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A Midsummer Night's Dream: By William Shakespeare
Ball State University

Directed by Pete Zapp

Costume Design: Delena Bradley

Set Design: David "Kip" Shawger

Lighting Design: Amy O'Conner

Projection Design: Jen Groseth

 

Run mouse over image for description or click to view larger image. Scroll to bottom for show description and more images.

When coming up with a visual concept for the costumes, the director and I agreed that the humans should have garments with hints of a grecian look. For the nobles I drew a lot of inspiration from Erte prints because the stylized drapery appealed to the show wonderfully. The mechanicals have much more of a simplified drape in their costumes, much like Greek peasants. The fairies' costumes are more of a warped, organic version of the humans. The rich exotic colors and heavy textures represent a much more wild and mysterious world.

2011

Prologue

Puck

Titania Gown- Front
Act I Scene 1

Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Puck

Act IV Scene 1

Helena, Demetrius, Theseus, Egeus, Hippolyta, and Philostrate

Act I Scene 2

Snout, Snug, Quince, and Starveling

Act II Scene 2

Fairy

Act II Scene 1

Titania

Act II Scene 1

Puck and Oberon

Act II Scene 2

Helena

Act V Scene 1

Snout/ Wall

DSC_8588_edited

Starveling, Puck, and Bottom

Act V Scene 1

Helena, Demetrius, Theseus, Hippolyta, Oberon, Titania, Hermia, and Lysander

Act III Scene 1

Bottom and Titania

Act V Scene 1

Fairies, Helena, Demetrius, Hermia, Lysander, Starveling/Moonshine, Snug/Lion, Quince, Bottom/Pyramus, Snout/Wall, Flute/Thisbe, Philostrate, Theseus, and Hyppolyta

Act II Scene 2

Puck and Fairies

Act III Scene 2

Fairies

Puck Concept Research
Noble Color Palette
Mechanicals Color Palette
Fairy Color Palette
Fairy Texture Research
Puck

The director wanted Puck to almost be androgynous. He also wanted her to be set apart from the fairies, to be more of an organic spirit than a fairy.

Hippolyta and Theseus

Hyppolita is much more exotic and strongthen the rest of the nobles, she wore more leather than fabric. I wanted Theseus, and the other adult nobles, to have more or a classic Greek look than the lovers.

Snout/Wall

We wanted the Mechanicals' play costumes to be as crude and ridiculous as possible.

Oberon and Titania

To emphasize Oberon and Titania's Power, I put a lot of metal tones on their costumes. Oberon carries drapes of chains and Titania's bodice is meant to look like liquid gold.

Fairies

Instead of the four named fairies from the script, the director wanted an ensemble of nine to have a general "fairy world" look.

Bottom

The Mechanicals are supposed to look textured and disheveled.

Hermia and Lysander

I designed the young lovers to have a similar grecian look as their elder counter parts, but to also look more modern and less traditional. It would be as if fashion had continued in another direction.

Ass Head

We wanted to create a face that would be absolutely nauseating to imagine kissing. However, I didn't want the head to be malevolent.

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