc research or communication techniques will give students a chance to practice (Anastasia Goodwin). This is good advice for any arts-based class, including costume design – creating projects that build on each other and increase students’ skill sets. For example, The Family project would be a good place to start a class before moving on to more complicated projects such as Romeo and Juliet. Color roughs are a good example of a low-stakes part of design projects. Clear descriptions of projects were mentioned as being crucial to student success, and I second this whole-heartedly. Students are much better set up to succeed when they understand the parameters of the assignment. I post all assignments on our online platform, Canvas, so that students can easily fnd the description and do not have to panic if they can’t fnd it in their notes or misunderstood what I was saying when they were taking notes. This is a sea change from when I was in school before online platforms were common – we were expected to take notes on assignments and woe to the student who misconstrued an assignment. Is this a strong pedagogical choice (posting assignments)? Shouldn’t students learn to take notes? For lecture material, I tend to agree – I think there is a real value in learning how to take effective notes and recognize what is important to focus on – the professor’s war stories probably don’t need to be written down in detail. And if a student needs to record a lecture to capture it, that is valid. But in the interest of keeping everyone on the same page for assignments, especially neurodiverse learners, posting is a way to accommodate all learners. Approaching the classroom as a learning opportunity for all, including the instructor, rather than seeing ourselves as the infallible experts, opens the ability for students to actively participate and incorporate their ideas and lived experiences. We instructors don’t know everything, and if we keep our minds and classrooms open, the experience will be more equitable for all learners. If we don’t cultivate the idea that there are absolutes and fnite answers, that there is one way of doing something or solving a problem, we can better lead and support our students. Souza makes this point in her related article on Howlround Theatre Commons, “Revolutionary Costume Pedagogy” (Souza). This article references many of the concepts presented at the USITT session and is well worth reading to further understand this movement in costume pedagogy.

Connecting Costume Design and Fashion History Classes

Approaching a fashion history course from the point of view of multiple cultures rather than through a Eurocentric lens means that content can show both human diversity and unity, as Maile Speetjens explained. As she says, this ensures that the people are not lost in the history, and it also encourages the telling of all stories, not just the dominant ones. I particularly appreciated this statement by Speetjens: she strives to “creat(e) a community of learners – encouraging, challenging, and supporting each other”. This is a goal that transcends fashion history and refects the concepts of inclusive pedagogy. The four speakers suggested several texts for further reading for those teaching fashion history: •

How to Read a Dress, Lydia Edwards

•

How to Read a Suit, Lydia Edwards

•

Fashion History: A Global View, Linda Welters and Abby Lillethun

•

The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History, Kassia St. Clair

•

The Dress Detective, Ingrid Mida and Alexandra Kim

Ultimately, the takeaway from this USITT session was that process and content both matter in the Fashion History classroom (and in any classroom). It isn’t just what you teach, it’s how you teach it. In the case of fashion history, breaking up the linear method of teaching enables students to make connections between cultures and across time. Looking at TABLE 7–2

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world cultures, rather than only Western fashion, makes them better world citizens, aware of what lies beyond their comfort zone. Both things make them more powerful designers and more effective theatre artists. A lot of the pedagogy discussion above is directly applicable to multiple classes, not just history subjects. Low-stakes projects, clear rubrics and assignments, involving students in class planning, transparency about syllabi and class schedule choices – these are all indicative of a class that values and centers effective student learning. The conversation about how to approach fashion history in the classroom is a national one – I encourage you to visit the American Theatrical Costume Association at www.atcacommunity.com/ for workshops, resources, lists of diverse plays, including specifc alternatives to the Western canon, and a community of costume peers. Another huge resource is Kimberly Jenkins’ Fashion and Race Database at https://fashionandrace.org/database/.

COMBINING COSTUME DESIGN WITH FASHION HISTORY What if you can’t have a stand-alone Fashion History class, because of budget or time constraints? You can combine elements of both costume design and fashion history in one class. This is more useful for students below the graduate level; in an MFA program, a Fashion History class, ideally two semesters, is a crucial part of the curriculum and should be fought for. At the undergraduate level, or in a costume class for secondary education, here is a potential class schedule:

Class schedule for Design/Fashion History combined class

Week

Day 1

Day 2

Assignment

1

Class Introduction

Background for Fashion history and Design – Lecture: psychology of Dress (including Cycles of Fashion portion of lecture)

read Flyin’ West or other period show for semester-long design project

2

Lecture: elements and principles of Design

Lecture: Costumes and Costume Designers – What is their Function?

Supplementary reading – use online discussion-board format. this could cover multiple weeks.

3

Lecture: the role of the Costume Designer in the theatre Structure

Lecture: the Design process

List and plot – Flyin’ West

4

tBa – extra time if lectures run long

Lecture: Choosing Fabric; Fabric and Costume Design

research boards – Flyin’ West

5

In class dye workday.

List and plot due – Flyin’ West

the Fabric Industry, past and present

Options: dye work with natural dyes; create a shibori (Japanese tie-dye) t-shirt (Continued)

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TABLE 7–2

(Continued)

Week

Day 1

Day 2

Assignment

6

Fast Fashion – upcycling, the effect of the garment industry on climate change

Body Modifcations 1

research project – specifc body modifcation, any period or culture

7

Body Mod 2

Body Mod 3 (this could be a workday)

Flyin’ West fnal renderings – due at fnal exam. You might choose to build in a day to show color roughs

8

present body modifcation project

Introduction to Silhouettes – draped and wrapped

Choose specifc silhouette to research through several time periods/cultures

9

Silhouettes 2 – semi-ftted shapes

Silhouettes 3 – ftted shapes

10

Silhouettes 4 – artifcial shapes

Color and art

research boards due/Flyin’ West – Day 2

Romeo and Juliet

(anderson and anderson 309) 11

present silhouette research project

present Romeo and Juliet color roughs

12

Introduction to Medea project; in class workday

present Romeo and Juliet

13

Cultural Connections 1

present color roughs/Medea

14

Cultural Connections 2

present Medea

Final exam

present Flyin’ West

Medea project

This class schedule uses a “big ideas” format rather than a linear one; grouping aspects of fashion history into four units: Textiles, Body Modifcations, Silhouettes, and Cultural Connections. This is based on Goodwin’s presentation discussed above; I used these four units and expanded them into a theoretical class that would encompass both costume design and fashion history. Note that I have not taught this class in this format (combining fashion history and costume design), but the design lectures (weeks 1–4) and the design projects have all been tested in the classroom. Therefore, you would need to create the units for the four “big concepts”, perhaps using the book referenced above, New Approaches to Decolonizing Fashion History and Period Styles Re-Fashioning Pedagogies. The design lectures and the design projects (One-Semester Design Project (without the collage), Romeo and Juliet, and Medea) are included in this book. The dye class ideas came from Goodwin (shibori project) and Speetjens (natural dye project) of the same USITT session.

COSTUME DESIGN PROJECTS TO AUGMENT A FASHION HISTORY CLASS If you are able to have a Fashion History class that is separate from your Costume Design class, you may wish to include costume design projects in the class to better connect

Mary, Mary of Scotland, Karen J. Weber, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

FIGURE 7-1

Connecting Costume Design and Fashion History Classes

Elizabeth, Mary of Scotland, Karen J. Weber, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

FIGURE 7-2

students with the material. Consider your student makeup; do you have majors; design students; non-majors within the theatre department; and/or non-majors outside of theatre? Choose projects carefully and schedule them to coincide with what you are covering in class. For example, if you’re discussing Elizabethan England, Mary of Scotland would be a choice that not only refects the period, but also includes color relationships (and thus would also be useful after a color theory lecture in a design class). The School for Husbands project is also a period piece whose project makes use of color theory. The trick is to let the class lectures create a lot of the research for students, giving them a baseline which they can then dial down for individual characters. Some plays are more accessible than others, so depending on your class’s familiarity with the concept of costume design, choose plays that have broad parameters for beginners, or at the beginning of a class, while projects that have “tricks” that they need to pick up on may be more appropriate for more advanced students. For example, the A Midsummer Night’s Dream project requires students to be able to consider the period (and the period choice) from the point of view of three different groups of people. Some of the projects in this book are more suited for beginning students, while others are more appropriate for the graduate level. All projects are rated as to skill level, and

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Graduate vs. Undergraduate Projects in Chapter 2 digs deeper into these ideas. There are many projects that make use of specifc periods; the following projects particularly stand out as being useful in a fashion history course. There are several projects in this book that allow students to choose their own settings or periods, allowing for broad research opportunities. The Family is particularly apt for beginners. In the Family Project, students choose a setting/period and design costumes for a theoretical family for whom they have names (Father, Mother, etc.), ages, and a few words describing the personality of each. No script is involved, and the parameters are open to interpretation, making this a good project for secondary school and non-majors, or at the beginning of a fashion history course. Medea and A Midsummer Night’s Dream both make use of non-Western cultures in the assignment, setting these plays in different cultures. The concept behind the Medea project is not locked into that script; if you wanted a project that used non-Western cultures and a non-Western play, Medea could be swapped out for something equally timeless. In that project, students are assigned, or could choose a non-Western culture to research and design for the script. It is fascinating to see how each culture is used for the same story. The Midsummer project challenges students to set the

Rendering for The Daughter, Family Project, Sylvia Furken, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 7-3

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Connecting Costume Design and Fashion History Classes

play in a different period or culture, designing for the fairies; but they must consider, and justify in their presentation, how the choice accommodates the three worlds of the play – royals, rustics, fairies. That project also requires students to draw fgures in motion, but this could be eliminated if the fashion history students had not attended a design or rendering class (yet). Additionally, these three projects could all be research boards if the class is not prepared to create full renderings. The Romeo and Juliet project fts well in a unit on the Italian Renaissance and it is also an opportunity to discuss Renaissance art. In this project, students choose a piece of art from the period on which to base their color scheme. Other scripts/periods could be substituted, but the nice thing about using Romeo and Juliet is that there are two clear family groups to use for color mapping. Kiss Me, Kate is a project that makes use of period research, which is then applied to a design project. Students research two characters (Lilli and Lois) from the point of view of both the 1940s setting and the Elizabethan play-within-a play and consider how character analysis affects research choices. They then design two costumes, one from each period, for both characters. Again, this project could be reimagined to only include research boards. Everyman is another project that has characters with broad descriptions, which allows for a lot of design interpretation in the period (Gothic – early, mid, or late).

Lily, Kiss Me, Kate, Mallory J. Veil, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 7-4

Kate, Kiss Me, Kate, Mallory J. Veil, Shenandoah University

FIGURE 7-5

If you choose, as suggested in the discussion above on Decentralizing and the Costume Classroom, to approach Fashion History from a non-linear perspective focusing on several big ideas that refect across multiple periods and cultures, drawing in design projects that mirror these ideas is an interesting creative challenge. As a costume educator, I read a lot of scripts to keep up with what is happening in the theatre industry. I encourage you to do the same, and to read diverse playwrights in every sense of the word. Here is a list of plays you may fnd relevant: Red Velvet, Lolita Chakrabarti Intimate Apparel, Lynn Nottage Ruined, Lynn Nottage Sweat, Lynn Nottage for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, Ntozake Shange Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities, Anna Deavere Smith Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Anna Deavere Smith Vietgone, Qui Nguyen The Colored Museum, George C. Wolfe Anna in the Tropics, Nilo Cruz Flyin’ West, Pearl Cleage The House That Will Not Stand, Marcus Gardley

Connecting Costume Design and Fashion History Classes

Charm, Philip Dawkins Bad Jews, Joshua Harmon Signifcant Other, Joshua Harmon Bootycandy, Robert O’Hara The Thanksgiving Play, Larissa Fasthorse What Would Crazy Horse Do?, Larissa Fasthorse Native Gardens, Karen Zacarias Pipeline, Dominic Morisseau Wedding Band, Alice Childress Marisol, José Rivera Topdog/Underdog, Suzan-Lori Parks The Niceties, Eleanor Burgess School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play, Jocelyn Bioh Passing Strange, Stew and Heidi Rodewald Jelly’s Last Jam, George C. Wolfe and Susan Birkenhead An Octoroon, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins M. Butterfy, David Henry Hwang The Cadillac Crew, Tori Sampson Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, A. Rey Pamatmat Yellow Face, David Henry Hwang Slave Play, Jeremy O. Harris Zoot Suit, Luis Valdez Many of these plays are wonderful period pieces – for example, Zoot Suit, Intimate Apparel, Wedding Band, and Red Velvet would all be great texts outside the traditional Western canon for students to explore these periods. You and I may not be able to use every play on this list for a costume design or rendering project, but I never know what to expect when reading a new play, and I don’t read them just to glean design projects. Reading scripts that I don’t know opens new worlds for me as an artist, even if I don’t design the costumes for them. Often one play leads me to another, down all kinds of interesting rabbit holes. And I never know when I’m going to discover a play that has a design message or challenge that I can share with students. Some of my more recent projects, such as Anna in the Tropics, Flyin’ West, and The House That Will Not Stand, have been very meaningful experiences for our classes. And all three of these scripts had interesting periods to explore from points of view we had not previously discussed. Flyin’ West led to conversations about what it meant to be a Black pioneer. The House . . . encouraged us to parse what beauty meant for Black women in 1830s Louisiana. Anna explores a Cuban cigar factory and its workers in Tampa in the 1920s. My friend and fellow costume educator Ashley Bellet points out that Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play Everybody is similar in its allegorical style to Everyman, and could easily substitute in that project. Reading, discussing, researching, and designing for stories that are not from the dominant culture or perspective can

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be a way to engage students in a history course at levels that directly refect what they as theatre artists are being trained to do, from an equitable lens. Including storytelling in a history course keeps people and cultures front and center, rather than a course that centers on dates and terms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, Barbara and Cletus, Costume Design, New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1984 (2nd edition – 1994) Bellet, Ashley, ed., New Approaches to Decolonizing Fashion History and Period Styles Re-Fashioning Pedagogies, Routledge Press, to be published December 2023 Edwards, Lydia, How to Read a Suit: A Guide to Changing Men’s Fashion from the 17th to the 20th Century, New York: Bloomsbury, 2020 Edwards, Lydia, How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century, New York: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2021 Fink, L. Dee, Creating Signifcant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003 Joy, Elizabeth, “Decolonizing Fashion: A Deep Dive into Fashion’s Colonial Roots”, Conscious Life and Style, Jan. 8, 2021, www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/decolonizingfashion/ Mau, Dhani, “Kimberly Jenkins Wants to Help Decolonize Our Understanding of Fashion”, July 16, 2020, https:// fashionista.com/2020/07/kimberly-jenkins-fashion-andrace-database Mida, Ingrid, and Kim, Alexandra, The Dress Detective: A Practical Guide to Object-Based Research in Fashion, New York: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2019 Okun, Tema, “White Supremacy Culture – Still Here”, White Supremacy Culture, May 2021, www. whitesupremacyculture.info/uploads/4/3/5/7/43579015/ chara Souza, Michelle, “Revolutionary Costume Pedagogy” was originally published on HowlRound Theatre Commons, (https://howlround.com/revolutionary-costumepedagogy) on September 2, 2020 St. Clair, Kassia, The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History, New York: Liveright, 2021 Thanhauser, Sof, Worn: A People’s History of Clothing, New York: Pantheon Books, 2022 Tuck, Eve, and Yang, K. Wayne, “Decolonization is Not a Metaphor”, Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 2012, https://clas.osu.edu/sites/clas.osu.edu/fles/ Tuck%20and%20Yang%202012%20Decolonization%20 is%20not%20a%20metaphor.pdf

