Theatrical Design





















Costume

Costumes are an integral part of theatrical design because costumes support the mood of the play and may set the historical time period. Costumes also help the audience interpret characters in the drama, so they must be designed carefully to reveal each character’s role and personality.

Costumes may be chosen to emphasize certain qualities. For example, costumes may be “historical,” showing the character’s time and place. Costumes also may reveal “cultural” or “social” aspects of a character and the play. Finally, costuming may evoke a “metaphoric” understanding of a character or the costume. Each choice will change the interpretation of the play.
 

Click any of the four buttons on the left to view examples of theatrical costume. Use the arrows and Next and Previous buttons to see three different examples of each type.