Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1987 - 16

CARRIE ROBBINS

collage inner proscenium- with photos from Robbins'
own yearbook - that gave the production its trademark
look. On Frankenstein, Robbins suggested looking at
19th-century autochromes for inspiration and this led to
the sepia tones that dominated Schmidt's palette on that
production.
Robbins' penchant for detail makes her an indefatigable researcher. She will often colleer vast quantities of
pictorial research for each character. At her initial meetings with directors Robbins usually does nor present
them with sketches bur with this pictorial research.
What she is doing is combining period detail and sensibilities our of which the costumes will grow. More
importantly, she is establishing a common visual vocabulary wi th a person who often is more verbal than
visual.
In 1971 she was asked to give a leerure at the YU
School of the Arts and this led to a full-time teaching
position that she maintains to this day. Robbins is an
energetic and devoted teacher. Despite her busy schedule she manages to field student phone calls at home and
provide personal attention - although never as much as
she would like - and trie to find opportunities for her
best students to work. The teaching has its own benefits
for her as well. "It keeps you on your toes," she explains.
"You have to come up with answers."
Explaining what she does with her students provides
an insight into how Robbins thinks as a designer. Her

analytical talents would be well-learned by students of
dramatic literature as well- she is a superb analyst of
character. Robbins teaches her students to "isolate" elements of the costumes, offering lapels on men's suits in
Chekhov as an example." len's suits are nor boring ' Ii
the students understand that costume choices can psychologically underline the script, they, as designers, can
support it in small, subliminal ways." She asks questions. For instance, does Mme. Arkadina, in The Seagull.
take Trigorin to the tailor 1 Is Trigorin comfortable in his
clothes 1 Beyond this, Robbins thinks in more subtle
terms. How does the costume move and sag on the body!
This will influence the choice of fabric. "Does it 'smell'
right 1 Is it right for the good actor 1 I don't care if anybody
in the audience knows, I really don't. It makes it right for
n1e."
Robbins is also a perpetual student herself, frequently
taking courses in figure drawing or illustration at places
like Parsons, FIT, the Art Students' League, or the
School of Visual Arts, or attending museum lectures,
about which she notes, "Some of the scripts I get are
nowhere near as exci ting as the museum leerure on
Japanese architecture." Reflecting on this sta tement she
laughs, "Oh my God. What an indictment."
Despite such statements, she is enthusiastic abour
most of her shows and the excitement bubbles OUt as she
speaks. Reviewing slides and sketches, she sometime
seems struck as if seeing them for the first time and

Scene from The Threepenny Opera at the Guthrie Theater (1983) directed by Liviu Ciulei. Theodore Bikel as Mackie has his palm read by Barbara
Andres as Jenny. Sets by Mr. Ciulei and Jim Joy; lights by Richard Riddell. Photo: Joe Giannetti.

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