modern production of greek drama

8/20/2019 modern production of greek drama

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/modern-production-of-greek-drama 1/15

CLASSICAL RECEPTIONS IN L ATE TWENTIETH CENTURY DRAMA AND POETRY IN ENGLISH

E SSAYS ON DOCUMENTING AND RESEARCHING

M ODERN P RODUCTIONS OF G REEK DRAMA: T HE S OURCES

E SSAY 3: THE USE OF SET AND COSTUME DESIGN IN

MODERN PRODUCTIONS OF ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (2001)

In this essay, I will discuss the importance of set and costume design incontemporary productions of Gree drama and will demonstrate the fundamentalimportance of design to any gi!en production, "oth within the creati!e processand in performance# I draw on e$amples offered "y contemporary set and

costume designers and I try to categori%e and e$plain their decisions where!erpossi"le# &f necessity, I ha!e limited my choice of productions, designers, anddirectors to a set of (around) a do%en e$amples' all of these can "e foundcatalogued in the data"ase#1 It is hoped that the reader will "e a"le to apply the"asic ideas e$pounded here to a fuller range of productions than those alluded toin the te$t#

et and costume design is ust one area of the theatre*s +!isual systems* thataffects the creation and reception of a play# ets and costumes are created withina specific theatrical space for a specific period of performance# he notion oftheatrical space is, of course, !ery important in the understanding of set andcostume design#2

./I/L .I&I

here are two maor design components that mae up the !isual semiotics, ordesign, of any performance3 set and costume# hese design elements reflect thethemes and mood, style, and emotions of a play, as well as indicating thehistorical or geographic conte$t of the production# he design of a play can "e offundamental importance to its conceptionali%ation "y a director or, con!ersely, thedirector*s initial conception of a play can force the design (or the designer) towor in a particular way# In "oth cases, the design is open to another le!el ofreception as it su"se4uently acts as a communicator to the audience# heaudience reception of the design can "e an important factor in a director*s choiceof the !isual elements of a production, as the e$perience of theatre directorichard 5oreman, for e$ample, suggests3

&ften, I*!e de!eloped the !isual aspect of the performance to apoint where it "ecomes the maor emotional element affectingthe audience#6

7esign is closely allied with the discipline of semiology - the science of readingsigns - which is, according to 5oucault,

the totality of the learning and sills that ena"le one todistinguish the location of the signs, to define what constitutes



Essays No. 3, April 2001 Lo&$ Lewe&n'(one!

them as signs, and to now how and "y what laws they arelined#8

In other words, semiology (in a theatrical conte$t) is concerned with the way inwhich meaning is de!eloped and con!eyed from the time a director (assumingthat it is the director who maes the initial decision to stage a particular play) firstreads a play to the moment when it is interpreted (in !arious ways) "y theaudience# emiology cannot concentrate simply on one system of signs (lie thatwhich, say, go!erns the set or the costumes) "ecause it needs to identify a "odyof signs maing up a Gestalt that signifies a whole# 7esign elements (lie set andcostume, "ut also lights and props) need to "e read together and incorporatedinto the "igger picture of theatrical space, audience layout, acting style, music,poster imagery and so on#9

/ stage design properly concei!ed and e$ecuted should e$press the coremeaning of the production# et and costume designs are not ust a collection ofimages, they are the e$pression of mood, the presence that enhances andcomments on the performance# 7esign creates dramatic action, causes tension ina !isual form' it is a signifier of performance meaning# 7esign is an integral partof the whole production process' it is disheartening to see designs which laccoherence and are gi!en a poor second place in any production#

his is not to say that costume and set design has to "e ela"orate or e$pensi!e#ome performances are staged without set or created en!ironment, and whilethis may "e due to "udgetary considerations and:or technical a!aila"ility,sometimes it is a conscious decision on the part of the designer and:or thedirector#; / simple design can "e tremendously effecti!e as long as there is strictunity "etween the design and other aspects of the production# he set and

costume designs ("y hristopher <arreca and higeru =ai) for ar uer*sproduction of Birds (1>>?), for e$ample, were e$tremely simple "ut wonderfullyeffecti!e, using masses of white "alloons to create the clouds in loudcucooland,and e!eryday household o"ects to conure up a wide !ariety of plumage for the"ird chorus (7< ref# no# 100;)#

@hen all the !isual elements com"ine, a sense of design is "orn and the fullimpact of the theatre e$perience can "e interpreted (in !arious ways) "y theaudience#A In this essay, the focus of attention will "e drawn towards the set andcostume designs of a series of productions, "ut where they "ecome cruciallyimportant to the o!erall design, allusion will "e made to lighting and propertiestoo#

. &L. &5 . 7.IGB.

In 1>?0, in a rare article on the importance of stage design to the success of aproduction, a popular unday newspaper maga%ine noted, Che theatre designeris a comparati!ely unsung hero in <ritish cultural lifeC#?