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Welters, Linda, and Lillethun, Abby, Fashion History: A Global View, New York: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2018

referenced Scripts Bioh, Jocelyn, School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2018 Burgess, Eleanor, The Niceties, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2019 Chakrabarti, Lolita, Red Velvet, London: Bloomsbury, 2014 Childress, Alice, Wedding Band, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 1973 Cleage, Pearl, Flyin’ West and Other Plays, Syracuse: TCG, 1999 Cruz, Nilo, Anna in the Tropics, New York: Theatre Communication Group, 2003 Dawkins, Philip, Charm, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2018 Fasthorse, Larissa, The Thanksgiving Play, What Would Crazy Horse Do?, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2021 Gardley, Marcus, The House That Will Not Stand, London: Bloomsbury, 2014 Harmon, Joshua, Bad Jews, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2015 Harmon, Joshua, Signifcant Other, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2017 Harris, Jeremy O., Slave Play, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2019 Hwang, David Henry, M. Butterfy, New York: Plume, 1989 Hwang, David Henry, Yellow Face, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2008 Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden, An Octoroon, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2015 Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden, Everybody, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2023 Morisseau, Dominic, Pipeline, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2018 Nguyen, Qui, Vietgone, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2017 Nottage, Lynn, Intimate Apparel, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2005 Nottage, Lynn, Ruined, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2009

Nottage, Lynn, Sweat, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2018 O’Hara, Robert, Bootycandy, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2014 Pamatmat, A. Rey, Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2012 Rivera, José, Marisol and Other Plays, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1997 Parks, Suzan-Lori, Topdog/Underdog, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2002 Rodewald, Stew and Heidi, Passing Strange, New York: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, 2009 Sampson, Tori, The Cadillac Crew, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2021 Shange, Ntozake, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, New York, Scribner, 2010 Smith, Anna Deveare, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Albany: Anchor Books, 1994 Smith, Anna Deveare, Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 1997 Valdez, Luis, Zoot Suit and Other Plays, Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1992 Wolfe, George C., The Colored Museum, New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 1987 Wolfe, George C, and Birkenhead, Susan, Jelly’s Last Jam, New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1993 Zacarias, Karen, Native Gardens, New York: Samuel French – Concord, 2019

referenced Websites American Theatrical Costume Association, www. atcacommunity.com Flipped Learning Global Initiative, www.fglobal.org/ “An Introduction to Flipped Learning”, Lesley University, https:// lesley.edu/article/an-introduction-to-fipped-learning Jenkins, Kimberly, Fashion and Race Database(™), https:// fashionandrace.org/database/ Souza, Michelle Hunt, and Anastasia Goodwin, Grace Cochran Keenan, and Maile Speetjens, “Costume History – New Strategies in Teaching”, United States Institute of Theatre Technology “Together” National Conference, Baltimore, March 12, 2022

Chapter 8 T E A C H I N G C O S T U M E F O R D A N C E

D E S I G N

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION There probably aren’t any costume designers who would say that designing costumes for dance is the same as designing them for theatre. Teaching a class about costume design for dance, similarly, differs substantially from the same class for theatre, although some subject matter does carry over. Are you teaching dancers about costumes, or costume students about dance design? These could be two different classes. This chapter will cover costume classes for dancers as well as dance-related projects to incorporate into a costume design class for theatre students who need to learn about design for dance. The key for both classes is to create a vocabulary that both dancers/choreographers and costume designers can use to communicate.

HOW DOES DANCE COSTUME DESIGN DIFFER FROM THEATRE? Two of the biggest issues in designing for dance are that there is usually no script, and the ability for movement is of paramount importance. There may be characters and a story; there may not. The idea behind the dance may be rooted in emotion or a reaction to an event or idea; it may be very abstract. This is particularly true in modern dance. By contrast, some dance is story-driven, such as Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. This dance also has a period and location (Christmas Eve in 19th century Germany), while many dances are not specifc to either. The need for movement may trump period accuracy, although most designers can fnd a

DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-8

way to suggest a period, if there is one, as accurately as the choreographer wishes. No script! This can throw the beginning costume designer. Where is the road map? Unlike theatre, the dance is often newly created, which means that designers are working with the originator of the dance. This of course happens in theatre with a new work, when designers work with both a director and a playwright, but it is more common in dance. This means that the relationship between the choreographer and the designer takes a different form, as the choreographer may fll the role of both director and playwright. Conversations with the choreographer and watching rehearsals take the place of detailed script analysis. Listening to the music for the dance is also of key importance. The ability to accomplish blocking, fght choreography, and, often, dance, is certainly vital for theatre. In the case of musical theatre, the choreographer and the director both work with the costume designer, but here there is a script, so the process is more narratively based, and often more predictable in terms of the design approach. However, movement is still central to the design, especially because musicals are generally set in a specifc period and are not necessarily as abstract as a dance piece can be. Period fashions may need to be adapted to allow for movement but still communicate the world of the musical and the story being told. Movement for dancers takes on further importance in dance costume design, in which movement is central to the art form. Choreography for dance often requires the ability 203

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for the body to move in extreme ways that costumes must accommodate. Design students often don’t have knowledge of movement specifc to types of dance, such as chest slides in ballet. The conversation about movement needs to be a part of the entire design process, so that young designers don’t fall in love with an idea that just isn’t practical.

WORKING WITH CHOREOGRAPHERS In a costume class for dancers, it’s important for students to understand how to collaborate and work with costume designers; it’s equally important, when talking about dance in a costume design class, for design students to think about communicating ideas with choreographers. The collaborative process can take many forms, and the relationship between choreographer and designer is a dance of its own that takes time to cultivate for it to be successful. The improvisational nature of dance training can make choreographers open to fuid change in ways that may be challenging for designers who have been trained to approach design as a series of steps or plateaus. The discussion spans technical questions: •

•

Are they doing knee slides? This will affect fabric choice.

•

What sort of undergarment support is needed? Can dancers provide what works best for them, or should it all match? (i.e., is it seen, and does it affect the shape of the costume?)

•

What sort of shoes, if any, are they wearing? Choreographers are usually the deciding voice on the question of footwear choice.

•

Who is providing the shoes?

•

What sort of support (rubbering, braces, etc.) do the shoes need?

It also includes more esoteric and design-focused questions, such as: •

What is the music that will be used, and why was it chosen? Sometimes there is no music, or there might be spoken text.

•

What is the theme or idea behind the dance? Is there a specific mood? How does it relate to the music?

•

Is there a story behind the dance?

•

Is there text or source material that the choreographer is working with, that they can share with the designer?

•

If this is a classic dance, such as Swan Lake, or a specific choreographer’s work like Martha Graham’s, how closely does the choreographer want to follow the way the dance has been traditionally costumed?

•

Are there elements of design, such as color, shape, or texture, that the choreographer envisions for the dance?

•

Will the costume design be for a particular period? Modern streetwear? Something that avoids a specific period, or combines periods?

•

Is there a style (visual, of choreography, of working) the choreographer is using or that is important to them?

Is this a new piece, or a reconstruction? o

o

If the latter, are the costumes for the piece in stock? Are there enough and are they the correct sizes? It can be tricky to recreate matching additional costumes, particularly if dye work is necessary. Is this a recreation of a historic dance? – an example might be Anna Solokow’s Rooms.

•

What type of dance is it? Is there partnering and/or grouping?

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Does the dance have multiple movements?

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Are there understudies who will need costumes? Double casting?

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What is the physical performance space?

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How long is the run? This affects fabric choices and cleaning – the longer the run, the stronger the fabrics and costumes need to be.

•

Is the music live? Will musicians need to be costumed as well?

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What sort of movement will costumes need to accommodate?

•

Should the costumes look like real clothing, or be more abstract?

•

Is there a lot of floorwork? This may affect closure choices, so dancers aren’t rolling on something uncomfortable.

•

Is gender important in the dance, or is it more gender fluid or neutral? Should the costumes reflect this?

Teaching Costume Design for Dance

•

How will the body be treated? Will it be revealed, concealed, reshaped? What parts of the body are being emphasized? How are dancers touched?

•

How should fabric choices amplify the choreographic movement? Is the choreographer open to collaboration about incorporating fabric and cut into the shape the dancer creates?

Communicating with choreographers takes different forms, as choreographers often work in very different ways. Students should understand that just like directors, some choreographers work very collaboratively, while others have specifc ideas about what they want. The latter is often true for choreographers who are used to providing their own costumes for their pieces and are not used to the concept of the designer relationship. It’s certainly more rewarding and meaningful to design for someone who collaborates with you and solicits your ideas and input, so if you are teaching dancers, that’s an important thing to communicate. But sometimes, designers are just given a link and told to buy fourteen pairs of a specifc style of black pants, for example, and design students need to know that they will not always have full design freedom, any more than they do with every director they work with. However, in an ideal world the designer is valued as an artist for what they can bring to the collaborative process, and both designer and choreographer recognize that understanding how each works best can foster this relationship. For example, some choreographers respond to visual material, while others like to talk about the backstory behind the dance. When working with dance students, have conversations about collaboration, so they think about and understand the potential of this relationship. A true collaboration between choreographer and designer can be a very joyful and creative experience. It’s very important to attend rehearsals/watch videos as early as possible in the design process. It’s diffcult to visualize dance in conversation. The designer should think about how the movement will affect the costume design and how costumes may affect movement. For example, a very full skirt might obscure leg movement, and a dancer could become entangled in it if there is foor work. Ideally, rehearsal costumes should be provided to gauge how well the designs mesh with the movement. This also gives dancers time to be sure they can adapt movement to the costume designs, just like an actor must adapt to a corset or a train. Student designers should be prepared for change as pieces evolve, especially with new works. And of course, it’s crucial to consider the comfort level of the dancers, and to involve them in the conversation. Some

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choreographers involve the dancers in the design process; others are mostly concerned with the ability of the dancers to move as needed and don’t solicit their viewpoint. The dancer’s input can be very useful, as they know their bodies best. Designers vary on how much input they want, but it is certainly meaningful for the dancer to have a voice. The designer-choreographer relationship takes time to develop, and trust must be cultivated on both sides. As young designers work with choreographers, they will learn to gauge how these artists’ creative processes work – they may want to be a part of the research process; they may like to talk through ideas throughout the process, or want to give a designer an idea and let them run with it. Do they need to see actual costumes to be able to visualize shapes and movement, or are they comfortable working with sketches frst? The pleasure of working with a choreographer multiple times is that this process can be teased out. Encourage students to look at the body of work of a choreographer they are working with for the frst time, if possible. Many choreographers have distinct styles, both in terms of choreography and what they like visually. When working with dance students, encourage them to consider their style of working and how they communicate with the costume designer. Ultimately, young designers and choreographers both need to cultivate the ability to work in a collaborative art form and be able to open their minds to feedback and reactions to their work without feeling defensive or taking criticism personally. This is not easy, but reassure students that it gets easier with time.

THE COSTUME CLASS FOR DANCERS If you are teaching a costume class for dancers, you will probably be incorporating both design and technology. Dancers are often responsible for their own costumes and may need to maintain them or even design and provide them, so basic sewing skills are important. At Shenandoah University, where I teach, we have two sections of the Introduction to Stage Costuming class, one for theatre majors and one for dance majors. The dancers used to attend the theatre class, but in working with the dance faculty, we decided to split the class so that we could focus on dancespecifc topics for those students. The dance section uses three of the lectures, Functions of Costumes, Choosing Fabric, and The Life of a Costume, but the Functions and Life lectures were rewritten for dance design and are included in this chapter. The Fabric and Fibers lecture is largely the same, but I did create a fabric movement project, which will be covered below.

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TAbLe 8-1 Class schedule for Costuming for Dance Class (design portion)

Week Day 1

Day 2

Assignment

11

(Sewing portion of class)

(Sewing portion of class)

Dance Costume history Group presentation

12

Lecture – Costumes and Costume Designers: What is their Function? (Dance version)

Video critique – watch videos in class

read Elevating the Dance article

Lecture – Choosing Fabric; Fabric and Costume Design

presentations: Dance Costume history Group presentations

Music Video project (Chapter 4)

Lecture – the Life of a Costume (Dance version)

Discussion/Elevating the Dance article

Video thread due

Finish lectures if necessary

reaction essay due/Elevating article

15

tBa – extra time if lectures run long

present Music Video project

Music Video project due

16

Final exam: present fnal sewing project

13

14

Finish lecture if necessary

Video Critique due (use discussion board on online platform)

Written exam on lecture material if desired

The class schedule uses the frst part of the semester to teach basic sewing skills. The last four weeks of the semester includes the lectures as well as a design project, a critique project, a group discussion of an article, and a group presentation on dance costume history. The class doesn’t have to be taught in this order, but it was structured in this way because dance students spend two hours per week working lab hours in our costume shop, so the sooner they have basic sewing skills, the more productive they can be in the shop. The class schedule can be seen in Table 8-1, and covers the portion of the class that covers dance costume design. It meets twice a week for one hour and ffteen minutes each: If a written exam on lecture material is desired, see Measuring Knowledge Retention in Chapter 3. If you need more information about teaching basic sewing skills, see The Costume Technician’s Handbook by Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey, Basic Sewing Construction: A Handbook, 2nd Edition by Rebecca Cunningham, and for dance-specifc costumes, How to Dress Dancers by Mary Kent Harrison.

PROJECTS FOR THE COSTUME CLASS FOR DANCERS The Class Design Assignments:

Group Dance Costume history presentation This idea came up as a way to incorporate some of the history of iconic dance costumes such as tutus and pointe shoes, signifcant dancers/choreographers and their signature looks, and traditional costumes for dances such as famenco and tango. Rather than lecturing on these topics myself, the class divided into groups and chose topics from a provided list. Here is the assignment I posted on Canvas: The class will be divided into groups of three. Each group will prepare a ffteen-minute presentation on a Dance Costume History topic, including a PowerPoint presentation with text and images (at least ten images). On the days of the presentation, each group will present their PowerPoint to the class, with all members contributing to the discussion. All PowerPoint presentations must also be turned in on Canvas on the day of the group’s presentation. The presentation should include research into the history of the fgure/group, garment, or topic, including when and how it/they developed, what kind of dance the costumes were used for, and your topic’s relevance/infuence today. There are lots of websites, Pinterest boards, and YouTube videos to help you. Let me know if you are having trouble fnding information. You may also borrow books from my library. This is the list of acceptable topics. Topics may only be used once; that is, two groups cannot do the same topic. I am open to the possibility of other topics if a group has a particular interest, but I do have to approve the new topic.

•

Group Dance Costume History Presentation

•

Reading Assignment and Discussion

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Music Video Design Project

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History of the Tutu

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Video Critique

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Costumes of Alwin Nikolais

Teaching Costume Design for Dance

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Costumes of Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes

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Infuence of Martha Graham on Dance Costumes

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History of the Ballet Shoe (including pointe)

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Flamenco and Tango Dance Costumes

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Josephine Baker: History and Infuence

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Hip Hop: History and Infuence

You may decide as a class who is in which group and what your proposed topic is. The chosen class representative needs to email me to give me the members of the group and each group’s proposed topic. Please give a frst and second choice of topics for each group. I will let each group know which topic I have approved. Dance and Fashion, ed. Valerie Steele is a very useful resource. This project has been very interesting for both me and the students, and we have all learned a lot about how dance costuming has developed and changed over time. I would recommend grading each student individually and requiring a brief paragraph from each student about how they participated in the group’s work. This avoids students being penalized because a member of their group didn’t pull their weight.

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then have one week to read someone else’s essay and post a thread response. I like making use of the Canvas discussion-board feature for reading assignments; the discussion is often freer without the instructor in the room, and online, all students have a voice, including those who have diffculty speaking in front of a class. An in-class discussion is certainly a viable option as well.

