"Get your apparel together, good strings to your beards..."

Several troupe members have inquired about costumes, and I would like to share my plans for the morning cast costuming. This would be a good place for the afternoon cast to post their ideas for their group. I have also included a picture from our last production of Midsummer Night's Dream for a little inspiration.

For the morning cast we will go with our traditional Shakespearean costume. We have found that costumes can be very simple. Some ideas are outlined below. Over the years we have accumulated quite a collection of tunics, capes and hats so that each year costuming becomes easier. Invariably we have troupe members who become very motivated to learn to sew, and they have made marvelous costumes. However, it always helps if everyone knows that we do not expect complicated costumes. The extra creativity that some put into their costumes is enjoyed by everyone, without making anyone feel stressed.

The Basics:

For male roles, a tunic can be made by folding a rectangle of fabric in half, cutting a hole for the head, and sewing up the side seams in such a way that holes are left for the arms. A blouse or turtleneck shirt, a pair of slacks, a belt and conservative shoes complete the outfit.

The fair-folk

For the fairies we are using simple tops (such as ballet leotards or peasant blouses) and skirts that fall about mid-calf length. They can be made of soft fabrics or ballet tulle. Notice two different types of wings here. (Wings are optional.)

Those who play female roles will need dresses with a medieval style. Here are our Hermia and Helena from our last production.