Today at lunch I met with Ms. Turner to discuss what I need to do further in order to get the costumes done. Seeing as she was at the meeting with the tailor yesterday, she could see what I needed to work on, and what I was doing well on. I have got the character list now from Mr. Redman, which is just a list of all characters and their actors. With that list I need to fill in who will wear what. In order to incorporate the actors' opinions into the designs, I am going to meet with every actor and ask them what they envision their character(s) to be wearing, and what their role is (from their perspective).
Today I had meeting with the tailor/designer, George, that we will be using for Canterbury Tales. Firstly, I asked him the list of questions that I posted before. He told me that he has his own studio, with 5 workers working there, and all the technology/machinery that he will need to make the costumes are there. This means that we won't have to pay for his transport to school and back every day, and the costumes will be finished very early on in the process, which is a plus! He says that to make/tailor the 30+ costumes, it will only take him less than a week, therefore I have more time for designing. He is willing to put in however long it will take. I then asked him about the average prices of an outfit and he said K250. I didn't know if this was a good price or not, so I asked Ms. Turner (who came to the meeting a bit later) and she made sure the price went down and gave him a better explanation of what we needed: nothing too detailed or well-made, and quite simple. I think the most expensive costume we will have is for the Wife of Bath which will be K150. He has mostly chitenge material in his shop, but also some Western materials, but in small amounts so when I figure out what costumes I need, I will go out and buy them myself (with the schools money of course). After these sets of questions, I showed him my sketches and we edited some of them. This was very productive because we have found all the fabrics and ideas for most of the main characters, and we gave him the fabrics to make all the costumes. He took measurements for the actors that were there, either for their costumes or just regular measurements. I think this tailor will be good for the school because he is time efficient, though he may be expensive as he doesn't charge per day, he charges per costume, but it won't take as long as the tailor previously used, so hopefully the price will be better! I'm proud to say we're moving forward!
Last week I met after school with Ms. Turner, who has been the costume designer for all of AISL's previous performances. I showed her my rough sketches for the pieces (shown below) and later, we went through all of the school's fabric/clothing to pick through things that could possibly be used in Canterbury Tales. We brought out a lot of earth toned fabrics and items of clothing for the majority of the cast, and also some blues and reds for the wealthy characters. I took out some silks and furs for characters such as the Wife of Bath. Many of the things we pulled out could be used as inspiration for a costume that the tailor would make for us. Overall, I think this meeting was very productive and I got a lot of insight and resources on things to make/use for this play. Ms. Turner is going to be a big help in this production, if anything, I'm the help for her! Next I need to go fabric shopping and finalize the costumes for each and every character, as I now only have sketches for the main characters. Last Wednesday, I had a Whatsapp conversation with a tailor I know from last years prom, who seems quite reliable and reasonably priced. The conversation went well as he said he could do the tailoring for a play my school was putting on and I told him that I would call him when we could arrange a meeting with him the following week. I just contacted him now and asked if he could come to school on Wednesday (that's when there's an all-call rehearsal) so that we can discuss prices and he can take measurements of all the actors, and he said he could come to school at 14:30hrs! I have a list of questions I need to ask him if he's able to meet on Wednesday. They are as follows:
Wife of Bath: My idea for the Wife of Bath is for her to be somewhat covered, as she sees herself as respectable, but also to show some of her body off- maybe some cleavage. I want her to wear red and blue, to show off her wealth, as well as maybe some silks/furs. She should wear a stiff large hat with a tie around her throat and maybe a scarf. Pardoner: Long, large, tunic-like dress (red), with a rope tied around the waist. Big/open sleeve cuffs. Long, straight, thin hair (blonde), with a hat (not sure what the hat will look like yet). He will also hold some sort of cross. Prioress:
The prioress is extremely modest: no skin showing except for her face. She will be wearing a white dress with no shape, very simple, with a long black cape around, either wearing the cape hood on her head, or a nun scarf around her hair and neck, or both. She will have a cross on a necklace, but otherwise very simple jewelry, if none at all. Wife of Bath: Married many times Travels a lot Probably beautiful/curvy/big boobs Knows about love Sees herself as respectable Scandalous Stylish (always dresses her best) Rich colors- red Face wrapped in heavy cloth/leather shoes Tunic, belt, large hat, cleavage, broad hips Wools, cotton, linens, silks, fur (material used in medieval ages) Ruddy complexion, gap-teeth (shows sexual passion and libido) Pardoner: Cheap/ wants money Salesman Selfish/ thief Jar of pigs' bones Long blonde straight hair May be gay/bisexual Prioress: Proper/rich Religious/modest/dignified Probably thin/healthy Wore jewelry and owns a dog- against church rules Grey eyes, small mouth Broad forehead - beautiful in Chaucer's time Miller: Big, strong, brute (225 lbs) Jokester/ thief Impatient/ loud Red hair, beard, wart on nose White coat & blue hood with a bagpipe Reeve: Rich/ bragging Works hard- probably dirty clothes Sheriff (shire reeve) Old, thin Rides a grey stallion Franklin: Party man/drinker/wealthy Open to guests - friendly Probably quite fat/greasy Red face, white beard Cook: Straight-edge Not a lot of personality/sense of humor Skinny- cooks costume (cloth apron) Weak stomach Bandage around knee for ulcer (blancmange) Hostess: Happy, inviting, loud Controlling Innskeeper Middle class clothes/ well-tailored (not overly expensive) Pilgrims Traveling cloaks Knight: Brave, honorable, chivalrous, generous Shabby appearance- good horses Peace-maker Squire: Knights son 20 years old Curly hair, embroidered tunic (red and white) Average size but strong Monk: Dressed in rich clothes Hunter Wears a hood with an expensive gold clasp Fat, shiny face, bald head Brown horse 1. Sketches for costumes finished: February 20
