Costume design

Tylen is the name of the main character in the play Bros. With short beards and blue eyes, he is a young man in his early twenties. Tyler has a thin scar on his right cheek. He's dressed in brown leather armor with a black belt and boots, as well as a sword dangling from his belt.
Tyler grew up in Werth, a small village near the city. He is semi-educated and comes from a low-income family. Tyler had always been a curious and playful boy since he was a child. His Uncle Jos used to tell him adventure stories, and he became interested in seeking fame and fortune. When Tyler was fourteen, he decided to go for a walk in the forest and by bad luck; the bear grazed on his right cheek. Since then, he was never actively involved in the activities taking place in the village. When he attained twenty years, he was a master in hunting and adventure because he had gained skills from his childhood experience. He became more respectful of himself. In his pouch, he carried a locket that had a drawing an attractive girl and the word ‘Rose’ in bold. Will he find Tylen find her? He is ready for whatever awaits him. Furthermore, he has the past, present and the future role to play.

The second character is called Rose. She is in her twenties with long brown hair and green eyes. Rose is wearing a long, colorful dress with a cloth wrapped around her shoulders. She grew up in a wealthy family in the village of Werth, and as opposed to Tyler, she was talkative and social. She meets with him in the forest when they were still young and develops friendship until their early twenties. The story talks about their love story and the challenges they faced.

Shakespeare argues that the clothes a person puts on during a play or a story reveal his or her real character (Albright, Harry, William, & Lee 20). He further compares the dressing to the virtues of the characters involved in the story. Clothing will always speak for the characters involved in any theater presentation. When designing a costume, the character should be a key consideration apart from script, concept, place and the geographical position from which a designer interprets what a dress should look. After all the above details have been set, the details of the outfit are determined by the mood, class, age, gender, and personality of the character to be dressed.

When dressing the leading character the mood of the play will affect the choice of the costume is going to be used (Appia 19). For instance, a dull color like black will be used to signify a somber or a sad mood in the story. The storyline and the overview of the play will help to determine the color of the cloth that the character will be putting on in each part of the play thus the mood of the play will be developed. Different colors signify different things hence it helps in expanding the mind of the audiences on the feel of a particular scene when placed in a specific character. Color can have a significant meaning and may impact on the cognition and behavior of the audience (Albright et al. 21). For the leading character who is Tyler, I will design his costume in such a way that he will have most dull colored clothes and a few light color costumes in some scenes. For instance, where he is going out on an adventure where they meet with Rose to signify a beginning of a long-lasting relationship between the two characters. For rose, since she is always jovial and happy, I will use light colors such as yellow, white and red to signify a happy mood for the audience to understand the scenes better. The costumes will also rhyme with the background color of the stage so that the mood of the scene is set to the audience.

Another essential feature that a designer must consider when coming up with costumes for the characters is their socioeconomic status or their class in the society. For instance, a princess who puts on the garb of a maidservant in the play may make the audience start questioning the role of the characters instead of focusing on the production of the play (Albright et al. 23). The costume must fade into the background and assimilate with the setting of the play so that the attention of the audience is captured. The design of the dress will enable the character to show his or her production of the story. Tyler is the main character, and he comes from a humble family background. The definition of the class will help in establishing historical accuracy (Appia 19). To show this position to the audience, am going to design his costumes to represent a person who comes from a middle-class society and not make him appear like a king or a prince by dressing him like a with a crown on his head. It won’t make a good picture to the audience, and hence the storyline of the play will not have been achieved. For Rose, since she is coming from a rich family I will have her costumes made in such a way that the dresses are made of flowers and neat to show her lifestyle. Most of her dresses will be designed to portray her decency.

The age of the character should also be displayed by the design of the costume. In most plays, characters are given the roles of much younger or older people (Appia 20). For this scenario to be achieved, the clothes that they put on will give the impression of the age of the character to the audiences. Since Tyler is in his early twenties, most of his costumes will consist of shirts, casual trousers, and high boots. I will also dress him in a cowboy cap and a bandana to portray his youthful energy. Rose who is the other main character, is in her twenties too. I will design her dresses to look fashionable and capture all the current trends in the fashion industry for women.

In conclusion, the design of costumes for characters depends on a combination of many factors which will enable help the audience to follow the scenes of the play. Age, color and mood, and class are considered in the design process.



Works cited

Albright, Harry Darkes, William Perdue Halstead, and Lee Mitchell. Principles of theatre art. Houghton Mifflin, 1968.

Appia, Adolphe. Adolphe Appia: Essays, Scenarios, and Designs. No. 57. UMI Research Press, 1989.