Twelfth Night

Concept Statement 

In the world of 12th Night, Viola finds herself washed ashore in a strange world where she is forced to fit in to survive. The characters she encounters all feel bigger than life and act as if they are from another world entirely. With my costume Design, I wanted the audience to feel that extreme difference in the way the different groups of characters dress and act. Therefore the costuming of the core cast (Olivia, Cesario, Sir Toby, Feste) is absurd and beautiful in a way that doesn’t exactly fit in any world but the one on the stage. Bold gestures and wild colors create a visual experience of the absurdity that captivates the quintessential quirkiness of Shakespeare’s 12th Night. 

PRODUCTION PHOTOS

RESEARCH AND PROCESS

RENDERINGS

Renderings are "gestures" of what we wanted the characters to be. Costumes were constructed by "collaging" various items from UB's costume wardrobe to create an eclectic ensemble of characters. 

Costume Rigging - Malvolio 

As part of the director's vision Malvolio's "transformation" was performed as a "striptease". This required a trial and error process of rigging his costume so he could remove costume pieces quickly. In performance, Malvolio had tear-away dress pants, boxers, and a dress shirt along with other smaller removable costume items. Photos below document this transformation. 

COSTME PLOT AND DRESSING LISTS