Costume Design and Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream 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 Cynthia B. Overton, MEd, BFA, BS Graduate Program in Theatre The Ohio State University 2020 Thesis Committee Kristine Kearney, Advisor Kevin McClatchy Alex Oliszewski Copyrighted by Cynthia B. Overton 2020 Abstract A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a comedy about love’s challenges, dreams and magic. The play was presented in the Thurber Theatre located in the Drake Performance and Events Center at The Ohio State University with performances that ran November 15 through 22, 2019. This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was directed by Associate Professor Kevin McClatchy, with scenic design by MFA Design candidate Cade Sikora, lighting design by undergraduate Andrew Pla, and sound design by Program 60 student Lee Williams. McClatchy decided to place the play in the 1920s because he wished to emphasize the societal changes following World War I. Important themes of post-war World War I were: women becoming more educated, the Jazz Age exploding, a persisting division of classes, and rising surrealism in the visual arts exemplified by artists such as Gustav Klimt, Georgia O’Keeffe and Henri Matisse. My costume design process began in March 2019. My research focus identified the mid-1920s, particularly 1925 America, as a point of reference that aligned with the director’s concept. The four distinct groups of characters and their costumes — the lovers, the upper-class, the fairies and the rude mechanicals — have roots in historical accuracy through the clothing patterns, fabric choices and treatments I have made. My research for the two pairs of lovers and the rude mechanicals concentrated on clothing ii pictured in historical photographs as well as clothing documented in vintage mail order catalogs and department store advertisements. Inspiration for the fairies came from fashion, costume and graphic designers such as Erté and Alphonse Mucha. Additional inspiration came from art and architecture of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements. In my accompanying thesis, I will discuss the play and its historical importance, the director’s concept, overall design concept, character analysis, a description of the production process and a self-evaluation of the final design. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank my adviser Associate Professor Kristine Kearney and committee members Associate Professor Kevin McClatchy and Associate Professor Alex Oliszewski for their support through this process. I appreciate the support from Dr. Rebecca Baygents Turk, those in The Ohio State University Theatre Department and the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute. I would like to acknowledge my past educators and professionals for their support and sparking inquisitive research rabbit holes and encouraging educational and creative endeavors. iv Vita 1992…………………………………………Grapevine High School 1997…………………………………………B.S. Tarleton State University 2006…………………………………………B.F.A. The University of Texas at Arlington 2008…………………………………………M.Ed. The University of Texas at Arlington 2017 to present………………………………Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University Production History 2018…………………………………………Execution of Justice – Costume Designer, OSU Department of Theatre 2018…………………………………………Twelfth Night, or What You Will – Costume Designer, OSU Department of Theatre 2018…………………………………………Opera Americana – Costume Designer, OSU School of Music 2019…………………………………………The Marriage of Figaro – Costume Coordinator, OSU School of Music v 2019…………………………………………A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Costume Designer, OSU Department of Theatre Fields of Study Major Field: Theatre Specialization: Costume Design vi Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………….……………………….…. ii Acknowledgments………………………………………………….……………………. iv Vita…………………………………………………………………….…………………. v Table of Contents…………………….………...……………...…………………………vii List of Figures………………………………………….…...………………….……......viii List of Plates……………………………………………….……………………………...xi List of Production Photographs………………………………………….………………xiii Chapter 1: The Producing Situation……………………………………….……………….1 Chapter 2: The Producing Concept and Design Scheme……………….…………….…….4 Chapter 3: Character Analysis……………………………………………………………22 Chapter 4: The Process……………………………………….….……………………….29 Chapter 5: An Evaluation of the Design……………….….…………...…………………94 Bibliography ……………………………………………….………….….……….….….99 Appendix A. Director’s Concept………………………………………………….….…103 Appendix B. Costume Plot…………………………………………………….…….….113 Appendix C. Research and Preliminary Sketches……………………………………….118 Appendix D. Final Renderings………………………………………………………….136 Appendix E. Production Photographs.