by Karen Lund
Title Index
Topic Index
Scripture IndexArticle Listing:
The Touchy Stuff:
How to Handle Edgy ScenesThe Unspoken Contract: How to Keep Your Audience Satisfied
Method Acting and the Church Drama Team
Incorporating Drama into Your Church’s Ministry Program
Don' Call Us...We'll Call You!
Cross Where and
Don't Break What?Let Me Check...
I'm Only the Assistant DirectorSeven Deadly Sins of Directing
Finding Your Character from the Inside Out
Why Some Christmas Dramas are Doomed for Disaster
How to Take it From the Page to the Stage
What to do When the Unexpected Happens on Stage
Do You Know Where You're Coming From?
What Your Kids Get From Drama Ministry
What to do When Your Drama Team Doesn't Care Anymore!
10 Things to do Before Your Performance
Extraordinary Lessons from Peculiar People
Tech Talk: Costumes
Jeni Fabian's costume book recommendations
We all know the stereotype
of Christian drama-bathrobes and sandals. We're embarrassed by the stereotype's
accuracy, but budget and time constraints often make realistic biblical
costuming feel like a luxury. I recently spent some time with professional
costume designer Jeni Fabian of Taproot Theater Company in Seattle, and
I was delighted to discover that by following a few easy guidelines affordable,
authentic costumes can be achieved.
Costumes are an important part of the overall storytelling of a drama:
With the proper attire, peasants can be distinguished from royalty, soldiers
from civilians. Costume research is not as hard to do as you may think.
There is an entire section of the library devoted to costumes -through-the-ages
books. To design a costume that reveals time and place, focus on silhouette,
color and fabric.
Silhouette If you looked at a person
from your sketch or pageant in silhouette, would you be able to tell that
the tunic-wearing character was from Rome or Greece or Egypt? Creating
an accurate silhouette is the most important (and the cheapest) way to
design a believable costume. Egyptians had long, slim lines, sleeveless
and T-shaped garments. Romans and Greeks wore draped togas. Romans had
a lot of excess fabric slung over their arms, whereas Greeks generally
wore tunics pinned at the shoulder with brooches and then belted at the
waist.
Color Egyptians wore a lot of white
and gold. Romans and Greeks were more apt to use dye, but there was a
difference between the colors worn by royalty and those worn by commoners.
Pay special attention to what kind of fabric patterns existed and stay
true to that-paisley would not have been seen on the streets of Bethlehem
at the time of Christ's birth.
Fabric Choice Terry cloth was not
yet invented in biblical times, so don't even think about it! Wool, cotton,
silk and linen were the only fabrics used during this time. Egyptians
used mostly linen; Greeks and Romans used very thin wool that looked similar
to cotton. Audience members rarely get close enough to touch a costume,
so choose materials that, from a distance, will pass for the more expensive
version.
Finishing Touches Most women can tell
you that the wrong accessories can ruin an entire outfit. By accessorizing,
you turn a character's costume into an outfit a real person wore daily.
Roman and Greek women mostly wore earrings and some thin bracelets. Sandals
were common, but be sure to look at your research to find different types
of sandals. Egyptians are better known for chunkier gold jewelry: large
bracelets worn on the upper or lower arms, headdresses and large earrings.
Think about your characters to create a full look: Would Mary Magdalene
have worn jewelry? If so, what kind? What kind of accessories and colors
distinguish Mary, Jesus' mother, from her older cousin Elizabeth? Accessorizing
is a low-budget way to bring reality to a costume.
In everyday life, we make assessments about people based on what they
wear. Audiences carry this same perception, which is why costumes transmit
powerful information very quickly. By doing a little research and adding
a few accessories, you can create authentic and low-budget costumes that
will bring an audience easily into the world of your drama. Check online
at www.DramaMinistry.com to learn about costume designer Jeni Fabian's
favorite costume books.
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