@hile it is true that there are few theatre design superstars (there are, ofcourse e$ceptions lie .dward Gordon raig, Jocelyn er"ert, John Bapier, heoniD# /ldridge, and aria <ornson), the role of the designer within the theatre"usiness is one that commands (for the most part) enormous authority andprestige#> uch of the designer*s authority stems from the fact that he or she




must share in a production*s creati!e process with the director, supporting,adusting, augmenting or !etoing his:her creati!e decisions# he designer may "e

the first person to !isuali%e the +loo* of a production, or may "e called upon tohelp reali%e the director*s initial !ision' ideally the two people will wor together inmutual artistic harmony to create a single vision# &f course, the director alwayshas the final decision o!er the production design' it is the director, after all, whohas to wor within the designated theatre space and within the parameters of thedesign decisions#

he close partnership that is e$pected to de!elop "etween the director andthe designer fre4uently results in the formation of close woring relationships thatcontinue o!er many years# he director John <arton wored closely with designerJohn Bapier for many years, while Eeter all, and, indeed, ony arrison,esta"lished an e$cellent woring method with designer Jocelyn er"ert# @hilesome directors prefer to design productions themsel!es, it is far more usual to

find a director colla"orating with a designer, or e!en with a team of designers#<ut the director-designer relationship can "e !ery complicated and wor on

se!eral le!els simultaneously# any directors lie to ha!e the designers at closehand during the rehearsal process, to the e$tent that the designer is encouragedto attend rehearsals in order that he:she will "e a"le to comment on thepicturi%ation and "locing (i#e# the physical mo!ement of actors on the stage) asthey de!elop, or discuss issues of design practicalities (the angle of the rae ofthe stage, the num"er of steps on the set, the length of a costume*s train)#

. 7.IGB

et designers orchestrate !isual elements such as line, form, colour, mass, and"alance# Ideally, the set should always help the performers "y pro!iding themwith an appropriate "acground for creating mood and atmosphere and pro!idethem with a wora"le apparatus# he role of the set as an apparatus for theperformers* physicality was fundamental to /ctors of 7ionysus* production ofBacchae (7< ref 2968), in which the steel scaffolding set acted as a clim"ingframe for the energetic clam"erings of 7ionysus and his aenads#

/ good set design should fit the theatrical space to its "est ad!antage andcomplement the costumes and the lighting, although a set design might also "ecrafted in such a way as to pro!ide a deli"erate contrast to the costumes# he setdesign should challenge or endorse the !isual aesthetics of the audience,encourage creati!e "locing and picturi%ation on the part of the director and the

cast, and ser!e the needs of the script# /ll in all, the set design must reflect theartistic !ision of the production#

herefore, the set designer (with the director) has to consider whether the setshould "e a naturalistic, realistic or authentic recreation of a particular location(imaginary or otherwise), lie a temple, palace forecourt, or a seashore, orwhether it should "e a more a"stract (or e!en surreal) interpretation of the samelocation# here is also a possi"ility that the designer might employ "othnaturalistic and a"stract elements for the design' this might include theincorporation of the architectural elements of the theatre space itself# .ach ofthese choices will affect the audience*s perception of the production and the




performer*s use of space# hese decisions ha!e to "e decided early, as any latermistaes could pro!e costly, "oth in terms of time and finance#

/n e$ample of the merging of a"stract, naturalistic and architecturallyimposed design elements can "e found in the Li!ing Eictures Eroductions* stagingof .uripides*s Andromache (7< ref# no# 2969)# /s figures 1, 2, and 6 suggest, theaction of the play was set on a "each and used a sand-strewn floor-cloth toemphasi%e the fact#

5ig# 1

5ig# 2 5ig# 6

his ga!e a naturalistic feel to the stage floor, which was in contrast to the shrineof the goddess hetis which had an a"stract and minimalist "eauty, created as itwas from a simple raised rostrum, white plaster herm of the goddess, and oneo!erhanging "ow of a tree which pro!ided a sense of "eing outdoors and allowedthe lighting to create an interesting play of shadows on the stage floor# heperformers played out the drama against the "ac wall of the theatre, which wasleft undecorated sa!e for painted gold lines on a set of two dou"le doors, whichser!ed as grand entranceways into the +palace* "eyond#10

http://www2.open.ac.uk/ClassicalStudies/GreekPlays/ImagesFolder/fig1.JPG









In the initial design stages, certain important decisions ha!e to "e made "ythe designer and director# hey need to decide whether the set should "e

coloured or monotone, and, if coloured, whether there should "e a limited colourpalette# he designer needs to decide a"out the interplay of light and dar on thestage and 4uestion the appropriateness of using, say, large "right open spacesand dar secluded areas within the set# oreo!er, the designer and director needto decide whether the stage will "e a flat surface or le!elled with the use of rostraor scaffolding to add height and !isual !ariety to the stage picture#

he set esta"lishes the frame of action on stage, using pictorial, plastic,architectural or other means and the set can communicate a !ariety of meanings,moods, and interpretations' chief among these is a sense of the historical periodin which the production is located# ore often than not these days, howe!er, inthe staging of a Gree play, the historical period is unspecified3 7a!id Le!eau$*sElectra (7< ref# no# 1009), for e$ample, was descri"ed "y theatre critic Eeter

ars thus3designed "y John .ngels to e$ist in some fantastic lim"o "etweenthe classical and contemporary worlds F the set encompassesfragments of Gree columns and "roen pieces of modernfurniture#11