…………………………........………………….177 vii List of Figures Figure 1: The Three Graces by Paul Poiret, Illustrated by André Edouard Marty………….6 Figure 2: Aphrodite by Erté…...……………………………………………...…...……….7 Figure 3: The Kiss by Gustav Klimt…….……………………………………………….…9 Figure 4: Abstraction, Seaweed Water – Maine by Georgia O’Keefe…….………………10 Figure 5: Conversation Under the Olive Trees by Henri Matisse…………………...…....11 Figure 6: 1921 Jean Lanvin Tea Party Dresses…………………………………………...14 Figure 7: Jean Lanvin Designs at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts, Paris, 1925………...15 Figure 8: Blossom Umbrella by Erté……….…………………………….……………….16 Figure 9: Music by Alphonse Mucha………………………………….………………….18 Figure 10: Reverie by Alphonse Mucha……………………………………...….…….….19 Figure 11: Inspiration for the Color of Titania’s Dress, Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt……20 Figure 12: Fairy Color Palette Images…………………………………………………....20 Figure 13: Costume Rendering of Theseus Top of Show…………………….……...……32 Figure 14: Inspiration for Lysander; Edward, Prince of Wales…………...………...…….34 Figure 15: Costume Rendering of Lysander Top of Show………………...……………...35 Figure 16: Costume Rendering of Helena Day Dress…………………….…….….…….37 Figure 17: Costume Rendering of Hermia Day Dress………...………….…………….…38 Figure 18: Costume Rendering of Helena Undergarments……………………………….40 viii Figure 19: Costume Rendering of Hermia Undergarments…………………...….……….41 Figure 20: Costume Rendering of Demetrius Undergarments……….…………….…….42 Figure 21: Costume Rendering of Lysander Undergarments…………….…………….…43 Figure 22: Costume Rendering of Quince and Quince as Prologue………………………45 Figure 23: Production Photograph of Quince as Prologue ……………...……….……….47 Figure 24: Costume Rendering of Ass’ Head…………………………………………….49 Figure 25: Production Photograph of Puck, Nick Bottom with Ass’ Head and Snug…….50 Figure 26: Costume Rendering of Bottom and Bottom as Pyramus …………….….…….51 Figure 27: Production Photograph of Starveling as Moonshine, Flute as Thisbe, Snout as Wall, Bottom as Pyramus, and Snug as Lion………...….52 Figure 28: Costume Rendering of Starveling and Starveling as Moonshine…………...…54 Figure 29: Costume Rendering of Snug and Snug as Lion………………………….…….56 Figure 30: Costume Rendering of Flute and Flute as Thisbe….………………...….…….58 Figure 31: Costume Rough Idea for Snout as Wall……………………………………….60 Figure 32: Costume Preliminary Design for Snout as Wall…………………...………….61 Figure 33: Costume Rendering of Snout and Snout as Wall………………….……….….62 Figure 34: Production Photograph of Snout as Wall………………………….……….….63 Figure 35: Costume Rendering of Hippolyta Top of Show……………….………………65 Figure 36: Costume Rendering of Amazons…………….………………………….…….66 Figure 37: Production Photograph of Oberon and His Fairies…………………………....68 Figure 38: Costume Rendering of Puck…………………….…………………………….69 Figure 39: Costume Rendering of Titania………………………………………………...70 ix Figure 40: Placement of Fabric for Fairies Before Dyeing……………….………………73 Figure 41: First Dyeing of Fabric for Titania…………………….……….………………73 Figure 42: Second Dyeing of Fabric for Titania……………………………….………….74 Figure 43: Dyeing of Fabric for Titania’s Wing…………………………….…………….74 Figure 44: Partial Process of Dyeing the Fabric for Titania…………….….……….…….75 Figure 45: Titania Fabric………………………………….…….…………………….….76 Figure 46: Wing Fabric…………………………….……………….…………………….77 Figure 47: Dyed Fabrics for Fairies………………………………………………………78 Figure 48: Production Photograph of Moth, Cobweb, Titania, First Fairy, Mustardseed and Peaseblossom…………………………….……79 Figure 49: Costume Rendering of Oberon…………………………………………….….81 Figure 50: Production Photograph of Oberon…………………………….……...……….82 Figure 51: Costume Rendering of Helena in Her Wedding Dress………...………………84 Figure 52: Costume Rendering of Hermia in Her Wedding Dress……….……………….85 Figure 53: Costume Rendering of Hippolyta in Her Wedding Dress…………….……….86 x List of Plates Plate 1: Costume Rendering of Hippolyta for Top of Show…....……………….……….137 Plate 2: Costume Rendering of Hippolyta for Hunting Scene...………………...……….138 Plate 3: Costume Rendering of Hippolyta in Her Wedding Dress………….…...……….139 Plate 4: Costume Rendering of Amazons…………………….….……………….….….140 Plate 5: Costume Rendering of Theseus for Top of Show………….……….………….141 Plate 6: Costume Rendering of Theseus for Hunting Scene…….………….………...….142 Plate 7: Costume Rendering of Theseus for Wedding Scene…………....………………143 Plate 8: Costume Rendering of Egeus for Top of Show….…………………….……….144 Plate 9: Costume Rendering of Egeus for Hunting Scene.….…………………….…….145 Plate 10: Costume Rendering of Egeus for Wedding Scene…………………....……….146 Plate 11: Costume Rendering of Philostrate for Top of Show………….…….…………147 Plate 12: Costume Rendering of Philostrate