(In between is time for fixes, new ideas, critiques, etc.) 2. Meeting with tailor: February 23 3. Purchasing (if needed): February 28 4. Figuring out the exact costumes for everyone: March 3 5. Final production of all costumes: +/- March 30 6. Dress rehearsal for movement and comfort of costumes: April 1 7. Sketches for makeup: April 13 8. Figuring out what actors/parents can bring for costumes/makeup: April 15 9. Costume fitting and adjustments: April 18 10. Makeup and dress rehearsal: April 20-22 Main job of a costume designer is to put the emotions and characteristics of each character into a outfit
Costume must provide movement on stage: flexibility, comfort Duties for costume design: Manage a team of interested and skilled students, teachers, or mothers to help out with costumes and makeup Break down the play scene by scene to see how the character works and to see what costume they will need read and research about each character and their roles, motives, quirks, responsibilities, jobs, history, etc. Draw a costume/makeup sketch for each of the characters Possibly find inspiration by research, exploring, and communication with actors Research materials used and where to find them in Zambia Meet with actors to find their size and preferences (if any) on their costumes Work in the costume room backstage to see if any of the costumes match my sketches or a characters role Choose materials and fabrics that will be needed in the play, and see if I can find them in Zambia for a reasonable price Keep track of money spent on materials Meet with the tailor to fit costumes Be at almost all performance rehearsals to see how the costume must move for each specific character Make sure each costume in a scene is color coordinated and they do not clash too much, contrast is good, but not too much When the time comes, I must help fit the actors into their costumes and work on sizing Attend all light rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and the final performance Main duties for makeup design: Collect a team (mothers) and meet with them once or twice to find out the correct makeup for each character Research characters class, roles, and importance in the play Find makeup sketch paper and sketch what each characters makeup must look like, when the time of the performance and dress rehearsals come, make copies to give out to helpers so that nothing gets confused Be there for tech rehearsals in order to see the lighting on each character and how their makeup can balance that Make sure that the makeup is the same for all of the performances Make sure the makeup is durable and won't come off with sweat or other inconsistencies If a character is using wigs, I must make sure they will not fall off Must design each of the characters hair-do's depending on their role and amount of activity (if a character is very active, I should not give them a hair-do that can come undone or a wig that could possibly fall of) Tips on things to avoid in stage makeup: 1. Improper or Missing Foundation Stage makeup is heavier than its everyday counterpart, and stage foundation can feel especially unnatural at first. You wouldn't be the first performer to sneakily skip it in favor of over the counter substitutes. However, foundation is exactly what the name implies, the blank canvas the rest of your makeup (and character) needs. To protect your skin, start with a barrier spray like those from Mehron. Then apply your base and use it skilfully, blending the cream well below the jawline and down the neck. If you spend your money on one item in your stage makeup kit, spend it here. A good cream foundation from a reputable brand like Ben Nye, Kryolan or Mehron will give you the starting point you need for building your character upon your face. 2. Let 'Em See You Sweat The lights of the stage are brutal, and it's a common mistake to forget to account for that fact in your makeup routine. Those who don't can actually find themselves turning off the audiences, who tend to dislike performers streaming with sweat. Luckily, the right makeup application can help you minimize shine. For more strenuous performances, choose waterproof elements, which stand up better under the light and heat of performance. Cream foundation, rouges and eyecolors also last longer than powder. Use a fixing spray followed by a dusting of fine powder to set your look and create a matte finish while further protecting against shine. It's also a good idea to keep blotting papers and a powder puff handy for touch-ups offstage as well. 3. Concentrate on Looking Good Up Close It's a common mistake with stage makeup to go too light in your application. But stage makeup is not life -- you're meant to use it to emphasize your features to be seen from afar, not up close. The goal here is not to look fabulous in your dressing room mirror, but to look terrific from several audience rows away, all the way to the back of the theatre. This means that your initial makeup session should end with an exaggerated, overdone appearance. Stage makeup that is too light can make your features fade out, removing all character and individuality. Finding just the right level of intensity can be a process of trial and error. Get a friend or fellow performer to gauge your efforts as well, so that you achieve just the right balance. 4. Go Crazy with Color in Order to be Seen With that said, however? Don't go too far in the opposite direction. Be careful of contrasts -- white base, or harsh, too-dark colors that can read as black offstage. You want to avoid the dreaded 'clown-color' effect. Stage makeup colors don't 'read' from the audience as they do in life, and you've got to match your color choices with your character. Depending on the role, your best bet is to pick colors that will read as 'natural' onstage. You can still use reds, for instance, just mute them. For foundations, avoid pinks or stark whites -- cream colors or foundations with a slightly yellow tinge actually tend to look better and more natural from the audience, whereas pinks can actually appear even ruddier from afar. 5. Don't Worry About the Details Many novice performers can find themselves concentrating only on an overall look and feel for makeup, ignoring the final details that can really finish a look. So take the time for the little things that can bring out the definition of your features from the stage. Line your eyebrows, for instance, as they frame your face. Use highlight as well as shadow. Also, don't just use a flat 'wash' of base, but add in cream contouring in darker shades to artfully change your features, and add or remove pounds or years. If you're a male performer, don't skip the mascara... or the liner. Go with browns, not blacks, to add more subtle definition. From the audience, you'll enhance one of the most important and expressive parts of your face -- your eyes. |
Muriel KruizeMy current project for DP Theatre is being the costume and makeup designer for our schools' MYP Play, Canterbury Tales. |