<ut sometimes a more precise historical period is suggested3 atie itchell*sOresteia (7< ref 1111 H 1112) had the loo of 1>80s .astern .urope, he /ctorsof 7ionysus set their Antigone (1>>?) in the Late edie!al:.arly enaissance era(7< ref# no# 2?2), and the <looms"ury heatre*s 1>>> Lysistrata was set in 1>20shigh-society (7< ref# no# 108>), while oph arshal*s anadian production ofHelen was rooted in the 1>60s (7< ref# no# 2;;)# &ther productions are e!en

more e$act3 ichael .wans* 1>>A Antigone was specifically set in <osnia in 1>>8(7< ref# no# ?2>)# It is !ery rare, howe!er, to find a production of a Gree playthat specifically sets it in the time of its original composition and performance#

he set also informs the audience of the geographical location of the play (in thecity or town, in parta or usa, etc)# Gree tragedy and comedy usually locatethe action in a specific place' this may or may not "e o"ser!ed in modernproductions# /ctors of 7ionysus*s production of Oedipus the King went as far asplacing two large tapestry maps on the stage floor from which the audience wasa"le to pinpoint the locations of the play - he"es, orinth, and 7elphi (7< ref#no# >68)# Eeter ellars* The Persians of 1>>6 clearly esta"lished the setting inGulf @ar Ira4 (7< ref# no# 20?)# /s <enedict Bightingale of The Times noted,

7on*t "e fooled "y the occasional references to con4uering/thenians or "y the characters* classical names# Instead listen tothe smart "om"s as they fi%% o!erhead# # # # he "are oyalLyceum stage is, it seems, <aghdad during the Gulf @ar#12

he set might refer to an e$act place or location (such as a palace, a woodland,or a seashore)# wo productions of .uripides*s Ion are particularly noteworthy forthe detailed reconstruction of the ancient sacred precinct of 7elphi# he first,which was originally produced in am"ridge in 1>>8 and then toured in <ritainand Greece under the direction of Bic Ehilippou, was designed "y oggie7ouglas who cle!erly created a huge white mar"le pediment of the temple of/pollo which was crowded with mythological scenes of "ending and falling human




figures interspersed among chariot horses (7< ref# no#188)# he second ("igger"udget) production directed for the oyal haespeare ompany () also in

1>>8 "y Bicholas @right had a set which was descri"ed asan impressi!e piece of archaeology, a literali%ation of .uripides*te$t, "eautiful "ut not so o!erwhelming that the actors would getlost against it#16

he set consisted of,

reliefs which looed lie museum casts K /n altar, ycenaeanstyle, hammered gold foil o!er car!ed wooden reliefs, Gorgonsprominent among them, raised on a stepped dais "efore a not-4uite doorway in the centre of the temple#(7< ref# no# 186)#18

he set design can also gi!e an indication of the time of day, although this, ofcourse, was generally of little importance to the ancient Gree dramatists whoseem to ha!e o"ser!ed the constraints of playing in the open air during the hoursof daylight#19 Be!ertheless, modern directors and designers often find anappropriate temporal location for their settings# / 1>>; production of a modern-dress Lysistrata (designed and directed "y Eaul /tins) set the action during thecourse of a day (7< ref# no# >>A)# Liewise, the seasons of the year are rarelyspecified in the ancient te$ts, nor in their modern reali%ations# owe!er, /ctors of7ionysus* production (2000) of Grave Gits (7< ref# no 1116) set the action in a"itterly cold winter landscape, while atie itchell*s Oresteia seemed to progressfrom summer to winter#

he set design can, with the aid of lighting, also hint at weather conditions3while rum"ling thunder is a common feature of modern tragic productions, few

are e$plicit a"out weather conditions in the stage design itself# In il!iuEurcarete*s remara"le 1>>? Agamemnon (7< ref# no# >81), howe!er, the largedou"le doors within the side walls of the +palace* set were used to good effect asthey periodically slammed open and closed with the force of a torrential stormraging outside the palace#

/"o!e and "eyond pro!iding the audience with an indication of the time andlocation of the play, the set must create the mood and atmosphere of theproduction# /ll designers hope that their creations will arouse an emotionalresponse in the spectator as it creates the correct atmosphere for the production#he mood can sometimes "e emphasi%ed "y the em"lematic use of scenicelements or a particular design facet which is singled out to stand as a hallmarfor a production# 5or Eurcarete, for e$ample, the emphasis was put on the "right