Music Video Design project This project was created to give dance students a chance to try drawing and designing costumes for their major. The idea is that students design four characters for a dance based on a piece of music that they choose. They may use any music they like, and any style of dance. Any period is acceptable, or “abstract no period”, for the costumes. Basic human forms (croqui) are provided on Canvas, as the students in this class do not necessarily have drawing skills. Students may also draw their own fgures if they choose. They may use any combination of gender, as long as they have a total of four. The designs should relate to the music as well as to each other. The renderings include color, such as coloring pencils or

reading assignment and Discussion A textbook hasn’t been required for this class, but you could fnd something for the class to read and discuss about design theory, working with choreographers when one is a designer, and working with designers when one is a choreographer. Learning to speak a common language is a large part of what makes collaboration successful. Find an article you like and provide it to students, following your school’s copyright policy. Elevating the Dance, E. Shura Pollatsek (USITT Theatre Design and Technology quarterly, Summer 2019) is one that I read recently that would be a great choice. USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology)’s quarterly magazine, and Stage Directions magazine, whose subscription is free to educators, often have great articles. Here is the assignment: Please read the posted article and write a one to one-anda-half page essay paper reacting to the topics covered. What did you think of the article? What did you learn from it? What might you use in the future when creating your own costumes? Was there anything that you did not agree with? Explain why. Please post your essay on the appropriate class discussion board by (X date), no later than midnight. You

F I G u R e 8 - 1 Music Video Project, V Cangelosi, Shenandoah

University

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markers. For the class presentation, students play a sample of their music, and show and talk about their designs. This project encourages students to make use of all the class discussion of costume design and follows the Costumes and Costume Designers: What is Their Function? lecture. Students react well to this assignment; it seems relevant to both the class discussion and to their own work in their program. For their Dance Composition (Comp) class, which is often taken the same semester, they design their own costumes, so this is good preparatory work. For the Comp class, they are generally pulling or buying costumes, but they can build them if they choose. In either case, design decisions are being made. The Comp class’s professor often requests that we sit in and offer feedback on their costume choices, which is a nice way to connect the two classes.

Video Critique This project came about after talking with the chair of the dance division at Shenandoah. We both liked the idea of having students critique costumes in a dance piece, and he volunteered to fnd several video choices for me. Here is the assignment: Please go to Canvas and watch one of the two posted dance videos – there are links to them under Dance Videos for Critiques. You need to write a one-page critique on the costumes for the dance and post it on the discussion board. The deadline is by midnight on (X date). You then have one week to read someone else’s critique and post a thread response. Please consider everything we discussed in the Functions lecture and talk about how the costumes relate to the dance and how successful, or not, you think they were. Defend your opinions – why did they work/not work? The videos can also be shown during class. Again, you can use the discussion board feature in Canvas, or this could be an in-class discussion. An alternative to videos is students attending a live performance but using videos has enabled us to fnd ones that really make use of costumes in an interesting way. See if your faculty choreographers can help you; alternatively, look on YouTube for options (following your school’s copyright policy). One example of a dance video is Echad Mi Yodea by Ohad Naharin, performed by Batsheva – the Young Ensemble, which can be found on YouTube.

THE LECTURES FOR A COSTUME CLASS FOR DANCERS The class schedule above (see Table 8–1) is a place to start. It is neither crucial nor advisable to lecture for an entire class period to complete a lecture in one class. Breaking up lecture time keeps students engaged, especially if the class is virtual. You can also consider fipped learning, and record lectures for students to watch outside of class. Class time can then be devoted to activities related to the lecture material, such as the Music for Dance project, the Dance Costume History Group Presentation, the Video Critique discussion, and the discussion of the Elevating the Dance or other article. Alternatively, lecture for part of the class, and then break students into groups with some of the discussion questions found in the lectures. The Choosing Fabric lecture may be found in Chapter 3. The italics in the lectures are comments on the lecture and question prompts for students.

PIVOTING A CLASS In March 2020, I was in the middle of teaching this class when the Covid pandemic hit. Like everyone else, the class had to pivot to an online format for the rest of the semester. During the Choosing Fabrics lecture, I usually have samples of all the fabrics we talk about for the class to see and touch. There are samples of the different fibers and structures as well as larger pieces so we can compare the way fabrics drape and move. This was much more difficult to accomplish in an online setting, and I really didn’t want to just hold up pieces of fabric to the camera. Instead, after the lecture, I gave students a video assignment: Find a piece of fabric or clothing that has an interesting weight or drape. If clothing, it should not ft closely – something like a full skirt or dress would be ideal, or it can be a piece of fabric you can drape over your body. Think about whether the fabric diffuses movement and the shape of the body (hides or obscures it) or reveals it.

Teaching Costume Design for Dance

Put on the clothing or drape the fabric over your body, and make a video of your body moving in the fabric. It should only be one to two minutes long, but really think about how your fabric affects the perception of your body and its movement. Post your video on the appropriate Canvas class discussion board in time for Tuesday’s class. On Zoom, we watched and talked about the videos, and it was a great class. The students rose to the challenge and posted marvelous videos, and the class discussion was energetic and involved. This is a project I’m keeping in the live class because that class saw the relevance of why we were talking about fabric. Another resource is the text The Style of Movement by Ken browar and Deborah Ory, NYC Dance Project, which has stunning photographs of dancers in movement, and the use of fabric is truly inspiring.

that allows the performer to become, for a time, someone else” (Cunningham, The Magic Garment, 1). •

this defnition takes the concept of a costume and its job to its most elemental meaning.

•

are costumes always garments? (Ask the class – what would an example be of a costume that didn’t ft that description?)

•

Do performers always become another person? If not, is it still a costume? (What does the class think?)

•

the concept of a costume predates recorded history. Costumes, masks, and makeup were used for dances about stories or rituals. putting on a costume had a magical connotation – transformed the wearer into that spirit or animal and masked their own identity.

•

Costumes helped dancers to tell stories; to perform rituals to infuence important events – the hunt, rainfall, fertility. Concept of the costume predates theatre itself (Cunningham, The Magic Garment, 1).

•

rebecca Cunningham posits that costumes today still have a somewhat “magical” quality – ability to help to transform a performer into the character they are playing or dance they are performing (Cunningham, The Magic Garment, 1).

* * *

FUNCTIONS OF DANCE COSTUMES (This lecture is similar to the Functions lecture for the class for theatre majors but has been adapted for dance costume design. Students will learn what costume design is and how it relates to dance.) Why is it important for dance students to understand costumes and costume design? (Ask) •

o

•

In the professional world, as choreographers, you need to be able to communicate with costume designers so you can collaborate and come up with costumes that work for your dance.

•

If you don’t know what questions to ask, or how fabric and design affect movement, you won’t understand why you’re not happy with your costumes.

•

and in many situations, you may not have a designer, in which case you are your costume designer.

What is a Costume? Definitions: What is a costume? Rebecca Cunningham describes a costume as “a garment

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How can costumes transform a dancer? o o o

•

Often performers fnd that putting on the costume adds a new, special layer for their dance, whether it is a specifc character or an idea about what a dance means or conveys.

Affects way dancer moves – for example, a tutu or a corset. Affects presence onstage (who should we be looking at?). Sends messages about characters or mood/ idea of piece.

Some costume images are so well-known within a culture that a performer in that costume is immediately identifable (Cunningham, The Magic Garment, 2): Dorothy – blue/white gingham dress – facilitates the job of performer and helps to tell the story, whether theatre or dance. Can the class think of other examples?

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Teaching Costume Design for Dance

What is a Costume Designer? barbara and Cletus Anderson point out that while theatrical costumes are ancient tradition, costume design as an element planned to help define and interpret character and thus the production is a fairly new concept (Anderson and Anderson 10). •

Like other forms of stage design (lighting, sets), costume design is a fairly unique art form – it is both collaborative (works with choreographer/director, other designers, performers) and interpretative – of dance, of character as appropriate, of choreographer’s vision.



this is not as true of some other art forms – painters, for example, don’t have to talk to other artists about their choices.

•

Costume designer must work with other designers to create a unifed world for dance. o

o

If the lighting designer and the costume designer don’t talk about color, the lights and the costumes could clash and take the audience out of the moment. Lighting choices can also change the way costume colors are perceived – gel and intensity choices affect the way the costume looks onstage.

•

all design choices come back to the choreographer’s vision.

•

Design choices in dance affected by choreography, music, story of dance – no design is arbitrary (there is a plan behind all design choices).

•

Costume design is interpretation of theme, style, character (if appropriate), and mood through the medium of clothing and all that goes with it (I like to use the metaphor that costumes are the designer’s canvas).

o

•

This is the basic job of the stage designer – helping to tell the story; not confusing it or overshadowing it.



Visual beauty/spectacle may be part of the costume, but a great design is meaningless if it has nothing to do with the message, story, or mood/ theme of the dance.

•

Costumes communicate. When lights come up, impressions are created before any movement takes place. Costumes and clothing are one of most signifcant nonverbal means of communication. think about how we react to clothing on the street.

Ask – is it possible to perform a dance with no costumes? Ask the class to explain their answer. (Explain that anything worn onstage will be considered a costume by the audience. Even naked is a choice.)

primary and Secondary associations Primary Associations Primary associations – cultural, social stereotypes, beliefs, perceptions that we hold as a society (more or less). Ask for examples – people with glasses are smart/nerdy, witches have green faces, blondes are dumb/sexy, princesses are young and beautiful. •

as designers, we can predict these reactions by most of the audience, and therefore use them in costume choices to direct the audience’s perceptions about a character or dance. the key for designers, before making design decisions, is to be able to articulate what they want the audience to think about.

•

In dance, we often use color in this way – as a society, we have strong ideas about what colors mean. red? Blue? Orange? Discuss.

Why? •

What we wear sends messages about who we are. o o

Costume designers use this as a tool to enable the audience to understand the dance/play. Costume designer must understand the psychology of dress; to understand and use these messages to help to tell the story.

Costume designers also use the elements of design, such as line, color, shape, etc. to send design messages and enable the audience to understand the story.

Secondary Associations Secondary associations are personal beliefs/opinions unique to you.

Teaching Costume Design for Dance

•

example – my great-uncle always wore a green cardigan; now I associate that kind of sweater with old men, so I use it for a youthful dancer to suggest they are old. I get it, but will anyone else? Not predictable or controllable for anyone but me.

Movement Costumes for dance must, most importantly, allow for movement. •

•

Dance costumes need to enhance movement of dancer and not restrict it.

•

Sometimes part of a choreographer’s vision is having dancers work with costumes that restrict or affect movement. (See Jeremy hopgood’s comments on costumes as a prop below.)

•

Should the costumes reveal the shape of the body; conceal or obscure it, or amplify parts of the body?

•

Jeremy hopgood points out that in some dances (he gives the examples of Martha Graham’s Lamentations or work of alwin Nikolais), costumes serve as a sort of prop: the use of them becomes part of the choreography. (Defnitely show some examples.) o

o

o



a costume made of knit fabric might cover the dancer completely and making it stretch and move could be central to the dance. a costume might be much larger than the dancer, such as a skirt that could take up the whole stage. Manipulating the fabric becomes part of the dance. Or the focus of a dance might be putting on or taking off clothing, such as the use of hats, or even entire costumes (hopgood 167–8). A good example is echad Mi Yodea, by Ohad Naharin, performed by Batsheva – the Young Ensemble, which can be found on YouTube. This would be a great video to use for the dance critique project.

Dancers also might have physical props they are using, such as large fans, which would affect movement as well as create sounds and shapes of their own.

Many things about costume affect movement, and vice versa: •

Fabric type (fabrics that have stretch allow for most movement. heavier fabrics may be challenging to move in).

•

Style of costume: o

Dance costumes often reveal the shape of the body (i.e., are close-ftting). how do we reconcile two needs? Usually by using knit fabric (stretchy). If not knit, costumes can be cut with high crotch rise and armscyes (defne both) – this helps.

•

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o

example – close ftting costume in woven fabric may require armscye or crotch gusset (defne – a football shaped piece of fabric inserted in these areas to extend the ability to move arms and legs). Loose, drapey costumes may catch on body parts during movement and need practice to work in.

•

How much room does the costume take up? (Full skirts can amplify movement but take getting used to.)

•

As Hopgood points out, some things are less obvious. How does fabric react to sweat (Hopgood 166)? How hard are the dancers working? Will a wet spot show? This, in turn, affects fabric choices.

Understanding movement needs comes from working with the choreographer and watching rehearsals early in the period.

Communication Choice of fabric and style of costume depends on what the choreographer is trying to communicate with dance. •

Movement and music help to determine the design of costumes.

•

Visual interest/spectacle is often a large part of dance costumes – usually no set; lighting and costume design are main visuals.

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Successful designs have a purpose and fulfill that purpose. There is always (or should be) an idea behind a design that supports the dance.

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Teaching Costume Design for Dance

What can costumes communicate?

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Listen to music

(For this section, I use visuals for each area in a Pinterest board I created. A PowerPoint would be equally helpful.)

o

A. Theme/Mood

o

b. Characters C. Time/Place D. Style

A. Theme/Mood Theme is the main idea or concept of a work of art. •

Important for costume designers to help to reinforce these ideas – through color choices, for example. Color can emphasize characters, link dancers in a group, express ideas (color language a good example of primary associations).

Costumes can communicate information about characters, such as personality, occupation, social status, age, as well as information about setting of dance, such as location, period, occasion, or time of day. •

primary associations are useful here, but important not to depend too heavily on stereotypes – can be boring/obvious. as designers, we like to come up with our own take on things. Important to balance primary and secondary.

•

Costumes help the audience to identify characters – think of Clara and Sugar plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Not dressed the same. especially true for dances with large casts in big theatres.

•

Costumes also establish relationships between characters, often by linking them through color choices or similar styles. this helps the audience to know who to watch and who is dancing together.

•

also helps to tell the story – if it’s a Western wedding, probably the bride will be in white (primary association).

Mood is the emotional way a dance piece makes us feel. •

•

Choreographers often think of words that express the mood of a piece – power, sadness, joy. they may have ideas about what these mean visually that they can share with designers. Costuming can heighten a sense of mood, through design choices: o

Yellow communicates something different from black; full skirts swirling describe a different mood from leggings.

B. Characters Unlike costumes for plays, dance costumes are not as reliant on expressing character, although they can be – for example, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake. Less true of modern dance, which may be more concerned with mood and theme. Ask – does dance tell a story? Yes, although it may be more abstract, evocative of mood and theme than having actual characters. Costume designer’s function is to put that into context – to help to visually explain the ideas/story behind the dance. Since for most dance there is no script, it is very important for designer to: •

Watch rehearsal/video

•

Talk to choreographer

Music is important. – sets the mood of the piece. Does music support movement, or contrast it? Sometimes there is spoken text in addition to or instead of music. Why was it chosen?

Character may not be a part of the dance, but costume choices can suggest the mood or theme through design elements like color and shape. •

Sometimes costume choices suggest atmosphere rather than being specifc. Choreographers may have adjectives that will help inspire ideas – “dry”, “heavy”, “funky”.

C. Time/Place Hopgood points out that unlike plays, which have dialogue and scenery to show location and period, many forms of dance rarely include either. •

Costumes are the primary means of expressing these things (hopgood 168).

Teaching Costume Design for Dance

•

•

Sometimes costumes are very period-accurate.

•

By contrast, they may pick up on dominant lines or shapes, but not be a literal recreation of a period garment.

•

Often dance costume tradition means that period fashions are adapted – think of how The Nutcracker suggests Victorian dress at the party scene but doesn’t recreate it. Skirts may be shorter, dance shoes and tights are worn, etc.

Costumes can also communicate other qualities of the dance, such as season, location, or passage of time: •

wear tights, not pants; shoe color matches tights.

the body and its movement are central to the piece and one of its main visuals.

Costumes can be indicative of or suggestive of specifc periods, which can help the audience to understand the setting of the dance.

Passage of time (for example, people change their clothes).

•

Season (is it cold? Should costumes refect this? are we trying to evoke a feeling of coldness?).

