‘School of Night’ costumer: Clothes make the character
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Don’t dismiss costume designing as a fancy game of dress-up -- even though it might be tempting when you see period pieces like ‘The School of Night,’ the 16th century thriller that opens today at the Mark Taper Forum. (See story, appearing in this weekend’s Arts & Books section, and photo gallery.)
However gorgeous the clothes, a designer’s main responsibility is to help paint the big picture -- a play’s sense of time and place, its mood and intentions -- while giving hints to characters’ identities. ‘Initially, it’s a visual thing,’ says Robert Perdziola, who created the costumes for Peter Whelan’s 1992 drama about the death of Christopher Marlowe. ‘Since this play is Elizabethan, men as well as women are more embellished.’
What people wear also speaks to their class and status. ‘It’s about buttons and trim,’ he says, ‘but it’s really about society.’
‘School of Night’ is rife with political intrigues and illicit trysts. So Perdziola braided, belted, puffed and layered to reflect the styles of the day and to hint at the passions hidden beneath all the finery.
Between first sketches and opening night, some outfits were tweaked for artistic or financial reasons. Practicality was another concern. Where could Marlowe store a letter? How long would it take an actress to put on her corset? Quick wardrobe changes forced a few compromises, Perdziola says with a sigh, some involving ‘Velcro -- which is not a nice word.’
Unlike the fashion world, he explains, the theater expects designers ‘to go into a character and tell a story or give a psychological study. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes you try to push a button or make a giant exclamation point. You are working with the director and the actor to create a person. You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but that’s part of what you want the audience to do.’
-- Karen Wada