"lue cyclorama that pro!ided a "acground to his star Agamemnon set# In frontof the cyclorama, perched in line on top of the +palace* roof, were the silhouettesof si$ "lac !ultures, an e!ocati!e image for the precarious, decaying state of/rgos# he silhouetted "irds of prey pro!ided a !isual ey into the production asthe audience too its seats' they also "ecame the production*s most enduringimage# imilarly, few spectators of Binagawa*s !edea at the .din"urgh 5esti!al in1>?; will forget the !isual impact of edea*s dragon-led fiery chariot appearing inthe night sy a"o!e the neoclassical pediment of the open-air stage "uilding# Inthis one colourful image, Binagawa emphasi%ed "oth edea*s familial associationwith the un god and his own &riental "acground#




he designer must ensure that the set and other design elements of the mis"en"sc#ne either merge together to form a well-concei!ed unity, or, if desired, that

they di!ersify and clash, "ringing deli"erate discord# he purposeful correlation of the design elements of a production means that all the theatrical !isual systems(set, costumes, lights, props, poster and programme design) wor in harmony' ifa production, lie 7a!id Le!eau$*s Electra$ is set in <osnia in 1>>8 (see 7< ref#no# ?2>), then all the design factors must wor together to con!ince the audiencethat they are witnessing a se4uence of e!ents happening in a particular time andplace# It is not appropriate for a character to appear in ancient Gree costume,unless the director and:or designer want to emphasi%e some discrepancy orcorrelation "etween, say, past and present e!ents# atie itchell*s Oresteia, fore$ample, is a !ery good instance of the effecti!e use of integrated design#Eseudo-1>80s .astern .urope was reflected in set details, costumes, props, musicand dance, while high-tech digital gadgetry, lie camcorders and microphones andless imposing technical gadgetry lie hand-held cassette recorders and oldtypewriters, were merged together to create a uni4ue !isual system# 5usedtogether, these seemingly disparate elements created a unified whole which wasalso reflected in the non-production aspects of the wor, the poster and theprogramme designs# he main image for the programme and the poster showed ayoung girl*s dress, in 1>80s style, trampled into the wet sand of a shoreline# Inthe distance there lay a single little shoe# he image is meant to focus thespectator*s mind on the tragedy of the young Iphigeneia, and the legitimacy ofher sacrifice is 4uestioned "y the photographs scattered throughout theprogramme, where more items of her clothing are tagged and "agged liee!idence at a murder trial# he potency of the imagery is endorsed within theproduction itself, where the "loody carpet that was spread on the ground for/gamemnon*s hu"ristic entry into his palace was actually formed from do%ens of

little girls* "lood-soaed dresses#

ometimes, howe!er, deli"erate discord within the design elements canamplify or confuse the mood or atmosphere of the production# nouchine andher design team interspersed some su"tle "ut significant aspects of !isual conflictin the production of Les Atrides (1>>0-1>>2, 7< ref# no 192)# In Eumenides, fore$ample, the "ullring-lie structure of the set and Bathalie homas*s &rientalimono-lie costumes for the three 5uries were set off against contemporaryfootwear F "attered trainers and pumps# he footwear detail was small, "utdeli"erate and was meant to draw out the shared commonalities across timeperiods and cultures#

..B .B7

It would appear that a healthy trend has shaped up since the early 1>;0s whereinset design has "een freed of its imitati!e (or representational) role and has"ecome an integral contri"utor to the performance as a whole# he design ofGree tragedy in particular is certainly responding to the general trend ofinno!ati!e theatrical design# <roadly speaing, the typographic design elementsof contemporary Gree drama productions can "e classed as3

• odern dress#

• odern dress war-%one#




• odern dress, .astern .uropean (particularly popular in the late 1>>0s)#

• / ne"ulous thing called +imeless* which is often an

amalgamation of styles# his +loo* can "e achie!ed through thethoughtless and imprecise amalgamation of styles# /lternati!ely,of course, +imelessness* can a carefully created design statementwhich, through an amalgamation of styles emphasi%escommonalities or, con!ersely, plays-up disunction#

• / period-specific production#

• &riental, .astern#

• +he Gree past*, i#e#, a production where actors wear ancient

Gree style costumes and perform on Gree-inspired architecturalsettings, "ut where they do not use authentic Gree stage designcon!entions lie mass, the orchestra$ s%ene, etc#

• +he Gree past* with authentic Gree production details, eg#mass, e%%y%lema$ s%ene$ the crane$ etc#

&f course, not all productions necessarily sit comforta"ly in one or any of thosecategories# ome productions may share different design con!entions or mergeelements during the course of the performance, as we ha!e noted withnouchine*s Eumenides&

&.

ostumes form a uni4ue sign system of especial comple$ity since they aredecoded "y the audience on a num"er of simultaneous le!els3 they are put into

action "y the performers who impose gestures and mo!ement on them, while atthe same time they are three-dimensional aspects of art and must "e read in thewider conte$t of space, set, and lighting# he conte$tuali%ation of all the aspectsof design can radically alter how a costume is used and read# @hen a whitecostume is lit "y a red light, for e$ample, then it "ecomes red' when a "lac ro"eis worn against a "lac "acground, the wearer all "ut disappears#