•

Location (on the beach; in a jazz club? What are we trying to communicate?).

Suggestive •

Costumes may reference a historical period but adapt it for the purposes of the theme/ mood.

•

Style and shapes of costumes may be very simplified and not meant to indicate any specific period.

Stylized (not all designers like this term) and Fantasy costumes may have no clear period and are often exaggerated in terms of their use of color, shape, and other design elements. Examples: •

everyone in the same color.

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Clothing that clearly isn’t something people wear in “real life”.

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Costumes that suggest another world beyond the everyday.

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Fantasy goes a step further and may look nothing like streetwear or recognizable clothing. o

D. Style In performance, visual style affects the way a story is being told. Realistic, Suggestive, Stylized, Fantasy are four possible ways dance style can manifest. Some designers use the terms representational/presentational. Realism in costumes means that costume looks like dress of a specifc period, including present day: •

Looks like real clothing that people would wear or wore in the period.

•

To be effective, the period needs to be researched so the costumes are accurate.

•

The period may be adapted to accommodate movement.

•

Some dances traditionally use very specific costume shapes and styles, such as ballet: platter tutu; corset style bodice; men

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o

Costumes can distort or change perceived body shape. Might eliminate the human element altogether, to suggest nonhuman beings or animated shapes.

Choreographers often develop their own unique visual style over time – Hopgood gives the example of the classic Fosse look: black costume, tilted bowler hat (Hopgood, 170). Can the class think of other examples?

* * *

LIFE OF A DANCE COSTUME (This lecture was adapted from the Life of a Costume lecture for theatre majors and refects the process of dance costume design and creation. Students will understand the steps a designer takes to create costumes.)

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Conception

differ enough that you don’t have enough costumes for everyone.

A. Ask – What is First?

o

In theatre, we read scripts. In dance, if it is story-based dance (like a large ballet), there may be something to read, but usually there is not, so we start by meeting with the choreographer:

o o

B. Is this a New Dance or a Reconstruction? New Dance – Design concept and collaboration – meeting with choreographer and ideally with lighting designer. •

Choreographer needs to explain their ideas behind their dance, the theme, idea, mood.

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Need to establish period if one is being used, colors desired, dominant shapes of costumes.

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Color an important part of discussion with the lighting designer.

•

Design team and choreographer work together – this is a collaborative process, in which all voices have value, and we recognize that our work impacts each other. o o o o

o

the team is working together towards a common goal. It’s crucial to keep lines of communication open and clear. What is the world of the dance? this is the design team’s frst joint question. Some choreographers do not choose to articulate their ideas, so sometimes designers need to fnd other ways to glean inspiration, such as showing visuals to the choreographer to see what they react to. Many questions need to be asked, both technical and artistic. (See the list at the beginning of this chapter; you may want to go over all of it, or skim, depending on your class.)

C. Research Historical – Photos from period; artwork.

Concept – Example, ocean concept: fsh research or dye patterns that suggest moving water.

Listen to music – And watch rehearsal or video • Does music support or contrast movement? o

•

Music largely supports the mood of dance, so it is important to know why the choreographer chose it.

Consider movement and how costumes can support: o o o

Reconstruction – •

If the costumes don’t match but are similar, easier to come up with new costumes; either building, pulling, or shopping. If all the costumes match but are street clothes, may be able to pull/buy more. If the piece was built and all the costumes match, this gets tricky, as the designer cannot necessarily fnd more fabric in that color/fber/pattern. Dye work may be necessary to match colors.

Sometimes we reconstruct well-known dances from the past – will necessitate research.

o

•

Is it the same choreographer? Helpful because they know exactly what they did previously.

o

•

Sounds easy if it’s a dance that has been done before at your company – just pull the old costumes. However, often there are more dancers than there were originally, or sizes

o

Lots of foorwork? Can costumes survive this type of movement? Is this traditional dance style with a traditional look? (ballet tutus; famenco, etc.). think about how some dance costumes restrict movement. example – platter tutu is going to affect the way the dancer moves and what she can do. example – tutu bodices often have decoration, but it shouldn’t be placed at the waist, where the partner lifts them. Should body shape be seen? reinforced? Muted/ obscured with drapey fabric? Should the clothing look like actual clothing, or streetwear? Often modern dance costumes feel more abstract and may have less detail than would be seen in streetwear. Streetwear can set the dance in a period or location.

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D. Character study – Is this a dance that tells a story? •

Careful study of script, if there is one, regarding costume references – are there references to specific clothing or colors and are they important to the story? Do you have to use them – what does the choreographer think?

•

How can you show character through costume choices? Consider how much you want to use stereotypes (primary associations). Some dances are so well-known that the audience will expect certain things.

•

even if there isn’t a clear story line, costumes can still show relationships between individual dancers and between groups – through color, shape, textures, etc.

F I G u R e 8 - 2 Rough sketch for Penny, hairspray, Jennifer

Flitton Adams, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, 2017

Development A. Rough Sketch – Beginning drawing of costume, usually done in pencil; maybe with rough wash of color (show examples) – sometimes color is added after pencil rough approval. •

First idea; done with possible change in mind – often grows and evolves a lot.

•

Designer may choose to have variations of the design to show.

B. Meeting with the Choreographer To present roughs – if they like your direction, you proceed or redraw as necessary.

•

presenting work is its own art form, in a way – working to help choreographer to understand designer’s intentions and to be able to elicit useful feedback.

•

Costume designer Gypsy ames comments, “One trick I learned a long time ago is to collect a number of images (in books) and have the choreographer/ director look at them upside down. they are forced to respond to shape and color, which can be very informative to the designer, and they are freed from focusing on the image content”.

F I G u R e 8 - 3 Color rough for Bunnicula, Jennifer Flitton adams, Shenandoah University

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C. Additional Research –

D. Actual Fabrics

Fabrics, color. Might make a color palette. Color palettes show how colors look together and in groups. With the shop manager, determine what will be built.

Are shopped for, sometimes swatched frst (small sample from store, not purchased yet). •

Choreographers often wish to approve swatches.

F I G u R e 8 - 4 Color palette for Niccolo and Nicolette, Jennifer Flitton adams, Shenandoah University

•

Designer needs to confirm that there is enough yardage available and that it fits in the budget.

E. Design and Fabric Choices Now Set Final color rendering has been completed, and swatches of actual fabric may be attached (example).

F. We don’t Always Render What isn’t Being Built – Why? (Explain the danger of drawing something if you don’t know where you are going to get it, and the choreographer falls in love with it. If you have a source, it’s fne to render, but many designers prefer a research board in this case.)

F I G u R e 8 - 5 Final rendering, Titania, A Midsummer Night’s

Dream, Lindsey Barshick, Shenandoah University

•

Discuss research boards ( show an example), using Pinterest and other online platforms to create boards.

Teaching Costume Design for Dance

•

Important to explain that just because a costume is built from scratch doesn’t make it more or less of a design than something that is shopped or pulled and reworked.

presentation Purpose of final rendering: Tool of communication. Ask – what does the rendering tell:

•

This is what the dance will look like; this is how the concept has been realized through costumes.

•

usually, designers render the figure in motion, to give a sense of how the costume will look onstage.

Other Designers (Lighting designer, increasingly projections, sometimes scenic designer for a large ballet) – •

The color palette – color choices particularly important for other designers.

•

How individual dancers or groups of dancers are dressed.

•

The overall concept for dance as translated into clothing.

•

Hopefully previous meetings have established enough that there are no major surprises.

Dancers – •

This is how I’ll be dressed (obviously).

•

This is the direction the designer has taken with the theme, mood and/or story of dance.

•

Will costumes restrict movements (example: corset and tutu, or pants with wide legs)? o o

Will I need to compensate? Is this a deliberate choice? Will I receive a rehearsal costume?

Costume Shop Staff – •

How to build the costume – in this sense rendering is blueprint. Importance of clarity of detail and construction.

May include research (example: historical pattern research) or pencil sketches of details: back views, trims, hair, etc.

realization A. Dance Moves into Costume Shop: •

renderings are posted in shop.

•

all fabric and trims have been purchased for pieces being built.

Choreographer – •

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B. During Production Period, Non-Built Dances Pulled, Shopped, or Rented Ask: Why wouldn’t we build everything? Discuss advantages – choreographer and designer get exactly what they want. However, dances are not always completely built – Why? Time, labor issue; too expensive. •

Makes sense to use stock when possible – if black pants are needed, there may already be a set in stock. For street clothing – cheaper to buy; can’t necessarily fnd the same fabrics as clothing manufacturers use.

•

rentals – when something specifc is needed that can’t be built by shop – time/money/practicality (will we ever use it again? example – donkey head/Midsummer Night’s Dream)

C. Built Pieces are Patterned and Made up in Muslin or a Stretch Fabric Similar to the One Being Used for the Costume. •

Designers don’t necessarily draw something that can be made with a commercial pattern, so staff members create patterns.

•

If there is no one with pattern-making ability, this restricts what can be designed. Commercial patterns may have to be used.

•

First fitting – o o o

Called muslin mockup – save good fabric until approved by the designer. Costume is made up out of muslin or stretch fabric (basic seams; no hems or closures). Gives choreographer and designer a chance to see together how design looks on a dancer’s body.

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Teaching Costume Design for Dance

o

o •

Second fitting – o o o

•

o o o o o

Dancer needs to move in ftting, to make sure costume doesn’t restrict them. Now is the time to fgure that out! Fitting and style adjustments made.

Fabric cut and basic construction completed – no hems, trim, lining. hems marked (if wearing shoes, worn to mark hem length). Fitting adjustments made if necessary.

Third fitting (not always done) – all is complete; fine tuning. o

For pulled/shopped/rented pieces – usually one ftting to mark alterations. Just because it isn’t built doesn’t mean there’s no work.

the Fully Staffed Costume Shop: Who Works there?

Number of pieces being built Purchasing of supplies upkeep of machine budgets May double as cutter/draper

Cutter/Draper – •

Makes pattern (draping is one method of making a pattern; there are several)

•

Cuts fabric

•

Oversees construction

•

Fits garments

First Hand – •

Assists draper

•

usually does large part of cutting

•

May oversee stitchers

Costume Shop Personnel involved in building a costume (can class name and defne these?)

Tailor –

Costume Designer –

Stitcher –

•

Creates the designs and all renderings and research boards

•

Sews mockup and garment

•

•

Arranges rentals

Hand finishers for complex work such as beading

•

Shops for fabric as well as new clothing and accessories, like shoes

Shopper –

•

Attends all fittings

•

Swatches fabrics

•

Approves all work by the rest of the shop on the show

•

Purchases fabrics, garments, accessories, etc. under supervision of the designer

Assistant Designer –

•

Focus is menswear

Dyer – •

Alters fabric color

•

Helps to swatch and shop fabrics and accessories, etc

Does other dye work like batik, shibori, ombre, etc.

•

In smaller shops designer does dye work

May make design decisions, depending on experience and working method of designer

Milliner –

•

Pulls from stock

•

Takes notes in fittings and rehearsals

• •

Shop Manager – •

Oversees staff

•

Manages business end of shop –

•

Constructs headwear

Craftsperson – •

Constructs jewelry, armor, puppets (think Lion King and animal dancers) – unusual pieces

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Wardrobe (Supervisor and Dressers) –

Dress rehearsal

•

•

Generally, two to three; gives time to work out all problems and for designers to see all aspects.

•

In theatre, costumes are added after technical rehearsal, as the last new element, after technical rehearsal bugs worked out.

•

In dance, costumes worn for technical rehearsals – lighting designers need them because usually no set or other visuals onstage. this may include ten out of twelve technical rehearsals. Quick changes are worked out, so dress rehearsals go smoothly.

Runs show, works backstage to assist with changes, cleans costumes

Wigs and Makeup – •

Can be a separate department within a costume shop but works under the designer. Includes: o Wig master o Makeup artist o Crews to assist pre-and post-show

Not all shops have all positions; some positions may double up – shop manager may also be draper; designer may be dyer. Depends on the size and fnancial resources of theatre.

Designer and assistant sit though all dress rehearsals with choreographer and look for (Ask): •

Do the costumes represent the dance the way the choreographer wanted? o

Dress parade

o o

What it is: dancers put on costumes and stand onstage for designer and choreographer to see and approve. •

Why is it done? Timesaver: works out problems like fit before dress rehearsal, while there is time to fix.

•

Not all companies do them. Depends on length of dress rehearsal period.

•

usually done the week before dress rehearsal, but depends on company.

•

Is both eater and saver of time. Depends on rehearsal schedule.

Many costume designers dislike them. Why? •

Are you in the performance space, under correct lighting?

•

For large dances with multiple costumes, are dancers in groups and patterns of actual show?

•

Do you have a particularly critical dancer who likes to comment on everyone else’s costumes?

The choreographer and others may perceive problems that may or may not exist, requiring time to discuss and solve. For example, the choreographer doesn’t like the color of a dress, but fuorescent work lights in the dress parade distort the actual color. The color will look different under stage lights.

o

Do they highlight and support the choreography? Do they work with the dancers’ bodies? Do they work artistically with the dance? Do they support the story/mood? Changes may be asked for; ideally, they should be asked for respectfully and realistically, with an understanding of what can be accomplished in the time available. this is why it is important to have choreographers at fttings.

•

Fit problems.

•

Movement problems.

•

Smoothness of quick changes, if appropriate, including between dances in a concert.

•

Do colors work together? under lights?

•

Do costumes as a unit work with the theme of dance, and with movement?

•

In large houses, is everything reading (showing from a distance)? The designer usually sits in different places every night to see the dance from all viewpoints.

•

Designer works with the wardrobe crew to be sure they understand all changes and maintenance (cleaning) for the run.

Opening Night Celebration! •

Designer sometimes takes a bow (more typical in opera).

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•

Designers don’t always attend opening. Often, we are tired and want a night off after all those dress rehearsals but may attend to “meet and greet”. However, it is fun to go to opening and celebrate with the cast and crew.

•

Chance to rest and enjoy before moving on to the next project (usually already in progress).

for a dance for this music. The activity could stop here, or it could proceed to creating renderings. For beginners or nonmajors, consider providing a croqui, or human figure, for them to draw on. An alternative activity could be, similarly, playing a piece of music and asking students to imagine a story based on the music. They would then design costumes for this story as a dance. If you have a dance department, it would be interesting to create a joint class project. Dance and costume students could work together, having a dance student serve as choreographer for a project for which costume students were designing costumes and creating renderings.

DANCE PROJECTS FOR COSTUME DESIGN STUDENTS Incorporating dance design projects into a costume design class gives students a look into the world of dance, and for costume design majors, they may design for dance in their academic and professional careers. Nonmajors can see the similarities and differences between designing for dance and for theatre. Consider prefacing any dance design projects by using all or part of the Functions of Dance Costumes lecture earlier in this chapter. Another area that can be discussed in detail is the list of questions that are asked of the choreographer about the dance and the costume needs, both technical and artistic, earlier in this chapter.

