WINTERTIME BY CHARLES MEE

COSTUME DESIGNBy Shannon Reed

Group 73

THE PLAY

• The play consists of thirteen very different and yet not so different characters. Taking place over only one day one sees the destruction and rehabilitation of several relationships.

• The costumes of each character are a major production element which I am going to design for this play.

• Set in modern times, Dec. 2006-Jan. 2007

• Colorado, snowing

• Post Christmas/Pre New Years Eve

COSTUME DESIGN

• Costumes in a production are an very important element, they can be used to symbolize or illustrate many different things, such as status, sex, occupation, personality, or even what activity they are participating in at the time.

• They can be used to indicate the period at which the play occurs or the weather and place.

• A costume needs to meet the needs of the production as a whole but also the needs of the actor, it needs to fit right and allow the actor to move and do what she needs to deliver the performance.

ARIEL

• Wearing white or pastel colors to convey innocence and joy, pale blues, pinks, yellows, or just plain white.

• Not wearing a coat (as specified) yet dressed in long sleeves and pants, maybe a winter hat as well to convey that she is comfortable as she is yet exemplify the snowy, cold, winter weather.

• Make-up is done, not heavily, so she looks young and fresh, but make the cheeks and nose rosy from the cold and flushed from excitement, or love. Natural looking.

• Hair is down and free to illustrate fun and a sort of carelessness.

.

JONATHAN

• As the same as Ariel, Jonathan isn’t wearing a jacket and is also young and innocent so he needs to be clothed in white to show this youth.

• Cheeks and nose need to be rosy from the cold also, as Ariel, from excitement and love.

• He needs to have a boyish look about him young, clear skin, tousled hair.

• Jonathan also is wearing simple comfortable clothing but appropriate for the cold weather. Ex. Jeans, long sleeve shirt, boots or tennis shoes.

MARIA

• As in the play Maria enters wearing a bathrobe.

• The bathrobe should be red or black, a dangerous or seductive color. To indicate that what was happening in the cabin before Ariel and Jonathan arrived wasn’t very “innocent”

• The bathrobes should be silk another seductive element to illustrate the same message.

• Hair should be messy, but not in a carefree loving way, in a way that shows that her son and his girlfriend interrupted something.

• Cheeks should be flushed as well but from passion and heat rather than cold and excitement.

• She should be barefoot with red toenails to show that she still cares for her appearance.

• Robe should be carelessly tied as though it was tied in haste.

FRANCOIS

• Same as Maria, Francois is clothed in a bathrobe.

• I chose his to be black, less seductive more commanding as the man of the relationship. His robe was tied carefully showing that he took his time. Not hurrying for the benefit of the children.

• His hair while not perfectly styled is not a mess and he has more of a calm demeanor than Maria. Not necessarily flushed.

• He is wearing white tube socks still, this conveys to me that he doesn’t care about how he appears to Maria since he has her there.

FRANK

• Frank is carrying a suitcase and snowshoes according to the script, both should be brown.

• Frank should be dressed sensibly and in dull colors such as browns, grays, blacks and whites. This would convey a sensible way of thinking along with a sort of dull personality. He seems to always go with the flow. He should be wearing a coat not horribly heavy but enough to keep him warm, gloves, slacks, and casual close toed shoes.

• His hair should be cut short so he doesn’t have to deal with it often. He should be clean shaven as well along with a pair of silver rimmed eyeglasses.

• This costume is to illustrate his practicality along with his meekness. Maria is having an affair, a reason for her leaving needs to be shown in his lack of “manliness”

• Needs to be very opposite of calm, cool, confident Francois.

EDWINA

• Per the script Edwina is carrying a suitcase and ice skates.

• Edwina is a glamorous character her ice skates are pure white and her suitcase is designer. Her winter clothes are mostly furs and she is wearing high heeled boots. Her hair is done pristinely.

• She needs to show a contradiction to Maria since Frank is having an affair with Edwina.

• She was a lot of make up on, yet it is done tastefully.

BERTHA

• Bertha is an older woman, white hair pulled back, wrinkles added if need be.

• More of a petite woman, wearing sports gear, snow boots, heavy coat, gloves, a hat, long heavy pants. Muted colors. Not necessarily dull but more earthy colors, such as burnt orange, dark green, or brown. This conveys her calm and kind nature.

HILDA

• Hilda has fallen into the lake therefore her clothes and hair need to be wet.

• Makeup needs to make her appear very cold, adding a blue tint to the lips and making her face very pale. Wrinkles need to be drawn to show that she is older.

• Same sort of attire as Bertha, i.e the sporting gear, but unlike Bertha’s, Hilda’s clothing needs to be bright, loud colors to go along with her blunt and assertive personality.

BOB AND STEVE

• Bob and Steve are pizza delivery boys. They should be dressed in a silly uniform with a cap with a log on it and work shoes. They should be dressed exactly the same. This shows their parallel points of view during their part of the play.

DRESS FOR THE MEMORIAL

• As was said in the script everyone arrives wearing black to the memorial service showing their remorse for their actions that drove Maria to suicide

• When Hilda suggest they all rend their garments they are to be wearing silly floral underwear. This is a comical effect which adds to the fact that Hilda, knowing that Maria is not actually dead, is just making them do this to embarrass them.

DEACON

• The deacon is the not a major character therefore he should be very simply dressed in his occupational robes. This shows his purpose there and his status.

JANE

• Again as Jane is not a major character there should be nothing about her clothing that stands out. She should be in dull colors, not necessarily black though since she is not in mourning for Maria.

• Makeup should not be extravagantly done and hair should be pulled back neatly.

JAQUELINE

• Jaqueline is a doctor making a house call so she should be dressed in a doctors lab coat and have a stethoscope around her neck. This is to convey her occupation and role for the play.

• Her makeup should be done to make her eyes look bigger and more innocent yet still show that she is older and has more experience.

• Everything such as her hair and shoes and dress should be sensible to illustrate that even though she has personal ties to the other characters she was initially working and was not planning on seeing her past lover.