<esides these comple$ities, costume designers ha!e an additionalresponsi"ility "ecause costumes do not simply form part of the o!erall !isualsystem, "ut they also ha!e to reflect the status and indi!iduality of differentcharacters# he costume designer and the director must conceptuali%e not ustthe loo of each indi!idual costume, "ut also tae special notice of how thecollecti!e costumes wor as !isual signifiers in each changing moment of the

performance# In Li!ing heatre Eroductions* Andromache, for e$ample, thepredominant colours for the costumes were shades of red, orange, "rown andgold# he colours ga!e a unity to the chorus and to se!eral of the mainprotagonists# he costumes for the characters of /ndromache and ermione,howe!er, were allowed to stand apart3 the partan ermione was dressed inse!eral layers of "rightly coloured purple, "lue and green sils to emphasi%e herwealth and !anity, while the roan /ndromache, played "y a "lac actress, wasdressed in a simple "lac slee!eless gown (see figure 6)# Bot only did the"lacness of her costume pro!ide a sharp simplicity to ermione*s ostentatious&rientalist costume, "ut it also mared her out as a loner who was alien to her






red-orange-gold-"rown surroundings# /ndromache*s "lac sin and "lac costumeemphasi%ed her foreignness#

o "egin the costuming process, the director has to determine the importanceof costumes in the hierarchy of !isual systems within a gi!en production3 howmuch weight and significance will the costumes carryM he director might decideto dress all the characters in "asic "lac costumes if the desire is to let thescript*s words and the actors* physicality carry forward the characteri%ations andthe plot' alternati!ely, a director can rely hea!ily on costumes to pro!ide alayered series of signifiers# @hen <roo wanted to emphasi%e the poetry andlanguage of his production of eneca*s Oedipus at the &ld Dic, he dressed his castin "lac umpers and trousers and simple "lac dresses (7< ref# no# 1>0)# /t theother end of the scale is nouchine*s Les Atrides in which the detailed costumesadded something !ery special to the production*s !isuali%ation# he integralimportance of costume in a production is !ery much at the root of Le hNOtre du

oleil*s design and production theory, as nouchine propounds to her actors35inish your costumes well# hey can "e your friends# hey areyour enemies if they are "adly made, if they don*t holdtogether#1;

It is generally noted that nouchine has a special taste for costumes# he liesthem to "e li!ely, rich, e$act, finished#

he director and costume designer must determine which of the following inds of information they want to communicate to the audience through the costumes(many concerns, it can "e demonstrated, are shared "y the set designer too#

Lie the set, costume can locate the historical period in which the director has

opted to place the play# Interestingly, directors and costume designers seemincreasingly disinclined to place their productions in the ancient Gree world'commenting on the production process of Les Atrides, onouchine maintainsthat,

I didn*t want to consult documents on ancient Greece "ecause Iwas afraid of slipping into the old clichNs of the Gree !ases, thetogas (sic) $ the draping&

Jocelyn er"ert recollects that for the Bational heatre production of theOresteia,

Eeter all wanted the cast to wear clothes "ased on Greecostumes "ut which didn*t loo too Gree#

5or <arton*s The Gree%s, Bapier descri"es his costumes as,

starting off as in indefinitely omeric "ut "ecame curiouslymodern as the cycle progresses# hat is not affectation, it is whatthe plays seem to dictate# K Eylades K loos lie the Ealestinianleader =asser /rafat K I see &restes, .lectra and Eylades almostas the <aader einhof gang when, sentenced to death, theycome storming into the palace at ycenae# +/ndromache* K is!ery onty Eython# K o where appropriate, the costumes gowacy, with lots of coctail sirts#




ostumes also stress the geographic locations of the play# /ny ind of regionalcostume, for e$ample, can indicate that a character originates from a location

outside the setting of the main action# In itchell*s +7aughter*s of 7arness* (thesecond half of the B*s Oresteia), &restes and Eylades dressed in clichNdicilian-type gangster suits (complete with tic drooping mustachios) to e$presstheir (supposed) Ehoian nationality# Lampito, the partan, is fre4uently dressedin a different (usually somewhat +"utch*) costume from her /thenian sisters in/ristophanes*s Lysistrata#