A very simple first-class activity might be to use the music abstract in the Opera project. Choose a piece of music to play for students. It should be something that would work for some form of dance. They should have a large piece of newsprint paper (an 18x24” pad works well) and a writing instrument that will make a dark mark, such as charcoal, marker, or a soft-lead pencil. As the students listen to the music, they create an abstract reaction on their paper. The drawing should not be anything representational, i.e., if the music makes them think of their home, they should not draw a house, but rather think of the emotion the thought produces and the shapes and lines that suggest that emotion. They can use color if you choose. When the music finishes, each student presents their drawing and talks about the idea behind it. The name of the piece is then revealed, and the class talks about how the shapes, lines, and colors they chose might be adapted for a costume

There are several projects in Chapters 4 and 6 that incorporate dance, and there are others that could easily be adapted for dance for a costume design class:

F I G u R e 8 - 6 Using Line Project, Ivy Karissa Nechama

Martinez, Shenandoah University

•

Music for Dance

•

The Four Seasons

•

Using Line to Create Contrasting Images

•

Jesus Christ Superstar

•

The Meeting of Victoria and Albert

•

Rendering Figures in Motion

Teaching Costume Design for Dance

BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, Barbara and Anderson, Cletus, Costume Design, New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1984. (2nd edition – 1994) Bentley, Toni, Costumes by Karinska, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995 Browar, Ken, and Ory, Deborah, NYC Dance Project, The Style of Movement, New York: Rizzoli, 2019 Cunningham, Rebecca, Basic Sewing Construction: A Handbook, (2nd edition), Long Grove: Waveland Press, 2011 Cunningham, Rebecca, The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design, (3rd edition), Long Grove: Waveland Press, 2020

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Harrison, Mary Kent, How to Dress Dancers, Princeton: Princeton Book Company, 1999 Hopgood, Jeremy, Dance Production: Design and Technology, New York: Focal Press, 2016 Ingham, Rosemary, and Covey, Liz, The Costume Technician’s Handbook, (3rd edition), Portsmouth: Heinemann Drama, 2003 Pollatsek, E. Shura, Elevating the Dance, Theatre Design and Technology Quarterly, USITT, Summer 2019 Pollatsek, E. Shura, Costume in Motion: A Guide to Collaboration for Costume Design and Choreography, New York: Routledge, 2021 Steel, Valerie, ed., Dance and Fashion, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013

CHAPTER 9 M E N T O R I N G D E S I G N E R S

S T U D E N T

C O S T U M E

Jennifer Flitton Adams

INTRODUCTION In educational settings, instructors of costume design may be called upon to mentor a student designing costumes for a production at the institution. This is often housed in a production course, for which the student receives academic credit and a grade, and in the case of a graduate program, a thesis. The relationship between the mentor and student has the potential to be very meaningful for both, and often sets up long term friendships, especially when the student moves into the professional industry. In this chapter, a framework for approaching mentorship will be covered, with a focus on higher education, but since high school students can serve in this capacity, multiple situations will be discussed.

APPROACHING THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP The method of mentoring a student designer depends largely on the student’s experience and skill set, as well as the history of working with the mentor. For example, in our Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program, costume design students begin serving as assistant costume designers in their sophomore year. This continues every semester until their senior year when they complete two Capstone projects. For the Capstone, they usually serve as the costume designer, but depending on the show, this is sometimes a co-design with a faculty member. If the show is very large and we do not wish to overwhelm the student, this may be a better choice. Juniors may also co-design, to gauge their design skill before their Capstones commence. There is the option DOI: 10.4324/9781003102502-9

for technology Capstone assignments if this is the student’s interest. For example, a student may serve as First Hand or oversee wigs and/or makeup. When a sophomore assists on a show, they can be given a specifc task to take charge of, in addition to things like taking notes in fttings and dress rehearsals. For example, for a period musical, they could be given the responsibility for all the hats for the show: pulling and sizing appropriate hats per the research and the designs, retrimming, and blocking/steaming as necessary. A student without prior millinery skills would get some training as necessary for things like blocking. We don’t typically give a sophomore design responsibility such as rendering a costume, but an assignment like overseeing the hats demonstrates what their design eye looks like before moving them forward. This also helps with having a sense of the student’s abilities regarding organization and time management. After the frst assistant design position is complete, students are given increasing amounts of responsibility. For juniors, co-designing means that they have more of a design voice, and they can be given one specifc costume or set of costumes to design. Again, this helps to see how the design process works for the student and confrms that they are ready to undertake their Capstone. Seniors design a smaller show, or a co-design with a faculty member if it is a large musical, largely because we want to set them up to succeed. It really depends on your season, and your season planning meeting should consider the rising design seniors. Ideally the two Capstones should refect different show types and theatrical spaces, as well as the student’s interests – for example, if a student is 223

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particularly interested in dance, work with your dance division to have them design for one of the dance concerts. The mentor always has “veto power” over design ideas or elements, if necessary, and changes to approved designs should be approved by the mentor as well as the director. If a student has shown themselves ready, give them as much autonomy as possible. Students who need more supervision might be given a co-design regardless of the size of the show, to make sure that the process is positive for everyone involved, including the design team and the director and/or choreographer. My friend and fellow costume educator Gypsy Ames comments, “One tricky thing is how to deal with a work that you don’t actually like, but you still need to do a brilliant design for”. This is particularly salient when mentoring a student and they do not like the show to which they are assigned. Talk to the student about when this has happened to you, and how you dealt with it. As a designer, I have found that I can usually fnd something to get excited about, even if I don’t care for the script. Maybe it’s a period I know little about, or really like. It can be an opportunity to fnd something new to investigate and learn about. Researching the show and the author, and the reason the show was chosen/its importance and signifcance, often gives me a new appreciation and a willingness to have an open mind. Explain that this happens to all of us, in the professional industry too, and part of being a creative artist is keeping doors open in our minds. As Gypsy points out, consider the actors who are heavily involved in the production process and are counting on the designers to do the right thing by them with the costumes. There will be times in our careers when we can refuse a design opportunity, but these need to be carefully chosen, and may or may not be available in an academic setting. Brainstorm with the student – what specifcally is of concern to them? Is it something that can be worked through together: mentor, student designer, and director? Can you fnd a way for the student to fnd fulfllment within the project? Listen to what the student has to say and recognize when the situation is not going to be successful, especially if it involves sensitive cultural issues. In some cases, it may make more sense to move the student to a different show. A large design program will mean that other students are assisting seniors completing their Capstone. This relationship is especially important for the mentor to oversee and nurture, to ensure it is a good learning experience for both students. Consider working relationships carefully when

making design assignments and include the student voice with a Google poll that lets them request their show. You won’t always be able to accommodate the request, but it should be part of the conversation. Teaching designers how best to utilize assistants is a skill that will help them in the professional world and making sure that assistants don’t feel as if they are there just to do the grunt work enables them to strengthen their skill set for their own Capstones. To codify what is expected of both designers and assistant designers, we have a document for each position, which covers its responsibilities.

GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT DESIGNERS AND ASSISTANT DESIGNERS In our Costume Design program at Shenandoah University (SU), the process starts with a contract that students and mentors sign. This document was originally developed by my colleague at SU, Cheryl Yancey. This is for our BFA Theatre Design and Production Program; if you are teaching in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a high school, you would probably adapt these responsibilities. These are the contracts for our designers and assistant designers:

COSTUME DESIGNER POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES AND CAPSTONE CONTRACT Prerequisites: THDP 390 Theatre Production Practicum. Must be registered in THDP 498 Theatre Capstone. DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS: Your grade will be based on your ability to complete the following: •

Meet deadlines.

•

Participate in the build of your show.

•

Attend every costume fitting.

•

Check in with the costume shop daily to be available to answer questions.

•

Complete the costume renderings and/ or research boards for the director and costume shop.

Mentoring Student Costume Designers

•

Work with the shop manager to create and maintain a binder or drive for the production, including: o

o o o o o o

Calendar set up between the costume designer and the costume shop manager showing the building schedule and all costume deadlines. An estimate of shop hours required to build the show. Costume list and plot. Cast and crew contact sheets. Measurement sheets for all cast members. Fitting notes after every fitting. Daily stage manager rehearsal and performance reports.

•

Create all appropriate paperwork, including costume list, plot, and wardrobe list for the crew.

•

Attend all production meetings, dress rehearsals, and designer runs and any other relevant rehearsal.

•

Present your design in a finished format to the Design and Production Forum class.

•

Participate in any evaluation sessions of your design.

•

Overall aesthetic impact of the design.

•

Overall design process.

•

Overall build process.

•

Complete written reflection of experience (guidelines will be provided).

•

You are an artist in training and a very valuable person and resource in this process. You must take care of both your academic and personal health by eating, sleeping, and studying in appropriately healthy amounts.

If you have work study in the shop you must put in additional hours for your design assignment. This ensures you are not double-dipping and getting paid as the designer while getting credit as well. Please

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arrange with the shop manager which of your hours will be used for what. You must put in additional hours while designing. I, __________________________, understand my duties and requirements as a Student Costume Designer and have read and understand the “Costume Designer Position Responsibilities” document. Signed

Date

Signed

Date

ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONTRACT Description: Assists costume designer in tasks of research, fabric, and trim swatching, shopping and pulling, rehearsal attendance, etc. Contributes to artistic decision-making while assisting with managerial tasks.

Prerequisites: THDP 131 Stage Costuming. Must be registered in THDP 390 Theatre Production Practicum. DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS: Your grade will be based on your ability to complete the following: •

Attend all design and production meetings as your class schedule allows.

•

Don’t make promises for the designer or for the costume shop. Remember you can always “take a note for the designer”.

•

At all meetings, listen, observe, and take wonderfully clear notes and don’t make suggestions. (Any suggestions you have may be given to the costume designer privately.)

•

Contribute to the artistic process in meetings with the costume designer.

•

Assist costume designer in tasks of research, swatching, acquisition and cleanup/stock restoration.

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•

• •

Mentoring Student Costume Designers

Take detailed notes for the designer during costume fittings (as class schedule allows). Help create a wardrobe list for the wardrobe crew.

o

Take notes for the Designer during the dress rehearsals. Attend and help with strike.

Work with the shop manager and the costume designer to create and maintain a binder or drive for the production, including: o

o o o o o o

•

Date

Signed

Date

Attend all dress rehearsals. o

•

Signed

Calendar set up with the costume designer and the costume shop manager showing the building schedule, and all costume deadlines. An estimate of shop hours required to build the show. Costume list and plot. Cast and crew contact sheets. Measurement sheets for all cast members. Fitting notes after every fitting. Daily stage manager rehearsal and performance reports.

You are an artist in training and a very valuable person and resource in this process. You must take care of both your academic and personal health by eating, sleeping, and studying in appropriately healthy amounts.

If you have work study in the shop you must put in additional hours for your design assignment. This ensures you are not double-dipping and getting paid as the assistant designer while getting credit as well. Please arrange with the shop manager which of your hours will be used for what. You must put in additional hours while assistant designing. I, __________________________, understand my duties and requirements as a student assistant costume designer and have read and understand the “Assistant Costume Designer Position Responsibilities” document.

Many theatre design and production programs have departmental handbooks that outline the design process steps below, as well as other situations and procedures. If you are new to your program, ask if such a handbook exists so you are sure to follow departmental policy. If one doesn’t exist, you may wish to help to create one.

THE DESIGN PROCESS By the time a student is designing, they should have taken your Costume Design class and have learned about process and paperwork through lectures and class projects. Here are the steps to follow when mentoring a student through their Capstone project: •

Students request Capstone assignments during the fall semester of their junior year.

•

Design assignments are released, ideally before the end of the fall semester.

•

Students receive script/libretto.

•

After reading, the director and design team have a concept meeting so the designers can hear the director’s vision. o o

Student designers are not expected to have any paperwork or visuals to show. Students may ask questions. The mentor may meet with the student prior to the concept meeting to discuss potential questions. Important ones to start with include “Why did you choose this work to produce?” and “What do you want the audience to feel and think about these people?”

•

The student rereads the script, taking all appropriate notes.

•

The student compiles a first draft of the costume list (the plot is not completed until after meeting with the director, to ensure

Mentoring Student Costume Designers

that the numbers on the list and plot are complete and won’t change drastically). •

The student and the mentor meet to go over the list.

•

After corrections are made, the student meets with the director to present the list (the mentor is present at all meetings with the director, to ensure that design decisions are manageable and appropriate).

•

The student makes all appropriate changes and completes the plot.

•

The student creates research boards for each character, using Pinterest or other electronic format, or paper boards if desired.

•

The student meets with the mentor and the shop manager, if there is one at the institution, to determine what will be built. (A student designer should have the experience of designing, rendering, and realizing some of the costumes. How many depends on the show’s needs, the build schedule, the budget, the stock, and what the student would like to have built and can handle rendering.)

•

The student presents research to the director. (This could happen at the meeting in which the list is presented.)

•

The student creates color roughs for all built costumes.

•

After mentor and director approval, the student completes finished renderings for all built costumes. (Renderings can be created for shopped or pulled costumes, as long as a source exists, so directors don’t fall in love with something that then cannot be sourced.)

The build process will depend on your shop, but the student designer should take responsibility, or shared responsibility with the mentor, for all the items on the design contract above. For example, help students to estimate yardage, and take them fabric shopping so fabric choices can be discussed. Shop with them for new clothing or approve online shopping. Attend fttings in which substantial design decisions are being

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made, and all fttings for built items. You probably would not attend, for example, a second ftting for shoes. See Chapter 1, “Sensitivity Issues for Costume Designers: Body Awareness and Designing for Multiple Shapes” for some guidelines for student designers as they move into fttings. Attend all production meetings, designer run, and frst dress rehearsal, but let the student be the voice in the room unless you need to step in. If the frst dress rehearsal goes well, at that point the student can have ownership of the rest of the rehearsals, with the understanding that you are available for any questions or problems and must be consulted if any major changes are requested. Attend strike if you think it’s necessary, which varies by student and production, and whether you have a shop manager. For the Capstone, our students also complete a written paper which encompasses the show and the design process. It is partially research and partially refection. Here are the guidelines, adapted from those of JB Harris:

RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES Due –

I. The Play and the Author •

Where and when was this play written?

•

When and where was it first produced?

•

What was the critical response (reviews) to the work at the time of its premiere, and what is its current critical evaluation?

•

What is the importance of this work in the development and/or career of this particular author? Why did they write it, and what is the message?

•

What was the social, political, economic, philosophical, and religious environment in which this work was written? (Only discuss those aspects which have influenced this particular work.)

•

What is the relationship between the structure, style, theme(s), and approach to this work and other dramatic literature of the same period?

II. Personal Reaction •

What was your personal reaction to this work after first reading it?

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•

Mentoring Student Costume Designers

How did that initial reaction change after:

VI. Build and Rehearsal Process

o o o

•

How was the build process? Did it go smoothly? Explain.

•

Are there ways you could have better prepared yourself?

•

Did rehearsals go as expected? Did anything surprise you? Explain.

Subsequent readings? Research into the script? Research into the period?

III. Research •

What research was the most helpful?

•

Where and how did you find it?

•

•

What, other than the clothing of the period, did you research and was it useful?

Was this a positive experience overall for you? What is your biggest takeaway?

•

In retrospect, what would you do differently?

IV. Design •

How were your designs influenced by the information about the play and the author?

•

Did your research influence your designs in a way you would not have anticipated?

•

Discuss the reasons for your specific design choices (silhouette, garment pieces, colors, fabrics, accessories, etc.) for each character (or groups of characters) – please discuss leads individually.

•

How did technical issues such as quick changes, or blood, or the performance space itself affect your designs?

V. Collaboration •

What special insights into the work did the director offer?

•

Did the director’s interpretation and thoughts about the work differ from your own?

•

Were the other designers influential in your thinking about the work, the period, the palette, and the style?

•

What was the director’s reaction to your rough sketches? Was the nature of the changes requested minor or major?

•

What was the evolution of the design?

•

Do you believe that you were an equal collaborator on the project?

The due date for this paper is fexible but is not until at least a week after the show has struck and fnished. It is expected that the research about the play and the author takes place during and not after the design process, so that it informs the latter. When the paper is turned in, the costume list and plot, research boards, fnal renderings, and budget paperwork are included.

THE GRADING PROCESS In addition to the charges on the design contract above, here are some questions to consider when tabulating a grade for a design assignment, adapted from a form developed by our Technical Director at Shenandoah, Dave Steinmetz: •

Focus – was the student on task and engaged at all rehearsals, meetings, and fittings?

