Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1996 - 49

1'01' one another. L'nlike ll"picaltheatre, not only IIwe the actors introprocedure. a common practice in manl" modern theater companies.
duced to production and design concepts at ear" rehearsals but. as
does not fit Il"ith the philosophl" ofThe Elenman Plal"ers. Furthermore.
confirmed bl" ,\ls, lIerbert-Slater. thel' Il"ere gil en "thorough sllldl" and
Irene Corey's costumes and makeup. as beautiful as thel" are. 1\'Oldd
orientation about the concept of the pial II hich included directorial
hal"e remained a still life on a mannequin unless an actor. through his
concept as Il"ell as I"isual (coslllmes. make up. scener\,. lighting. etc.l."
or her personalitl" and creatil"e acting. brought life to it. .\nd h011" could
Irene Corel" presented coslllme and makeup design at the audition and
an actor hale brought life to Saint Paul in ROII/alls~), 'ailll Pa/l/ or to
no later than first rehearsal. Then. as soon as coslllme pieces II-ere
Job in rbe Book oJ/ob or to Tortoise in tbe Greal Cross COIIIIII')' Race
made. the\' Il"ere al"ailable for the actors. enabling them to become faIl"ithout a strong understanding of the design concept' 11011' could one
miliar lI'ith the reality of the costume, :\fter hal"ing prol"ided Illakeup
hale a strong understanding of the design concept lI'ithout hal'ing a
charts and sholl"ing the actors the proper II a\' to gel into and out of cosgood communication lI'ith the costume designer' To hal"e agreed to bellIme. Irene Corel" lI'ould make herself mailable to the actors. assisting
ing so uncomfortable in the Tortoise COSlllme, or to Il"alking in si\
them in integrating the design concept and the comple\ily of their cosinches high buskins in ROII/alls~)' Sailll Pall!. or spending long homs
lllllle and makeup b\' prol'iding details. as much as Il"ere needed and
doing the highll' stl lized makeup ofJob in rbe Book oJ/ob required a
gil"ing reminders as often as necessary. :\11 of this she prol'ided from the
deep understanding of and a strong commitment to the design concept.
I"er\' first day of the process until the closure of the production, This atOnce more. such an understanding and commitment lI'ould hal"e to
tilllde shOll'S that. not onll' IIwe the actors dedicated to the companl".
groll' out of a good relationship betll'een designer and actors,
but the designer lias highll' dedicated to it as 11"e11.
11011" malll' of us, costume design student or professional. hal'e not
'-\ctors IIwe not in\'Ol\'ed in the generating of the designs and Irene
had costume renderings challenged bl" an actor-Sial' or not' "This
Corer's specific metaphor Il"as dr;l\1'I1 upon the general concept of the
color does not look lI'ell on me. it makes me look sick." "This dress is
production, \el"ertheless. sel"eral actors testified that Irene Corel" Il"as
not going to be nallering for ml" bodl": it Il"ill emphasize my hips and I
I"er\' carehdto listen to el"er\'one and to be open to all suggestions. \\'aram going to look huge in it!" Or. "I am not going to put this fake beard
on. it is itch\' and aillwal" I don't hal"e enough time." :\ misconception of
ren lIammack said. "She decided on a metaphor lI'hich she discussed
Il'ith me, She Il"elcomed anI" COIllment -. \\'e IIwe encouraged to make
the design concept could certainly lead an actor to think more in terms
decisions," R, Tallman also related that "suggestions and improl"emeIlls
of himself or herself than in terms of the pia\'. The time allOll"ed at proII-ere a1ll"a\'s Il"elcome, , ,usually in the final stage right before and dmduction meetings to e\plain and preseIll design concepts and rendel'
ing the building of the costume Il"e could make practical suggestions,"
ings combined Il"ith the time spent Il'ith actors during fillings. is not
usualll" enough to create fruitful communication betl\'een designer and
.-\nother arena in Il"hich the actoL' had the opportunity to deepen
actor. L'nfortunately. it is the Il"ay that most of us often find itnecessar\'
their understanding of the design concept. as lI'ell as to tighten their reto lI'ork today. In this conte\t. it is easier to gi\'e directions than to find
Luion Il"ith Irene Corel". Il"as through their inl'oll"emeIll in the technical
II"0rk, George B, Bryan commented. "I suppose I did e\'erl1hing there
time for preciou: discussion about the design concept and hOlI" it reIl"as to do short of making pallems and using a sell"ing machine. I glued
hues to the play itself.
spots bl" the tens of thousands on sel"erall"ersions of the costumes for
Could lI'e imagine ROil/ailS ~)' Sailll Pall/ without the si~ inch high
rbe Book oJ/ob, I split corks. sel"ered
buskins: Il'ithout the fake forehead' What if
rope. and cut felt to make the embellishan actor had refused to Il"ear the buskins.
ment of the costumes for NOli/ailS b)' Sailll
protesting that it lI'oldd be too dangerous
Pall!. I folded. rolled. pinked. sheared, and
and too uncomfortable. and l\'Ould hinder
the performance of his character' What if
did every conceil"able thing to organd\' for
another had rehlsed to Il"ear the fake beard.
a succession of productions. I cannot sal'
arguing that it Il"as itchl"' \\'ould the NOli/ailS
that constructing ml" costumes necessarill'
~)' Sailll {Jail/ be lI'hat it has been' \\'asn't it
enlil"ened my characterization. but il certainII' made me feel as if I had a stake in
indeed the buskins. the fake forehead and
the entire production rather than in acting
beard. likely uncomfortable for the actor. \,et
alone,"
\\'hen asked if the\' thought tltat beobligating him to mOl"e in a certain Il"a\'. gil"ing in\'Oll"ed in the construction of their
ing him such grandem. such solemn it\'. that
finalll" contributed to the success of the NoCOSlllme lI'as a logical process for an aclOr.
the actors sur\'e\'ed all ansllwed positil"ell':
lI/allS ~)' Sailll {Jail/ as lI'e knOl\' it' .-\nd for
"it Il"as a nalliral part of the philosoph\'."
the actors to hal"e accepted and succeeded
said ,\Is. liebert-Slater. Il"hile ,\Ir. Blyan
in performing in such elaborated coslllmes
stated. "if 1II ere a director. I II"0uid insist
and makeup illustrates holl' Il"ellthel" comthat all the actors II"0rk in the coslume
prehended Irene Corey's design concept.
shop
as Il"ell as on stage."
Il"hich in turn implies that thel" must hal"e
Of course. one could object that this
had a IW\, good communication Il"ith the demodel is not one peculiar to The Erer\'man
signer.
PIa\'ers. and that in a mITiad small colleges
The sUI'\'e~' comments from the former
members of The E\'enman Plal-ers shed light
in the L'nited States. students are illloll"ed
on Irene Corer's Imrk methods, \ot surpris- Clay Harris as Calaban in Irene Corey's makeup
in the construction of their COSlumes, ,\Iost
certainii'. but for hOll' manl" of them is
ing". her methods and the philosophl" of The design (note chart reflected in mirror) for the
II'()rking in a costume shop a part of a disErer\'man PLl\ers, Il"hile not traditional. mir- Everyman Players production of The Tempest.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1996