&ne of the chief functions of the costume is to reflect a character*spersonality' this can either "e reflected in a naturalistic approach to an indi!idualcharacter*s taste in dress, or "e a more sym"olic reflection of character# /n&$ford Elayhouse production of Iphigenia at Aulis, for e$ample, dressed theyoung princess in a short while cotton dress and delicate white !eil, whichstressed her marriaga"ility and her innocence (it reminded one "oth of a wedding

dress and a young girl*s confirmation dress)# er mother, lytemnestra, wascostumed lie a grand operatic di!a in a green satin gown (7< ref# no# >;;)#/ctors of 7ionysus* Grave Gits stereotyped lytemnestra*s personality "ydressing her in a simpy, se$y red !el!eteen dress that re!ealed ample amountsof flesh' in contrast, the lytemnestra of itchell*s Oresteia was elegantly "utmodestly (not to say ironically) dressed in a late 1>80*s 7ior-style white summerdress printed with "right red poppies# / picture of feminine respecta"ility, thecostume was intended to conceal the 4ueen*s am"itious personality andpassionate, man-lie, ruthless dri!e# In <arton*s The Gree%s, the !ain self-centredelen was dressed for her .gyptian soourn in nothing more than a "right yellowtowel, suntan lotion, and a pair of sunglasses# his simplest ind of +costume*elo4uently con!eyed elen*s narcissism and indolence and placed the story

s4uarely in the present day# elen*s towel, sun-cream and shades also highlightedher socio-economic status# Eo!erty and wealth, or feigned po!erty and wealth,can "e effecti!ely captured in costume# /ccessories, lie ewellery, maeup andhairstyles sometimes mae all the difference#

/ costume designer should also attempt to con!ey any shifting emotions of thecharacter3 in holP Eroductions* Persians, for e$ample, /tossa was first costumedin a "right, ornate ro"e which she later set aside in fa!our of mourning "lac asnews of the Eersian defeat reached usa (7< ref# Bo# >0>)#

ostumes also gi!e information a"out the season of the year and the weatherconditions in which the play is set, and help indicate the time of day# uch detailscan "e e$pressed through the designer*s choice of weight, decoration and cut ofthe fa"ric and the layers of clothing worn "y a character# atie itchell*s TheHome Guard had a summer feel a"out it, and to endorse this, lytemnestra wascostumed in a summer froc F a garden-party type of dress F set off with whiteglo!es and white stiletto shoes# Eaul /tins* Lysistrata, as noted a"o!e, set theaction during the course of a day3 "eginning early in the morning, the /thenianwomen appeared on stage, appropriately enough, in pyamas' "y the +afternoon*they were in simpy summer frocs, "ut towards the close of the play theyreappeared in sliny e!ening dresses# he transitions in time were echoed in thelighting design too#

ostume should also con!ey a character*s profession or occupation#/ristophanes*s sausage-seller should loo conspicuously different from a military




general or an effete poet# ostume should also help "oth actor and audience "yalluding to a character*s age3 / character lie Iphigeneia should loo noticea"ly

younger than her mother lytemnestra, and this can "e achie!ed through acom"ination of costume and mae-up#

ostume can also emphasi%e the dramatic polarity or similarities of femininityand masculinity# he gendered aspects of a production can "e effecti!elyenhanced "y costume3 theatre "a"el*s Electra (2000), for e$ample, depicted the/rgi!e princess in a hea!y greatcoat and army "oots (an image utili%ed in manycontemporary productions of the .lectra story (7< id no# 2921))# It is a loowhich stresses .lectra*s remo!al from the normal +gendered* constructions ofsociety# he is an unmarried !irgin who, through her choice of masculine militaryclothing, clearly has no aspirations to marry# he same production saw her sisterdressed in a young girl*s froc, plastic ewellery, sandals and anle socs# hisemphasi%ed hrysosthemis*s dilemma3 she is a young woman reaching se$ual

maturity "ut unnaturally forced to lead the life of a !irgin schoolgirl until her eldersister marries# o create this impasse, the costume designer cle!erly dressed themature actress in clothing far too young for her character#

/"o!e and "eyond the practical considerations of depicting character andhelping create a time and a place, costume also augments pageantry andspectacle# onouchine has silfully demonstrated this important and in!igoratingaspect of modern performance and one that clearly has direct lins with theoriginal productions of tragedy in /thens where, we now, spectacle was of greatimportance#

/fter settling on a style and a purpose for the costumes, the designer muste$plore fa"ric choices for each costume as well as for the production as a whole#

7ifferent sorts of fa"rics ser!e as signifiers for different states3 coarse fa"rics aresuita"le to e$press po!erty and "ar"arism' shiny and smooth fa"rics point towealth, royalty or se$iness# &ther costume choices ha!e to "e made, in!ol!ingdetails such as headdresses, wigs, ewellery, and maeup# /ll of these importantelements ha!e to "e drawn together harmoniously for the costume to wor andha!e dramatic effect#

/n important consideration for the costuming of Gree drama is whether ornot to employ mass as part of the costume# 5or many people, mass aresynonymous with Gree drama, although in actuality, there are !ery few modernproductions that utili%e this ancient aspect of costume# /n e$ception is made "yhloP Eroductions, a London "ased theatre company speciali%ing in Gree dramaand theatre-in-education, who routinely opt to use mass# he company tends to

employ half-mass, as opposed to full-face mass, although the massthemsel!es usually incorporate woollen wigs, which mae for some ela"orateancient hairstyles and complement the (mainly) ancient style costumes worn "ythe performers (see Prometheus 7< id no# >8>)#