•

Initiative – did the student actively work to improve the production process and their part in it?

•

Dependability/Quality of Work – did they take responsibility for their work? Did they incorporate advice from their mentor and the director?

•

Learning/Improvement – was there growth during the production? A willingness to learn? Are they ready for more challenging assignments?

•

Attitude – did they show a positive attitude in the production process?

Mentoring Student Costume Designers

Did they exercise appropriate theatre etiquette? •

Collaboration – did they work well with others on the production team, and make a positive contribution to the group as a whole?

•

Timeliness/Deadlines – was the student attentive to deadlines?

•

Daily Attendance – did they attend all assigned meetings and calls? Were they on time?

•

Paperwork – were all paperwork and renderings completed?

In our program, we generally solicit the input of the director, the choreographer, the costume and lighting shop managers, and others directly involved with student designers, so that the grade does not come from the mentor alone. Notice that many of the bullets are soft skills, and you may choose to gather this information to help to formulate a grade, but not actually let soft skills carry percentages in the fnal grade. What are soft skills? These are skills that are not specifcally about academic content but complement it. They have to do with a student’s ability to work effciently, such as attention to deadlines, collaborative skills, and the other topics above that have to do with the creative process. Joe Feldman’s Grading for Equity has a good discussion about the role of soft skills in grading. Grading for the creative element is trickier. A student may be a brilliant designer but have less refned rendering skills. Or they may have a wonderful design, but be diffcult to work with, which goes back to the soft skills above. They may have trouble organizing themselves and completing paperwork. Did they interpret the show in their designs according to the director’s vision? Do you think their designs worked for the show? Ultimately, the whole process matters, not just what the audience sees on opening night.

MFA PROGRAMS AND THE THESIS A design thesis is often similar to the BFA Capstone described above but is generally a project with more scope and size. These theses may take the form of a design assignment, but the paperwork can take very different forms depending on the school and its program. If you are new to an MFA design program and overseeing a thesis assignment, talk to your program director or chair about thesis

229

expectations. This may not be a situation in which every design area operates independently in terms of paperwork. When I completed my MFA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as part of my thesis design assignment, I completed a paper similar to the Capstone paper described above, and compiled it and my design paperwork, including the costume list and plot, all research, a selected bibliography, and complete rendering plates, into a thesis notebook that was reviewed by my design professor. We did not have to present or defend our thesis, but we did present our designs to the rest of the costume design MFA students and participated in a postmortem with them and our design professor. A refection evaluation of both the production and our work was part of the thesis notebook. In the process of writing this book, I created an informal survey of fellow costume designers and educators around the country to gather information about how different schools handle the MFA thesis requirement for costume design. Most of the designers who responded completed a realized design assignment, but some MFA programs require a paper (unrealized) design project, in addition to or instead of a realized design. The thesis paperwork varies but is usually similar to what I describe above: documentation of the design/production process and a refection on this process, or a design philosophy. Some programs require a portfolio for the thesis, which is often a portfolio website, and may be presented to public groups in addition to the thesis committee. These portfolios may require a second design area, and possibly evidence of technical work such as millinery or draping. Some programs require a mock USA (United Scenic Artists) union exam, in addition to the portfolio or production assignment. Others require that the student oversee the build process for their production assignment. Many programs require the defending of the thesis, which usually takes the form of presenting the show or portfolio to a thesis committee or to the design/tech faculty for the program. The student orally defends their design choices and then responds to questions and feedback. In many programs, students can request thesis committee members, and sometimes the onus is on the student to fnd a thesis adviser and committee members. It is helpful for the thesis to include the rendering of most of the production, even if it isn’t all being built, so that the student visualizes the arc of the show and can present it. You may feel differently about this and choose to allow students to create research boards for pulled or shopped costumes. Ultimately, the more design control the student has over the costumes, the better the thesis demonstrates

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Mentoring Student Costume Designers

their skill level. However, a costume does not have to be built to be designed, and the skills needed to incorporate a shopped or pulled costume into a production can carry substantial weight.

SECONDARY EDUCATION AND COSTUME DESIGNERS In a high school setting, you may or may not have students who are ready to design a production. It may be preferable to have students co-design with you or with each other, or to have a “design committee”. The latter two require supervision, the extent of which depends on the students’ skill set and the necessity to oversee the process to keep things running smoothly and to avoid personality conficts. Depending on your budget, work force, and schedule, building may be minimal, or consist primarily of alterations, but it is still advantageous to encourage student designers to create some renderings. This can happen with croqui, or line drawings of human fgures to draw on, if necessary. For help

with teaching costume rendering, see Chapter 5, Costume Rendering: The Class. If you have students who are interested in costume design as a career, this is a chance for them to put classroom work into practice and build their portfolios for college applications. Work with them to develop lists and plots and talk about research – see Chapter 1, “Teaching Students How to Research Effectively”. “The Life of a Costume” lecture (see Chapter 3, Costume Design: The Class) covers the steps a designer takes from reading the script to opening night and would be good to incorporate into one of your theatre classes. Conversations about the design process and how designers work will help budding costume designers to understand how to use the script and create effective designs.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Feldman, Joe, Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms, Thousand Oaks: Corwin, 2019

C O N C L U S I O N

A N D

Writing this book has really helped me to reexamine and refne the process I take to teach both costume design and rendering, and I hope this will be true for you as well, at whatever level you are approaching these subjects. I am grateful to so many people who have helped me with the process of creating this book. Using the projects and all my notes from the MFA Costume Design program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has given me the opportunity to reconnect with James Berton Harris, or JB, and I am so grateful for all of your insight, editing, generosity with sharing your work, and good humor! I’m glad to call you a friend as well as a mentor. Jessica Parr, Gypsy Ames, Jana Henry Funderburk, La Beene, Ashley Bellet, Valerie St. Pierre Smith, and Kellee Ryan: thanks for reading chapters, letting me quote you, offering feedback, and sharing your experiences in the classroom. You made me see things I was missing and opened all kinds of avenues and rabbit holes. So grateful. Valerie St. Pierre Smith, thank you for your generosity in allowing me to incorporate your writing and presentations on cultural appropriation. I really value our conversations. Thanks as well to Michelle Souza for allowing me to make use of your writing, and thanks to Howlround Theatre Commons, where some of these authors’ work is housed. Sara Jablon-Roberts: your editing eye was invaluable. Thanks for keeping me on task and making me question my process! Michelle Souza, Anastasia Goodwin, Grace Keenan, Maile Speetjens, Meredith Magoun, Natashia Lindsey, and Lara Southerland Berich: thank you so much for your generosity in allowing me to use information from your USITT sessions. This book is richer for these conversations, and I truly appreciate the work you are doing. Thanks to everyone at USITT, both for enabling these sessions and for permitting me to make use of them. Donna Meester, Alexandra Bonds, Lewis Crickard, Margaret Spicer, Ann Hoste, and Kerri Packard: thank you for letting me use your projects from the USITT Projects for Teaching Costume Design and Technology: A Compendium, and

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

for working with me to make sure they refected your intent. These projects have enriched my classes for many years. Thanks also to David Grindle and USITT for permission to reproduce these projects. Jenny Kenyon and Cheryl Yancey: thanks for sharing your projects with me. Jenny, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is such a powerful project, and you shared it with me at just the right time! Cheryl, The Seasons Project is a great design assignment for beginners; thanks for letting me include it. Bill Pierson: thank you so much for all your help with the illustrations for the book! To everyone who contributed renderings, from current SU students and alumni from our Theatre Design and Production program to good friends from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign MFA Costume Design Program: a million thanks for your generosity in sharing your art! They give this book so much life and power, and your viewpoints are unique and extraordinary.Thanks to Spider MurphyTaylor, Jessica Parr, Karen J.Weber, and Laurel Dunayer from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Shenandoah University Theatre Design and Production Program alumni Katie Allen, Laura Whittenton, Sylvia Fuhrken, Ivy Karissa Nechama Martinez, Lauren Boughton, Lydia Chamberlain, Rachael Wiers, Madeline Rikhoff, Mila Marushkina, Madeleine H. La Vean, Kyle Dill, Gavin Sexton, Lori Kremer,Taylor Gray Burke, Mallory J.Veil, Danielle J. Neill; Shenandoah University Dance alumni Heather Reid Hauskins and V Cangelosi; current Shenandoah University TDP students (as of 2022) Lindsey Barshick, Jenna Linnert, Brianna Jarvis,Vicky Kobelka, Azaria Jade Rubio, Alexus Campbell,Travis Gawason, Rachael Severts,Taylor Ann Vanaman, Kathleen D. Jordan, and Sam McQuiston; plus Gabrielle Koon from the Shenandoah University UIS program; Braxton Cooper; and Nicole Lala from Northwestern State University, who is a student of Jessica Parr.Thanks also to Azaria Jade Rubio for permission to use your collage project, and for sharing your thoughts about it. Reconnecting with many of you over this project has been so meaningful for me. For all of my current and past students, thank you for all you bring to the costume class 231

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Conclusion and Acknowledgements

conversation, and to all of you, thank you for trusting me with your work! Thanks to the Norman Rockwell estate for your generosity in allowing me to include Jenna Linnert’s reproduction of a portion of Young Love, and to Willa Kim’s estate for allowing me to include Lydia Chamberlain’s reproduction of Kim’s rendering for Beth Bowles in Echoes of Harlem.Thanks to Bill Pierson for sharing the sketch used for Rachael Severt’s marker project.Thanks to Georgetown University and Leslie University for quotes from your websites.Thanks to Tema Okun and Eric Abele for letting me include Abele’s riff on Okun’s White Supremacy Culture article.Thanks to Becca Ciancanelli for all of your good conversations about inclusive pedagogy, and for your thoughts and PDF on accessibility surveys.Thanks to Donna Meija for allowing me to adapt and use your My Pledge to You document on my syllabi, and thanks to Hakeem Leonard for language about inclusion and belonging.Thanks

to Adela Borrallis-Solis for permission to reproduce the Shenandoah Conversations project connected to the Rendering class. Lucia Accorsi at Routledge: thank you for all your support and for answering my seemingly endless questions! Writing a book is a very complicated process; thanks for helping me to move through it smoothly. Thanks to Dean Michael Stepniak and Shenandoah University for giving me a sabbatical opportunity to complete the manuscript. Special thanks to Jessica Hahn for agreeing to write the forward. And thanks to my family and friends for their love and support. Knowing you all have my back made this infnitely more pleasant! Lastly, thanks and love to my husband Rich, for your love and unending support and patience. You truly are my one.

A P P E N D I X A – F A C E B O O K G R O U P S F O R C O S T U M E D E S I G N E R S A N D E D U C A T O R S

For Customers Only (is only for costumers) – for fun Apocalypse Fashion Friday USITT Costume Design and Technology Commission

Costume People Costumers: Next Gen Costume Educator’s Forum

A P P E N D I X

B

–

U S E F U L

American Theatrical Costume Association – www.atcacomm unity.com Kimberly Jenkins’ Fashion and Race Database™ – https:// fashionandrace.org/database USITT Creative Teaching Archive – www.usitt.org/news/usittcreative-teaching-archive-innovative-ideas-professorsopportunities-publishing

A P P E N D I X

C

–

W E B S I T E S

World of Wearable Art (WOW) – www.worldofwear ableart.com Howlround Theatre Commons – howlround.com

S Y L L A B I

These are samples of my current syllabi for Costume Design and Costume Rendering (Studio 3). I utilized the design program Canva to make them more visually appealing.

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Appendix C – Syllabi

COSTUME DESIGN

FIGURE 10-1

Costume Design Syllabus – page 1

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-2

Costume Design Syllabus – page 2

235

236

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-3

Costume Design Syllabus – page 3

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-4

Costume Design Syllabus – page 4

237

238

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-5

Costume Design Syllabus – page 5

Appendix C – Syllabi

TABLE 10.1

Class Schedule – Costume Design

Week

Day 1

Day 2

Assignment

Week 1

Class Introduction; Flyin’ West semester-long project

Lecture: Costumes and Costume Designers: What is Their Function?

Read Flyin’ West

Lecture: The Role of the Costume Designer in the Theatre Structure

Lecture: The Design Process

Flyin’ West list and Plot

Lecture: The Psychology of Dress

Lecture: Design Styles

Week 2

Week 3

239

First Discussion Board reading 1 (articles – all)

Due – Discussion Board (DB) Reading 1 response due Flyin’ West Research Boards Film Critique Due – DB Reading 1 – thread response

Week 4

Lecture: Choosing Fabric; Fabric and Costume Design

Lecture: Budgeting, Diversity in the Industry

Diversity/Industry Group Presentations Due – DB Reading 2 – response (Day 1) List and Plot/Flyin’ West (Day 2)

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Name Your Adjective – In class group project

Diversity in the Industry group presentations

Adjective rendering assignment

TBA – fnish lectures if necessary

TBA – fnish lectures if necessary

Day 1 – Due – DB Reading 3 – response

Color Roughs discussion – Name Your Adjective project

Twilight discussion/workday

Due – DB Reading 2 – thread response

Provide midterm exam online (open book) Read Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 for Day 2 Day 2 – Twilight Research Boards Midterm Exam due by midnight

Due – Color Roughs/Adjective (Day 1) DB Reading 3 – thread (Day 1)

Week 8

Name Your Adjective rendering presentations

Using Line – In class project

Due – DB Reading 4 – response/Canvas (Day 1) Film Critique (Day 2) Research Boards – Flyin’ West

Week 9

Twilight presentation

Sylvia discussion/workday

Twilight presentation part 2 Read Sylvia for Day 2 Due – Film thread

Week 10

Sylvia color roughs presentation

Collages – discussion/workday

Collage – Flyin’ West Due – Sylvia color roughs DB Reading 4 – thread (Day 2)

Week 11

Workday

Sylvia fnal renderings presentation

Watch YouTube video/choose a designer Due – DB Reading 5 – response

Week 12

Twilight presentation part 2

Discussion/Video

Final Project – Flyin’ West renderings Due – DB Reading 5 – thread response

Week 13

Collage Presentation

Workday

Due – show critique

Week 14

Flyin’ West color roughs due

Workday

Due – show critique thread response due

Final Exam

Present Flyin’ West fnal renderings

Class schedule subject to change

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Appendix C – Syllabi

COSTUME RENDERING

FIGURE 10-6

Costume Rendering Syllabus – page 1

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-7

Costume Rendering Syllabus – page 2

241

242

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-8

Costume Rendering Syllabus – page 3

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-9

Costume Rendering Syllabus – page 4

243

244

Appendix C – Syllabi

FIGURE 10-10

Costume Rendering Syllabus – page 5

Appendix C – Syllabi

TABLE 10.2

Week

245

Class Schedule – Costume Rendering Day 1

Day 2

Assignment

1

Introduction to class: go over all supplies (have for Day 2)

Introduction to Gouache

Heeley Project

2

Workday

Present Heeley

3

Introduction to Acrylics

Workday

4

Workday

Present Rockwell

5

Introduction to Marker 

Human Figure

Marker Project (in class)

6

Live Model Drawing

Human Figure (continued)

Complete three female-presenting fgures for next week

7

Human Figure (continued)

Period Forms

Complete three male-presenting fgures for Day 2

Rockwell Project

Period Forms 8

Period Forms

Faces (The House . . . project)

The House That Will Not Stand Project

Period Forms due 9 10

Hands and Feet

Still Life Mannequin

Still Life Project

Present color roughs/The House . . .

