As a costume designer, I love to do period shows. And doing a show set in the 1920s is great. There are just so many great things about this era. The girls in their flapper dresses, rouged knees and cloche hats. The boys with their sharp suits and spats. This is a time when both men and women were experiencing freedom in what they wore and getting away from some of the formality of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
When working on a show, the first and most important step is doing the research. This is how you get familiar with the time period you are working in and how you know that you are being true to the period in your design. When designing costumes, it is so important to find the right clothes that will support the characters in the play and the world that the characters live in. And doing research for this show was fun. I hit the books, pulling great images and learning about the period. I also used the internet to find more images and information. And, there were a couple movies that helped out to. Then, I sorted thru everything and decided what looks would best support the characters in Adding Machine. And working with the director and other designers, developed a design for the show. Now, to find everything that is needed, that is going to be fun.
Tags: 1920's, adding machine, adding machine a musical, Backstage, broadway, costume design, elmer rice, flappers, jason loewith, joshua schmidt, know theatre, know theatre of cincinnati, musical, off-broadway, period costumes
