Lend me thy hand, And pluck my magic garment from me. The Tempest, William Shakespeare

A costume is a “magic” garment – a garment that enables an actor to become, for a time, someone else. A costume may be defined as anything worn on stage. An effective costume engages the audiences attention and enhances the production and the actor’s performance.

Costumes visually define and support the character developed by the actor. Costumes help establish the overall theme (idea) and mood (atmosphere) of the production as interpreted by the director

Differences between characters must be clearly visible, enabling all members of the audience to distinguish them and to understand the action. How does the costume visually define a character?

When and where did a character live? Often the playwright specifies the date and locale of the play but a director may choose to move the play into a different time period or location.

An audience usually needs a clear idea of the age of each character.

In most historical plays a hierarchy of characters is established and is basic to the action. Even plays that do not feature kings, queens, counts or bishops, some element of class, ethnic or regional origin, lifestyle, occupation, or income level is necessary to define all characters.

Grusha The Prince

The cut of a garment, the color, the fit, the type of trim, the accessories – all aspects of the costume can express something about the character’s personality.

One of the easiest ways to reflect a change in a character is to change costumes. A new costume clearly and dramatically demonstrates that something has occurred. Not all changes of character condition are dramatic or obvious.

A play exists because a playwright has one or more ideas to express. A play may be based on an existing story, but the playwright has some comment or point of view on that story that forms the theme.

The director of each production is responsible for interpreting the playwright's theme anew. This is referred to as the director’s concept. The concept should enhance the play, not smother it.

The mood of a play is the emotional feeling that pervades the experience. The theme, concept, and mood of a production are supported by the costumes through 1. style, 2. color, 3. scale, and 4. texture.

Style is the manner or mode in which a designer creates the costumes in order best to interpret the mood and concept. Costumes done in a realistic style are as close to actual dress as the demands of the play and theatrical values will allow. Stylized costumes are those that depart from real clothes in some obvious way.

The designer must consider how all the costumes will look together, and what the overall effect will be when all the costumes in a given scene are on stage together. Do the major characters stand out against the crowd or blend into the group? Do the colors project the mood or feeling desired?

The scale of an object is its size relative to a norm or to other related objects. Realistic productions call for a realistic or slightly exaggerated scale (depending on the size of the theater.) Stylized productions may exaggerate scale (larger or smaller) for humor, horror, or other effects.

All materials have texture, smooth to rough. A costume of predominantly rough materials suggests a primitive or earthy character. The designer uses textures to tell the audience something about the character and relationships between the characters in the play. The overall textural feeling of costumes and scenery helps project the feeling or mood of the play.