Assign Final (Figures in Motion)

Figures in Motion (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Workday 11

Present The House . . . renderings

Fabric Painting (Anna in the Tropics)

Anna in the Tropics Project

Workday 12

Present Still Life

Present color roughs/Anna

13

The Princess and the Frog workday and discussion

Present Anna renderings

14

Present color roughs/Princess and the Frog

In class workday – discuss Figures in Motion setting choices

15

Present Princess and the Frog renderings

Present color roughs/Figures in Motion

Final Exam

Present Figures in Motion renderings

Class schedule subject to change

The Princess and the Frog Project

I N D E X

Note: Locators in italic indicate fgures and in bold tables. A Abandoning the Color Wheel Project 112–113, 113; adjectives 112; characters 113 abstract collage 27–28, 27, 27, 121, 123 accessories 44, 114 Actor to Actor Project 142–143, 143, 143 actors, theatre 45, 46 “Actor’s Equity Diversity Report” 90 All Shapes. All Sizes, Magoun, Lindsey, Southerland Berich 9–10 Ames, Gypsy 3, 64, 129, 155, 155–156, 179, 215, 224 The Annunciation (Fra Angelico) 127 analog boards 28 Anderson, Barbara and Cletus 25, 39, 58, 62, 78–79, 80, 81, 210 Anderson, Maxwell; see Mary of Scotland (Anderson) Anna Christie / New Girl in Town (O’Neill, Abbott) Project 132–133, 133; Anna 133 Anna in the Tropics (Cruz): Conchita 31, 190; Marela 166, 189, 190 Antigone (Sophocles) Project 183, 183; Eurydice 184 Art and Practice of Costume Design (Durbin, Merz) 25 artists, fashion and copywork, rendering projects 173–175, 190; Fashion Illustration 173, 173; Godey’s Lady’s Book 174–175, 175, 175; Period Forms 9, 64, 155–156, 156, 157, 173–174, 174 art-using class projects 124–127; Picnic (Inge) 22, 77, 79, 80, 124–125, 125, 126, 167; Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare) 61, 125–126, 126–127, 127, 198, 200 art-using rendering projects 186–188, 190; The Romancers (Rostand) 186, 186, 187; The Tempest (Shakespeare) 187–188, 187–188, 188 Asian American Performers Action Coalition 90 assistant designer 47, 218; assistant costume designer position responsibilities and

contract 225–226; guidelines for student and assistant designers 224, 226 audience types 21–22 audience considerations, graduates vs. undergraduates 21–22

B balance, design principles 63–64, 64; asymmetry 64; symmetry 64 ballet, show-type design 82, 82 beginners, non-major projects 104–114; Abandoning the Color Wheel 112–113, 112, 113, 113; Color Project 108, 108, 108; Electra (Euripides) 103, 105, 109, 109, 109; Elements of Design Board 108, 109; The Family 104, 104–105, 105, 199; A Field Guide to Dartmouth Clothing 111–112, 112; The Four Seasons 98, 99, 106, 106–107, 107, 108; Music for Dance / Music Video 105, 105–106, 106, 206, 207–208, 207; Using Line to Create Contrasting Images 110, 110–111, 111; Wedding Attire à La Bridal Shower Games 113–114, 114 black, societal/cultural color interpretation 73–74, 73 BlackBoard 22 blue, societal/cultural color interpretation 76, 76 boards: analog 28; discussion 26, 27, 36, 38; research 28, 28–29, 108, 114, 138, 200, 229 bodice 63 body awareness 9–10; All Shapes. All Sizes, Magoun, Lindsey, Southerland Berich 9–10; “Harmful Practices” (USITT 2022) 9; “Helpful Practices” (USITT 2022) 10; Period Forms project 9, 155–156 body proportions 64 budget 87, 87–90; budget spreadsheet 88; costing / spending tracking 87, 88–89, 89–90; fabric choices 87; fnancial sources 90; “ideal for show”

vs restraints 87; period consideration 88; see also costume design class, lectures building block, class 13–21; class schedule, planning 19–20; costume design, content 20–21; costume rendering, content 21; syllabus, writing 13–19 Bunnicula (Busch) 38, 54, 93, 215

C Caesar and Cleopatra (Shaw) Project 135, 135–136; Black Cleopatra 73; Cleopatra 59, 136, 137; Red Cleopatra 74 Camino Reale (Williams) Project 115–116, 116; Don Quixote 116; Esmeralda 117; Kilroy 116; Sancho 116 Canvas, digital learning environment: accessibility improvement 22–23; assignment and handout posting 172, 173, 196, 206, 208; discussion board feature 26, 27, 38, 207, 208, 209; features, general, overview 23; note taking 24 Capstone project/assignments 223, 224, 224, 226, 227, 229 Carter, Ruth 90 character approach, design process 53, 54 character representation, rendering projects 177–178, 190; The House That Will Not Stand (Gardley) 11, 147, 159, 159, 168, 169, 177–178, 177, 178 character-development-exploring project 130–139; Anna Christie / New Girl in Town (O’Neill, Abbott) Project 132–133, 133, 133; Caesar and Cleopatra (Shaw) Project 59, 73, 74, 135, 135–136, 136, 137; The Music Man (Lacey, Willson) 130–131, 131, 131, 132; Name Your Adjective Project 10, 135; Othello (Shakespeare) Project 137–138, 138, 138, 139 The Cherry Orchard (Chekhov) 139, 139; Anya 139; Passer-By 59; Realistic Fabric: Passer-By 80; White: Anya 73 247

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Index

choreographers, collaboration with 94, 204–205, 215 Cinderella 62 class schedule 151; example: costume design class 36–37, A239 / costume rendering A245 / costuming for dance class (design portion) 206, 206, 208 / design/fashion history combined class 197, 197–198 / design/rendering combined class 167 / rendering class with graphic arts 150–151 / Studio 3 165; planning 19–20 (see also building block, class) class structure 13–32; audience 21–22; building block 13–21; class tools 22–29; teaching methods 29–32 class surveys 32 class tools 22–29; discussion boards 26, 27; lecture writing 24–25; online platform use 22–24; production/ flm critiques 26, 26; research boards use 28, 28–29, 108, 114, 138, 200, 229; textbook use 2, 25–26, 154, 162, 163 collages, use: abstract 27–28, 27, 27, 121; Electra (Euripides) 109, 109; reaction collage 121 color as design element 60 color palette, design process 53, 54 Color Project 108, 108, 108 color psychology; see psychology of color color rough 17, 37, 38, 38, 54, 54, 93, 121, 196, 215 color schemes 61–62 color value scales 61, 108, 112, 113, 157, 157 color wheel 61, 61, 61, 108, 112–113, 112, 113, 157, 157 color-using, rendering projects 183–185, 190; Antigone (Sophocles) 183, 183, 184; The School for Husbands (Moliere) 185, 185, 185, 186, 199 communication through costumes; see costume/costume design, function complement colors scale 61, 61, 61, 108, 108, 157, 184, 184 complementary colors 61, 108, 184 conception, costume design 92–93, 214–215; character study 93, 215; design concept and collaboration 92; historical and concept research 92–93, 214; new show/dance vs reconstruction 214 converging lines 63 costume coordinator 40 costume design and dance classes 203–220; choreographers, collaboration with 204–205; dance costume functions 209–213; dance costume life cycle 213–220; dance projects for costume designers 220; dancers, costume class for 205–206, 206; dancers, lectures for 208–209; dancers,

projects for 206–208; dance-vs-theatre costumes 203–204 costume design and fashion history classes: augment fashion history class 198–201; class fow chart 194; combined classes 197–198, 197–198; “Costume History – New Strategies in Teaching” (USITT, 2022) 194; decentralizing and costume teaching 194–197; Fink’s Taxonomy 195; multiple cultures vs Eurocentric approach 197; “Revolutionary Costume Pedagogy” (Souza) 196 costume design as stand-alone class, undergraduates 36–38; class schedule 36–37, A239–240; Semester-Long Design Project 27, 28, 37, 38, 48 costume design class: building block content 20–21; class schedule 36; schedule (see class schedule); topics to cover 20–21 costume design class, lectures 35–101; (1) costume/costume design, function 39–44; (2) costume designer, role in theatre structure 44–48; (3) design process 48–57; (4) design elements, principles 57–65; (5) psychology of dress 65–77; (6) design styles 77–82; (7) fabrics 82–87; (8) budgets 87–90; (9) industry diversity 90–92; (10) dress lifecycle 92–97; adaptation for: graduates 98–100; adaptation for: nondesign undergraduates 98–100, 99; adaptation for: secondary pupils 98–100; classroom collaboration 100–101; knowledge retention, measuring 97–98; undergraduates class schedule 36–37, 36–38; writing 24–25; see also under their own headings costume design class schedules, examples 36–37, 167, 197, 197–198, A239; see also class schedule costume design projects 103–147; art-using 124–127; beginners, non-major 104–114; character development exploration 130–140; diverse and non-western cultures 145–146; fabric-swatchingusing 127–130; music-using (opera, musical) 122–124; research culminating in design 114–117; script analysis 118–120; semester-long design project 120–122; well-known fgures use 140–145; see also under their own headings costume design syllabus A234–238 costume designer, role in theatre structure 44–48; costume shop 47–48; order of hiring 45–46; requirements of costume designer 44; theater organization 44–45; see also costume design class, lectures

Costume Designer’s Handbook (Ingham, Covey) 25 costume design–fashion history connecting classes 193–201 costume list, plot, design process 49–50, 49–51, 51 costume rendering, building block content 21 costume rendering class 149–169; advanced courses 164–166; frst class 152–153; learning outcomes 150; merged courses teaching 167; one-lesson coverage 150–151; schedule 150–151 (see also class schedule); student learning evidence 150; supplies 153–154; workdays, feedback, grading 151–152 costume rendering class, topics 21, 154–164; digital rendering 161–163, 162; fabric painting 160–161; faces 158–160, 158, 159; fgures in motion 163–165, 163, 164, 166; hand and feet 160; human fgure, approaching 155–157; life drawing 154–155, 154, 155; pencil and charcoal 154; rough sketches (see rough sketch); still life 160, 161; watercolor 157–158, 157 costume rendering projects 171–190; artists, fashion and copywork 173–175, 190; art-using 186–188, 190; character representation 177–178, 190; colorusing 183–185, 190; fabric-using 186–188, 190; fgures in motion 175–176; modern designers and copywork 172–173; styles 178–181; working from life 181–182; see also under their own headings costume rendering syllabus A240–244 costume shop, roles 47–48, 218–219 Costume Technician’s Handbook (Ingham, Covey) 25 costume/costume design, function 39–44; audience guidance 41–42; character 42; cohesion and clarity 42 (see also costume design class, lectures); costume defnition 39, 209; elements 43–44; non-verbal communication potential 41; production 42 costume/dress lifecycle 92–97, 213–219; conception 92–93, 214–215; development / presentation 93–95, 93, 94, 215–217, 215; dress parade 97, 218–219; dress rehearsal 97, 219; opening night 97; realization 95–96, 217–218; see also under their own headings costumer 40 craftsperson 47, 218 cues 68, 69 cultural appropriation and costume design 5–9; appropriation vs appreciation 6; concept 5, 6; Cultural

Index

Appropriation in Theatre Design, Valerie St. Pierre Smith 7; design approaches, appropriate 6, 8; design approaches, respectful 7; historical, cultural research 8–9; learning environments 6; “The Three Sisters: Lessons on Inspiration, Appropriation, and Design,” Valerie St. Pierre Smith, 6–8, 9; White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation, Lauren Michele Jackson 6; see also inclusion, diversity, equity (IDE) Cultural Appropriation in the World of Costume Design & Technology (USSIT conference 2018) 6 Cultural Appropriation in Theatre Design, Valerie St. Pierre Smith 7 cultural sensitivity 10–11, 10, 11; see also cultural appropriation and costume design Cunningham, Rebecca 25, 39, 82, 83, 84, 86, 209 cutter/draper 47, 218

D Damhorst, M. L. 69 dance 203–220; choreographers-costume designer collaboration 204–205; costume design classes for dancers 205–206, 206; costume design lectures for dancers 208–209; costume life cycle 213–220; dance-vs-theatre costumes 203–204; projects for costume designers 220, 220 Dance and Fashion (Steele) 207 dance costume, as communication means 211–213; character 212; period (time, place) 212–213; styles 212–213; theme, mood 212 dance costume, design projects 206–208; group dance costume history presentation 206–207; Music for Dance / Music Video 105, 105–106, 106, 206, 207–208, 207; reading assignment and discussion 207; video critique 208 dance costume, functions 209–213; associations (primary, secondary) 210–211; communication 211–213; costume defnition 209; costume designer role 210; movement 211; see also costume/costume design, function dance costume, life cycle; see costume/dress lifecycle dance projects for costume designers 220, 220 decentralizing and costume teaching 194–197 decolonizing 194, 198 design elements 57–62; color 60; hue 60; intensity 61–62; line 58, 58; mass 59; shape 58–59, 58; texture 59, 59;

value 60; see also costume design class, lectures design principles 62–65; balance 63–64, 64; emphasis, attention guidance 63, 63; harmony 65, 65; movement, sequence 62, 62; proportion 64, 64–65; see also costume design class, lectures design process 48–57; (1) offer to design 48; (2) script reading 48–49; (3) costume list, plot 49–50, 49–51, 51; (4) designer-director meetings 51; (5) research 51–53; (6) character approach 53, 54; (7) color palette 53, 54; (8) fabric choices 53; (9) renderings 54–55; (10) ideal build process 56; (11) dress rehearsal process 56–57; (12) opening night 57; see also costume design class, lectures design styles 77–82; contemporary 78; fabric choices 79–80, 80; fantasy 77, 77, 79; historic 78; period research 79–80, 79; realism 77, 77, 78–79; show-type dependent 77–78, 77, 81–82, 81, 82; stylization / symbolism 77, 77, 79; venue-size dependent 80–81; see also costume design class, lectures designer–director meetings, design process 51 Desmond Heeley Project 165, 165, 172, 172, 179 development / presentation 93–95, 215–217, 215; additional research 94, 216; fabric choices, sourcing 94, 216; meeting director/choreographer 94, 215; non-builts 216; rendering, fnal 94–95, 94, 216, 216; rough sketch 93–94, 93, 94, 215, 215 Digital Costume Design and Collaboration: Applications in Academia, Theatre, and Film (Jaen) 163 Digital Costume Design and Rendering: Pens, Pixels and Paint (Cleveland) 162 digital rendering 149, 151, 161–163, 162 director, theatre 45 discussion boards 26, 27, 36, 38 diverse and non-western cultures projects 145–147; Medea (Euripides) Project 145–146, 146, 146, 159, 198, 199; see also inclusion, diversity, equity (IDE); industry diversity diversity; see inclusion, diversity, equity (IDE); industry diversity dress parade 56, 97, 219 dress rehearsal, design process 56–57, 97, 219, 220, 227 dyeing 85, 183, 196, 197 dyer 47, 96, 218

E Echoes of Harlem, Beth Bowles 172, 232 Electra (Euripides) 103, 105, 109, 109; Clytemnestra 109

249

Elements of Design Board Project 108, 109 Elizabethan woman, body proportions 64 emphasis, design principles 63, 63 evaluating creativity 3–5, 4; class involvement 3; constructiveness 4, 5; grading process 228–229, 228–229; grading rubric 4–5, 4; knowledge retention, measuring 97–98; open mindedness 3; oral vs written critique 4, 5; timing 3 Everyman (Anonymous) Project 119–120, 120, 200; Blue: Good Deeds 76; Goods 120; Orange: Goods 74