Eeter all*s Oresteia famously used full-face mass for all of its cast mem"ers(in "oth speaing and silent roles)# 7esigned "y Jocelyn er"ert, the creation ofthe mass occurred o!er a protracted time period# he recalls,

to start with we made some a"stract and some more real, andthe actors were gi!en them to try# @e disco!ered that we couldmae shapes which looed good in clay "ut, "y the time we*d




cast them and made moulds and then the mass themsel!es,they sometimes didn*t wor at all# # # @e tried !arious materials

and we would ha!e lo!ed to ha!e used leather, "ut it would ha!etaen too long to mae as many mass as were needed # # # andin the end we used four layers of muslin so the mass were lightand porous# he Bational made the hair, which was usually "lacor dyed sil or cotton cord e$cept for the 5uries, for which weused dyed string# # # # &ne of the pro"lems was that eachcharacter had to ha!e an open mouth and that is such ane$pressi!e feature# # # he mass for the old men of /rgos wereoriginally going to "e more a"stract, using a wonderful /fricanmas as a "ase, "ut I reali%ed that that wouldn*t wor and thatthey needed to "e more naturalistic# # # # If you ha!e a chorus ofold men e!en if they are not speaing all at the same lines theyare in effect saying the same thing' the essence of theircharacters is that they are old # # # If I had si$teen different malemass it would ha!e "een !ery confusing "ut "y maing themsimilar I could enhance the telling of the story "y strengtheningthe feeling of age# # # omehow, although the &ld en of /rgoswere all in the same mas, they each looed slightly different#

rue full-face mass, as used in the Gree theatre, force the actor to disregard hisown !isage and to concentrate his mo!ements upon his "ody' there is no needfor facial mo!ement "ehind a mas' instead that energy is redirected to otherparts of the "ody# 5ull mass are also utili%ed in some forms of &riental theatre(lie Boh and <alinese and hai dance-drama), "ut it is predominantly a mae-up

+mas* that is worn "y the &riental performer3 in addition to athaali, Japanese

a"ui and the Eeing &pera use ela"orate mae-up mass# nouchine hasused Japanese Boh mass in her haespeare ycle, "ut she also displays adependency on &riental style mae-up# er production of Les Atrides a!oided theuse of mass, despite their appropriateness for an &rientalist production' insteadshe opted for hea!y athaali-style mae-up# Lie Gree mass, athaali mae-up is highly con!entional and sym"olic3 the audience nows that, say, a characterin !i!id green mae-up is good and heroic, ust as it nows that a type in "lacmae-up is e!il and destructi!e# /lthough nouchine reects the idea that theseathaali-inspired creations were "ased on Gree mass (+!iolent mae-up* ishow she descri"es them), she recogni%ed that there were distinct mas-elementsin this formali%ed mae-up# /n inter!iew in a 1>>6 pu"lication entitled Le 'orpsen (eu has her stating that3

he actors were helped "y mae-up:mass3 I insisted on them"eing mased, "ut I did not want opa4ue mass that would ha!econcealed their faces# 5rom the first day of rehearsals, theypracticed athaali mae-up, which "oth amplifies theire$pressions and supports their performance# It is well nown thatall hNOtre du oleil actors ha!e learnt to wor with mass#

&. / / /BG./<L. .BI=

ostumes play an important part in contemporary staging of Gree drama,"ecoming the +actor*s second sin* that airo! spoe of during the opening




decades of the twentieth century# ostume in contemporary theatre is a parado$F it has multiple functions and goes "eyond mimetism and signalling# / +good*

costume reinterprets the entire performance through its shifts in meaning# /s aproduction shifts and changes and de!elops throughout the course of its run, sothe use of costumes de!elops too# he audience of itchell*s Phoenician )omen(1>>9) at tratford*s &ther Elace (7< id no 211) saw a different set of costumesto those su"se4uently seen "y audiences at London*s Eit# 7uring its transferperiod and re-rehearsal, itchell changed the loo of the production in se!eralsu"tle ways which went (apparently) unnoticed "y the critics# he production filein the archi!es testifies to the design changes3 written in longhand, thetage anager*s notes for the re!i!al rehearsal on 6rd June 1>>; reads,

@/7&<.# @hen "readown coatsM

1. here will "e a new coat for e!eryone, each one "eing slightly different incolour or cut#

2. Eossi"le earrings or toe-rings#

3. /ll costumes need to loo sea-stained#

4. he he"an costumes will "e made of sil#

5. .&L.* (sic) *+ean !urray, armour will now -e metal *rom Henry .I,&

6. reon*s costume will "e less military with a swirly coat and no greenwaist"and# he coat (or dou"le) will "e used to wrap enoceus* (sic) -ody&

7. eiesias* (sic) costume will -e more ragged with little eathers sewn on asmaller gold crown&

8. ante (Lise te!enson) will ha!e a poorer looing !eil#

@IG

ut "ody-Eainting#

1. .!eryone*s hair will now "e tied "ac#

2. .!eryone generally will loo paler H ill-looing#

3. he 2 messengers (ean urray H 7ermot errigan) need to "e muchmuddier#

5or 8th June, the rehearsal notes read,

@/7&<.

