Costume Design and Production for the Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes
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Costume Design and Production for The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Samantha Anne Kuhn Graduate Program in Theatre The Ohio State University 2013 Committee: Kristine Kearney, Advisor Mary Tarantino A. Scott Parry Copyright by Samantha Anne Kuhn 2013 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to document the costume design and production process for Rupert Holmes’ musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, as produced by the Department of Theatre and the School of Music at The Ohio State University and directed by A. Scott Parry, the School of Music’s Director of Lyric Theatre. The musical was presented in the Thurber Theatre at Ohio State, November 7 through November 11, 2012. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a musical in which a Victorian Music Hall troupe in 1892 England performs a dramatization of Charles Dickens’ final, unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Told in the vaudevillian manner of English Music Hall Theatre of the late nineteenth century, the piece utilizes song, dance, bawdy humor and audience participation to tell and ultimately discover an ending to Dickens’ story. Research and designs for the production were derived from photographs, historical research and artwork of Music Hall performers and everyday English citizens from the late nineteenth century. The scenic design transformed the Thurber Theatre into a nineteenth century Music Hall, necessitating that the costume design also transform the actors into Victorian performers to support the historical demands of the script and to create an authentic experience for the audience. The lighting design aided the melodramatic nature of the piece and the sound was all produced live, as it would have been in the 1890’s. ii Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisor, Kristine Kearney, for mentoring and supporting me during my graduate career. I would like to thank my former professors at Hamline University, William Wallace and MaryBeth Gagner, for encouraging me to pursue a career in costume design. I would like to thank costume studio manager, Rebecca Turk, for her work in completing this production. I would like to thank fellow graduate student, Natalie Cagle, for her friendship, support and work on this production. I would like to thank all the students in the costume studio and in the Intermediate Costume Construction class for their hard work and willingness to learn. I would like to thank my family for their love, support and encouragement, especially my fiancé, Anthony Staneart, whom is completing his own graduate program at Emerson College in Boston, MA. I would like to thank my committee for their time and advice. iii Vita May 2006 .......................................................Apollo Senior High School 2010................................................................B.A. Theatre Arts and Economics Hamline University 2010 to present ..............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University Production History 2008…………………………………………My Fair Lady Costume Designer- Andover High School 2008…………………………………………Until Someone Wakes Up Costume Designer- Hamline University 2008…………………………………………Romeo and Juliet Costume Designer- Hamline University 2008…………………………………………The Matchmaker Costume Designer- Andover High School 2009…………………………………………Thoroughly Modern Millie Costume Designer- Andover High School 2009…………………………………………The Taming of the Shrew Costume Designer- Chameleon Theatre Circle 2009…………………………………………Harvey Costume Designer- Andover High School iv 2010…………………………………………The Ash Girl Costume Designer- Hamline University 2010…………………………………………Kiss Me Kate Costume Designer- Andover High School 2010…………………………………………Toothsome Alley Costume Designer- People’s Center Theatre 2011…………………………………………Spring Awakening Costume Designer- OSU 2011…………………………………………Cinderella 4 Costume Designer- Gooseberry Park Players 2011…………………………………………Living Out Costume Designer- OSU 2012…………………………………………Marat/Sade Costume Designer- OSU 2012…………………………………………The Merchant of Venice Costume Designer- Actors’ Theatre of Columbus 2012…………………………………………The Mystery of Edwin Drood Costume Designer- OSU 2013…………………………………………Twelfth Night Costume Designer- OSU 2013…………………………………………Carmen Costume Designer- OSU 2013…………………………………………The Comedy of Errors Costume Designer- Actors’ Theatre of Columbus Fields of Study Major Field: Theatre, Design v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iii Vita ..................................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix List of Plates ...................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: The Producing Situation .................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Production Concept and Design Scheme .......................................................... 4 Chapter 3: Character Analysis .......................................................................................... 10 Chapter 4: The Process ..................................................................................................... 25 Chapter 5: Conclusion....................................................................................................... 43 References ......................................................................................................................... 49 Selected Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 50 Appendix A: Director’s Concept ...................................................................................... 52 Appendix B: Columbus Dispatch Review ........................................................................ 61 Appendix C: Tables .......................................................................................................... 64 vi Appendix D: Figures ......................................................................................................... 80 Appendix E: Plates .......................................................................................................... 105 vii List of Tables Table 1. Costume Plot ...................................................................................................... 65 Table 2. Action Plot ......................................................................................................... 69 Table 3. Initial Costume Budget ...................................................................................... 72 Table 4. Build List ........................................................................................................... 78 viii List of Figures Figure 1. Reasearch For Music Hall Performers ............................................................. 81 Figure 2. Research For Music Hall Performers ............................................................... 82 Figure 3. Research For Music Hall Performers ............................................................... 83 Figure 4. Research For Early 1890’s Clothing ................................................................ 84 Figure 5. Research For Early 1890’s Clothing ................................................................ 85 Figure 6. Research For Early 1890’s Clothing ................................................................ 86 Figure 7. Research For Early 1890’s Outerwear ............................................................. 87 Figure 8. Research For London Opium Dens .................................................................. 88 Figure 9. Research For Color ........................................................................................... 89 Figure 10. Research For Chairman William Cartwright .................................................. 90 Figure 11. Research For Clive Paget/John Jasper ............................................................. 91 Figure 12. Research For Cassock For John Jasper .......................................................... 92 Figure 13. Research For Alice Nutting/Edwin Drood ..................................................... 93 Figure 14. Research For Deirdre Peregrine/Rosa Bud..................................................... 94 Figure 15. Research For Angela Prysock/Princess Puffer ............................................... 95 Figure 16. Research For Janet Conover/Helena Landless ............................................... 96 Figure 17. Research For The Maestro and Waiter ........................................................... 97 Figure 18. Research For Constable .................................................................................. 98 Figure 19. Preliminary Sketch For Chairman William Cartwright.................................. 99 ix Figure 20. Preliminary Sketch For Clive Paget/John