F fabric: anachronistic 80; painting project 85, 161; printed vs woven pattern 85; realistic 80; small textured vs fat cotton 84 fabric, fber types 82–83, 86 fabric, online teaching 30 fabric, structures 86 fabric choices: budgets 87; color 85; costume exposure 86–87; design process 53; design styles 79–80, 80; movement needs 86; pattern scale 84, 84; period, historical accuracy 85–86; run length 86; stress requirements 86; texture 84, 84; visual effect 83–84 fabric pattern 84–85, 84 fabrics choices 82–87; see also costume design class, lectures fabric-swatching-using class projects 127–130, 147; Hello, Dolly! (Herman, Stewart) Project 65, 128–129, 129, 129; Macbeth (Shakespeare) Project 62, 77, 79, 81, 129–130, 129–130, 130, 146 fabric-using rendering projects 186–188, 190; Fabric Painting 85, 153, 160–161, 161, 166, 189; Fabric Swatching 188–189, 189 face drawing 158–160, 158, 159; bone structure 158; skin tones 159–160, 159 The Family Project 104, 104–105, 199; The Daughter 105; The Father 105 fantasy, design style 77, 77, 79, 213 Fashion Illustration Project 173, 173 fber processing/structures: bonded 83; dying 85; felt 83; knit 83; printed 84, 84; woven 83, 84 fber types: blends 86; natural 82; preferences, choices 83; synthetic 82–83 A Field Guide to Dartmouth Clothing Project 111–112, 112 fgures in motion, rendering projects, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare) 8, 21, 61, 151, 163–165, 163, 164, 175–177, 175–178, 176, 199, 216; see also dance flm critiques 26

250

Index

Fink’s Taxonomy 195 frst hand 47, 218 fipped learning concept 196 Flyin’ West (Cleage) 27, 27, 36–37, 101, 121, 197–198, 201, 239; Fannie 55, 94, 122; Frank 121; Minnie 20 The Four Seasons 98, 106, 106–107; Fall 99, 107; Spring 99, 107; Summer 99, 107; Winter 99, 108

G garment 39, 41, 43, 66, 67, 72, 143, 181–182 George Floyd’s murder/riots (2020) 30, 91, 117 Godey’s Lady’s Book Project 174–175, 175, 175 Goodwin, Anastasia 195, 196, 198 grading process 228–229, 228–229; see also evaluating creativity grading rubric 4–5, 4 graduates vs. undergraduates 21–22 green, societal/cultural color interpretation 75–76, 75

H hairdressing 44, 46 Hairspray (Shaiman), Penny 54, 93, 215 hand and feet 160 handout for 8 head fgure 156 harmony, design principles 65, 65 Harris, James Berton (JB) 103, 104–105, 108, 109, 115, 119, 120, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 132, 133, 135–137, 139, 140, 141, 143, 144–145, 146, 172, 173, 174, 175, 179, 180, 181, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 193, 227 Hello, Dolly! (Herman, Stewart) Project 128–129, 129; Dolly 65, 129 The House That Will Not Stand (Gardley) 147, 159, 168, 169, 177–178, 177; Agnes 11, 159; Odette 178 hue, design element 60 human fgure, approaching 36, 64, 155–157; see also body awareness

I ideal build process, design process 56 inclusion, diversity, equity (IDE) 5, 30–31, 32, 32; “Costume History – New Strategies in Teaching” (USITT, 2022) 194–195; My Pledge to You statement 5, 18; Refective Structured Dialogue (RSD) 168–169; Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (hooks) 5 inclusion statement 18–19, 18–19 inclusive pedagogy 5, 11, 17, 19, 30–32, 32, 98, 197 industry diversity 90–92; 2016 award season 90–91; “Actor’s Equity Diversity

Report” (2016–19) 90; “The Broadway Season Was Diverse Offstage Too, Not That You’d Notice” (Newton) 91; current state 90; diverse story telling 90–91; future 91–92; George Floyd’s murder/riots (2020) 91; Newton, Pamela 90, 91; public visibility, designers 91; Ramos, Clint 90, 91; Tazewell, Paul 90, 91; Visibility Report (2018–19) 90; see also costume design class, lectures intensity, design element 61–62

J Jablon-Roberts, Sara 66, 68, 77 Jesus Christ Superstar (Webber) Project 123, 123–124; Herod 75, 124

K Keenan, Grace Cochran 196 Kiss Me, Kate (Spewack, Porter), Project 114, 114–115, 200; Bianca 115; Kate 200; Lily 200; Lois 115 knowledge retention, measuring 97–98

L La Rondine, Magda 123 Lamb, Taylor Leigh 91 The Language of Clothes (Lurie) 72 Laver, James 67, 67, 71 lecture writing 24–25 Levy, Paige 90–91 LGBTQIA+ 91 life drawing 150, 154–155, 154, 155, 160, 161, 178; see also Still Life Project / Still Life Mannequin Project line, design element 58, 58 Little Shop of Horrors (Ashman), costume plot project 49, 49, 51 Lurie, Alison 71, 72

M Macbeth (Shakespeare) Project 62, 79, 81, 129–130, 129–130, 146; Lady Macbeth 77, 130; Macbeth 130; The Witches 130 Madonna Emulating Lena Horne, Actor to Actor Project 143 The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design (Cunningham) 25, 82, 157, 209 makeup 28, 30, 44, 46, 51, 89, 96, 158, 219 makeup artist 48, 219 Mary of Scotland (Anderson) 184–185, 184, 185, 199; Elizabeth 80, 185, 199; Mary of Scotland (Anderson) 185, 198 mass, design element 59 Medea (Euripides) Project 145–146, 146, 198, 199; Chorus 146; Creon 159

The Meeting of Victoria and Albert Project 140, 140; classical ballet 82, 141; musical comedy 81, 141; realistic drama 80, 141; TV farce 82, 141 mentoring students 223–230; Capstone project design process 225–228, 226–227; contract: assistant costume designer position responsibilities and contract 225–226; contract: position responsibilities and capstone contract 224–225; grading process 228–229, 228–229; guidelines for student and assistant designers 224, 226; mentoring relationship, approach/ development 223–224; MfA programs, thesis 229–230; research paper guidelines 227–228; secondary education and costume designers 230 A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare) 61, 151, 163, 175–177, 176, 199; Oberon 8; Peaseblossom 21; Titania 163, 164, 175–178, 216 milliner 47, 218 modern designers and copywork, rendering projects 172–173; Desmond Heeley 165, 165, 172, 172, 179; Modern Designers 172, 172, 172 Modern Designers Project 172, 172, 172 Moulin Rouge (Luhrman) 26 Music for Dance Project / Music Video Project 105, 105–106, 106, 206, 207–208, 207 musical comedy, show-type design 81, 81 The Music Man (Lacey, Willson) 130–131, 131; Marian 131, 132 music-using (opera, musical) projects 122–124, 147; Jesus Christ Superstar (Webber) 75, 123, 123–124, 124; The Opera Project 122, 122–123, 123 My Pledge to You, inclusion statement 5, 18

N Name Your Adjective Project 10, 135 New Approaches to Decolonizing Fashion History and Period Styles Re-Fashioning Pedagogies (Bellet) 194, 198 Newton, Pamela 90, 91 Niccolo and Nicolette (Cullen) 54, 94, 216 non-major projects; see beginners, non-major projects

O offer to design, design process 48 Once Upon a Mattress (Rodger, Barer) 80; Queen Aggravain 76; Sir Harry 80 online platform uses 22–24, 28–30; BlackBoard 22; Canvas (see Canvas, digital learning environment); Pinterest 28–29, 109, 114, 117, 121,

Index

134–135, 174, 216; Zoom 23, 29–30, 31, 106, 209 online teaching 29–30, 30 opening night, design process 57, 97, 219 The Opera Project 122, 122–123, 123 orange, societal/cultural color interpretation 74–75, 74 ornaments 44 Othello (Shakespeare) Project 137–138, 138; Desdemona 139; Othello 138

P pattern, fabric 84–85, 84 pencil and charcoal 154, 155, 158, 158, 159, 159; see also color rough; rough sketch People of the Global Majority (PGM) 7, 9, 10, 31, 174 period forms 157, 157 Period Forms Project 9, 155–156; Elizabethan Woman 64, 174; Tudor Man 174; Victorian woman/men 156, 157 period research, design styles 79–80 Photoshop, software 161, 162–163 Picnic (Inge) Project 22, 79, 80, 124–125, 125, 167; Hall 77, 126; Madge 77, 126 Pinterest 28–29, 109, 114, 117, 121, 134–135, 174, 216 playwright, theatre 45 primary colors 61, 108, 184 The Princess and the Frog (Grimm) Project 164, 179, 179; The Prince 164, 180; The Princess 164, 180 The Princess Project (Rendering Styles) 172, 178–179, 178–179, 179, 180 Procreate, software 151, 161, 163 producer, theatre 45 production designer 46 production stage manager (PSM) 45–46 production/flm critiques 26, 26 projects; see costume design projects proportion, design principles 64, 64–65 proportions, body 64 psychology of color, societal/cultural interpretation 72–76; black 73–74, 73; blue 76, 76; green 75–76, 75; orange 74–75, 74; purple 76, 76; red 74, 74; white 73, 73; yellow 75, 75 psychology of dress 65–77; age 70; belief representation 70; conconformist dressing 71; conventional dressing 70–71; cues 68, 69; fashion communication/messaging 68, 69–72; gender role 70; group membership identifcation 70; human body, attitude towards 70; modern Western fashion, beginnings 66; role emulation 71; semiotic / semiotic theory 68, 72;

status, societal 70; style/fashion changes, reasons/speed 66–68; symbolic interactionism 68, 69, 72; Taste and Fashion (Laver) 67, 67; see also costume design class, lectures purple, societal/cultural color interpretation 76, 76

R Ramos, Clint 90, 91 realism, design style 77, 77, 78–79, 213 realistic drama, show-type design 81, 81 realization, costume 95–96, 217–219; built pieces 95, 217; costume shop 47–48, 217, 218–219; fttings 95, 217–218; non-built sourcing 95, 217 red, societal/cultural color interpretation 74, 74 Refective Structured Dialogue (RSD) 168–169 The Rehearsal (Anouilh) Project 180–181, 181; The Countess 181; Lucile 181 renderings, design process 54–55 research, design process 51–53; period parameter 51–52; usage 52–53 research, students 1–3; electronic, online 2; ethics 2; primary vs secondary 2; printed sources 2 research boards use 28, 28–29, 108, 114, 138, 200, 229 research projects culminating in design 114–117; Camino Reale (Williams) 115–116, 116, 116, 117; Kiss Me, Kate (Spewack, Porter), Project 114, 114–115, 115, 200; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Deavere Smith) Project 117, 117 “Revolutionary Costume Pedagogy” (Souza) 196 Rodney King riots 117 The Romancers (Rostand) Project 186, 186; Pasquinot 187; Percinet 187 Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare) Project 61, 125–126, 126–127, 198, 200; Juliet 127; Romeo 127 rough sketch 54–55, 54, 93–94, 93, 157–158, 215, 215 rubric, grading 4–5, 4

S The School for Husbands (Moliere) Project 185, 185, 199; Ariste 185; Leonor 186; Lisette 186 script analysis projects 118–120; Everyman (Anonymous) 74, 76, 119–120, 120, 120, 200; Sylvia (Gurney) 31, 37, 37, 37, 118, 118–119, 118–119, 119, 239 script reading, design process 48–49 secondary colors 61, 108 Semester-Long Design Project 27, 28, 37, 38, 48

251

semester-long design project 120–122 semiotic / semiotic theory 68, 72 sensitivity issues for costume designers 9–11; All Shapes. All Sizes, Magoun, Lindsey, Southerland Berich 9–10; body awareness, multiple shapes 9–10, 9–10; cultural 10–11, 10, 11 (see also cultural appropriation and costume design) sequence, design principles 62, 62 shape, design element 58–59, 58 shop manager 47, 218 shopper 47, 218 show-type dependent design 77–78, 77, 81–82, 81, 82; ballet 82, 82; musical comedy 81, 81; realistic drama 81, 81; TV farce 82, 82 Something Rotten! (Kirkpatrick, O’Farrell) 88 Souza, Michelle Hunt 194–195, 196 Speetjens, Maile 196, 197, 198 St. Pierre Smith, Valerie 6–8, 9 still life 150, 160, 161, 178 Still Life Project / Still Life Mannequin Project 160, 161, 180, 181–183, 182, 182, 183 stitcher 47, 218 Studio series 149, 165, 194; Studio 1, drawing human fgure 149; Studio 2, water color 149, 165; Studio 3, costume rendering 149, 164, 165, 172, 176, 177; Studio 4, computer/digital rendering 149 styles, rendering projects 178–181; The Princess and the Frog (Grimm) Project 164, 179, 179, 180; The Princess Project 172, 178–179, 178–179, 179, 180; The Rehearsal (Anouilh) 180–181, 181, 181 stylist 40 stylization / symbolism, design style 77, 77, 79, 213 Summer and Smoke (Williams), Alma 75 Sweet Bird of Youth (Williams) Project 144, 144–145; The Princess Kosmonopolis 145 syllabus 13–19, 23, 152; alterations 15; content: attendance/late work policies 15, 15–16, 16; content: class information 14 / contact information 14 / course description 14–15 / course objective statement 15 / course requirements, grading 17–18, 18 / disability statement 16 / inclusion statement 18, 18–19 / instructional materials 15 / tardy policies 16; example: costume design A234–238 / costume rendering A240–244; see also building block, class Sylvia (Gurney) Project 31, 37, 37, 118, 118–119, 118–119, 239; Sylvia 37, 119 symbolic interactionism 68, 72

252

Index

T tailor 47, 218 Tazewell, Paul 90, 91 teaching methods 29–32; IDE incorporation / inclusive pedagogy 30–32; online teaching 29–30 (see also online platform use) teaching projects; see costume design projects Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (hooks) 5 The Tempest (Shakespeare) Project 187–188, 187–188; Ariel 188; Godesses 188 textbook use 2, 25–26, 25–26, 154, 162, 163; The Art and Practice of Costume Design (Durbin, Merz) 25; Costume Design (Anderson) 25, 39; The Costume Designer’s Handbook (Ingham, Covey) 25; The Costume Technician’s Handbook (Ingham, Covey) 25; The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design (Cunningham) 25, 82, 157, 209 texture, design element 59, 59 theatre: actors 45, 46; costume design in theatre structure 44–48; costume designer 46; costume shop, roles 47–48; dance-vs-theatre costumes 203–204; director 45; order of hiring 45–46; playwright 45; producer 45; production designer 46;

production stage manager (PSM) 45–46; theater organization 44–45; see also costume design class, lectures “The Three Sisters: Lessons on Inspiration, Appropriation, and Design,” Valerie St. Pierre Smith, 6 The Tooth of Crime (Shepard) Project 141, 142; Crow 142; Hoss 142 The Trojan Women (Euripides) Project 144, 144–145; Helen of Troy 145 TTL (Transformative Teaching and Learning) platform 22, 23 TV farce, show-type design 82, 82 Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Deavere Smith) Project 117, 117

U undergarments 44, 56, 95, 204 Using Line to Create Contrasting Images Project 110, 110–111, 111, 220

V value, design element 60

W wardrobe (supervisor and dressers) 47–48, 219 watercolor 149, 150, 157–158, 157, 165

Wedding Attire à La Bridal Shower Games Project 113–114, 114 well-known-fgures-using project 140–145; Actor to Actor 142–143, 143, 143; The Meeting of Victoria and Albert 80, 81, 82, 140, 140, 141; Sweet Bird of Youth (Williams) Project 144, 145, 144–145; The Tooth of Crime (Shepard) 141, 142, 142 white, societal/cultural color interpretation 73, 73 White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation, Lauren Michele Jackson 6 “White Supremacy Culture” (Okun) 195 wigmaster 48, 219 wigs 96, 219 working from life, rendering projects 181–182, 190; Still Life / Still Life Mannequin 160, 161, 181–183, 182, 182, 183

Y Yancey, Cheryl 39, 92, 224 yellow, societal/cultural color interpretation 75, 75 Young Love, Norman Rockwell 166

Z “Zircon Dream” 64 Zoom 23, 29–30, 31, 106, 209