The Role of Costumes in Performance and Character Definition
Defining Costumes in Performance
Costumes encompass all clothing (dresses, suits, etc.), accessories, and footwear used in a stage performance.
Wardrobe is a key visual element of staging, akin to props, and crucial for maintaining continuity. A character cannot wear a hat in one scene and suddenly be without it in the next if the action is continuous. For example, if a character leaves a bar wearing a hat, they should still have it immediately upon stepping onto the street; otherwise, it creates a continuity error.
Costumes help define and characterize performers. They denote social status, socio-historical context, and can enhance the actor’s physical appearance.
Origins of Costumes
The earliest forms of ‘costume’ might be seen in prehistoric body paint and makeup, practices still retained in many cultures. These intricate skin drawings often served symbolic functions, representing an early stage before the widespread use of body-covering clothing.
Early humans, lacking the thick fur of other animals and having thin, vulnerable skin, needed attire for protection against the elements and extreme climates. Clothing initially arose out of necessity. The simplest garments were made from the skins of hunted animals. In regions where large animals were scarce, humans used leaves and plant branches. This spurred the evolution of costume, as weaving these fibers was necessary to create appropriately sized and shaped body coverings, marking the beginning of textiles.
As human intelligence evolved over time, evidence suggests the creation of decorative accessories with no immediate practical use began. Items like carved pendants demonstrate an early concern for art and creativity beyond mere necessity.
Clothing evolved from a basic need to encompass aesthetic sense and, finally, symbolic meaning. Today, these aspects merge in our garments: we dress for protection from the climate, but we also choose outfits we find aesthetically pleasing and cultivate styles that represent us symbolically, communicating aspects of our identity through our clothes.
The Function of Costumes
Furthermore, costumes are powerful tools for characterization, transforming an actor into their alter ego. An actor in everyday street clothes might not be recognized as the character they portray. Conversely, anyone dressing in a character’s specific costume can often be recognized as such, demonstrating how clothing defines the character.
Classic examples include:
- Charlie Chaplin as ‘The Tramp’ (Charlot): His distinctive bowler hat, cane, and suit are iconic. Without them, he isn’t the character.
- Cantinflas (Mario Moreno): Known for his signature low-slung pants.
- Superman: Instantly recognizable by his blue tights, red cape, and the ‘S’ emblem on his chest.
- Freddy Krueger: Defined by his striped sweater and bladed glove.
Costume is closely related to makeup, especially in character transformations. They are often inseparable elements in creating a complete look.
Costume Considerations for Television
Television productions often follow unwritten costuming guidelines, though networks may deviate for innovation or specific reasons. These are general recommendations:
- Avoid overly bright colors that dominate the foreground, though this is flexible in entertainment formats where a presenter might wear a bright suit effectively.
- Avoid fabrics with small, tight patterns like thin stripes, checks (houndstooth, ‘crow’s feet’), small dots (‘moles’), etc., as they can cause a distracting visual distortion known as the moiré effect on camera.
- Pure white should generally be avoided as it causes lighting challenges (it can ‘bloom’ or make faces appear darker by contrast). This might be less critical in large-scale productions with advanced lighting. Highly reflective elements like shiny crystals or jewelry should also be used cautiously, as they can create distracting flashes or glare.
- Avoid placing jewelry near microphones (e.g., lavalier mics). Movement can cause rattling or contact with the microphone, introducing unwanted noise into the audio recording.