Pittsburgh in the Round: Corsets on stage: Sometimes we see them, sometimes we don’t. Corsets have certainly made a comeback since designer Coco Chanel knocked them out of daily wear for early 20th century women. However, actors and singers often find themselves wearing corsets as part of period costumes for roles set in anywhere from the 1500s to early 1900s.
This week, there’s a noticeable intersection of laced up undergarments with singers in Pittsburgh.
3 comments:
This is such a brilliant idea! As if this exhibit wasn't already going to be a fantastic representation of a cross-section of historical undergarments, now the public is provided with a relevant show to go with it! Especially since opera performers so often perform in corsets. I have previously worked at the Pittsburgh Opera so I knew that many performers enjoy wearing corsets while singing opera because they feel they have a better grasp on what their body is doing when they're wearing one. I had no idea a performer would purchase their own just for auditions though! (Though it does make sense for consistency in your singing no matter where you are performing.) I was disappointed that the article didn't go into more detail about the event itself, but it was interesting to read the performer's description of her general process. The one part of the article I thought was strange was how she described a corset that was velcroed for a quick change. This to me sounds like a horrible idea when you could just keep a false lace panel and add a zipper next to it. This is better for the fabric of the corset, the performer, and the audience who will hear the velcro sound when the performer changes.
I really enjoyed this interview--especially from the practical side! As Kara Cornell says, "many quick changes happen in minimal lighting, because there isn’t always time to run back to the dressing room. The lack of light behind the stage curtain also makes it hard to see where the ties are on the corset, so a lot of time can be wasted. Some costume designers therefore cut a corset vertically and add velcro. This seems like a nice idea, but doesn’t always work because now the singer’s breathing can literally pop open the velcro!" This really is the trouble with quick changes-often times light is low and space is limited, and I have asked many a costume designer if it was possible to turn something into a zipper or snaps. I never thought about how a garment could effect a singer or actor's breathing, and while we need to often maximize speed, we can't do so if it compromises the performance in anyway. The advice, "On stage, knowing yourself and your corset are requirements for a good experience on stage. Just remember to breathe," is a good way to conclude the piece, and something that I will be on the alert to in the future if I ever work with corseted performers.
My whole life my family has gone to and taken me to Renaissance faires. All around the fair, vendors are selling hand made period pieces such as bonnets, leather armour, weaponry, and corsets. I finally bought my own corset and wear it to the fair every year, so I’m very familiar with how corsets feel and how drastically they change your appearance. When I wear mine, my waist shrinks multiple inches, so I understand why costumers use them in period pieces; its very hard to replicate the look of a woman in a corset without actually putting a woman in a corset. However, I do not sing at all and therefore don’t know how it feels to sing in a corset. I know talking and breathing are already difficult in them, so I can only imagine what belting feels like. I have the utmost respect for performers that are asked to wear these bodices and even practice or audition in them.
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