1# Bose-rings are to "e tried in addition to toe-rings ("ut not earrings)#

@IG

2# he tattoos may "e cut#

6# .!eryone (e$cept Lucy @hy"row) should ha!e dust:sea salt in their hair#

.$amination of the production photographs and the costume setches for the twoproductions demonstrates that the design re!isions were carried out for he Eitre!i!al# his is not an unusual theatrical practice' it demonstrates that design is a




changing and adapting entity, a creati!e e$pression that is as much lia"le tochange during the e$tended run of a production as is an actor*s performance#

/=3 &@ & . . /B7 &. 7.IGB

he !isual sign systems used "y contemporary directors of ancient Gree dramaproduce a wide range of meanings# hoices such as whether or not to use simpleor ela"orate scenery and costumes, dar or "right colours, a large or smalltheatre space, a lit or unlit audience, affect the meanings of the production andaudience reception# et and costumes are indi!idual !isual elements that cometogether to create a +design*# he director*s tas is to orchestrate the separatestands of the !isual system into one harmonious whole and to gel it with otherperformance aspects such as acting, music, and dance# /udiences are then asedto recei!e, read and understand the !isual dimension of the performance as a ey

language component of the theatrical discourse#

References

5eral, J# nouchineCs @orshop at the oleil3 / Lesson in heatre, T/0# 66:8#(@inter, 1>?>) AA-?A# tr# /nna usemoller#

5oreman, # 1>>2# 1n-alancing Acts& Bew =or#

5oucault, # 1>>;# Les mots et les choses& Earis#

Goetsch, # (1>>9) Ioni%ed# /idas%alia 2:1# &nline at www#didasalia#net

er"ert, J& A Theatre )or%-oo%& London3 /rt <oos International#

Llewellyn-Jones, L# 2002# 1nderstanding Theatre +pace# ilton eynes3www2#open#ac#u:lassicaltudies:GreeElays:essays:essaypage#htm

ars, E# The 2ew 3or% Times# 8 7ecem"er 1>>?#

iotowic%, # J# 1>>2# Theatrical designers& An international -iographicaldictionary& @estport 3 Greenwood Eress#

Bightingale, <# The Times& 1? /ugust 1>>6#

%eeman, # (ed#) 1>?6# /er Hang 4um Gesamt%unstwer%& 5ranfurt#

@agner, # 1?90# L56uvre d5art de l5avenir& Earis#

@agner, # 1?92# Op7ra et /rame# Earis#



1 Database reference numbers (DB ref. nos) are provided wherever possible, but are only cited atthe rst occurrence of a production.

To access database examples given in this paper, go to the lassical !eceptions "ro#ect $ebsite%http&''www.open.ac.u'lassical*tudies'+ree"lays' and choose -*earch The Database- fromthe side menu. Then choose -modern titles- and type in the title of the play you are interested in.ne or more plays of that title will then be listed. lic on the DB reference number (listed besidethe title of the play) that matches the one in this paper in which you are interested.

2

*ee /lewellyn01ones 22.3 !. 3oreman 455, 467.

4 8. 3oucault 4599, 66.

5 That is not to say that this always leads to a Gesamtkunstwerk (:Total Theatre;). 3or this conceptsee, most famously, !. $agner 4<=2 and 4<=. *ee, more recently, >. *?eeman, ed., 45<@.

6 ontrast, for example, the design approaches and considerations of DB ref. no. 444= (Theatreryptic;s Electra, designed by 8att 1ason) with DB ref. no. @ (Aniversity of Atah;s The Bakkhai,designed by +age $illiams (set) and Brenda van der $iel (costumes)).

7 That is not to say, of course, that all members of the same audience are eually aware of thecomponent parts of the design, or other staging elements (music, movement, etc) that mae up a

performance. *ome are only aware of a :complete picture; and do not reali?e that the picture iscreated out of separate, sometimes disparate, components.

8 Observer Colour Magazine. @rd 3ebruary, 45<2.

9 3or the wor of these designers see T. 1. 8iotowic? 455.

10 The play was staged in /ondon in Cugust'*eptember 222 and was designed by myself. Thedecision not to disguise the architecture of the theatre space was made primarily for budgetaryconsiderations. By adding gilding to the imposing doorways, however, the visual impact of thespace was maximi?ed.

11 The New York Times. 6th December 455<.

12 The Times. 4<th Cugust 455@.

13 *. +oetsch 455=14 *. +oetsch 455=.

15 n contrast to say, *haespeare who, despite writing for an open air theatre, puts an enormousamount of dramatic attention on issues of time, especially the hours of darness.

16 n 1. 3eral, 8nouchine-s $orshop at the *oleil& C /esson in Theatre, T!. @@' 6. ($inter, 45<5)<6.

http://www2.open.ac.uk/ClassicalStudies/GreekPlays/

http://www2.open.ac.uk/ClassicalStudies/GreekPlays/

modern production of greek drama

Documents