BroadwayWorld: When audiences watch a performance, they often notice a costume without thinking about why it feels right. A jacket, a dress, or even the way a garment fits can quietly shape the first impression of a character before a single line of dialogue is spoken. While actors bring characters to life through performance, costume designers help audiences understand who those characters are long before the story unfolds.
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Art takes people. We all know it, that's why we’re here, as people who make art. It’s really cool to me how Teng talks about the decision making process as an associate, how he works on the actual fabrication of the designers concepts. It echoes something Dick talked about in our drafting class, about how, as a designer he usually doesn't really care how the shop builds his designs as long as they preserve the look he wants to achieve. That discussion usually parallels a discussion with Kevin later in the day about how designers don't care what you build with as long as you make it correctly. It’s really interesting to me how these concepts escape the world of scenery that Dick and Kevin exist in, and cross over into costuming, something that often seems like a polar opposite but in reality share so many commonalities. It's all making stuff at the end of the day.
When it comes to introducing a character to the stage there are many things we notice when we first meet them but a big factor that influences our impression of the character is the costume they wear. Put someone in something dark and dramatic. We think of them as dramatic or evil. Put them in something bright or floral. They have a more kind and fun atmosphere to them. The impression we get for a character and connect to their costume is almost entirely a subconscious decision we do not actually think about. Colors and styles of clothing have a stereotypical connection to personalities and seeing a costume designer manipulate and exploit those factors to introduce a character is very interesting to me. It is also interesting to see the difference in authority in what decisions are made between a lead costume designer and an associate costume designer.
Whether we like it or not, humans make judgments quickly after meeting someone. This is why costumes are so important in theater. They provide the initial information about a character even before a line is spoken. I like that Teng takes this fact and weaves it into his process. The article also provided interesting information about differences in the Costume Designer and Associate Costume Designer roles. I enjoyed that I was able to learn about the distinctions between the two roles and identify the different responsibilities that come with being the head designer vs the associate. I relate to Teng's idea that "artistic roles require patience." It can take years to get a foot in the door in the creative industry, so patience and perseverance are extremely important characteristics for a person to have. Art takes time, and that is what makes it so beautiful and speak to so many people.
I really admire Roger Teng’s approach to costume design, and especially appreciate how much he communicates with both the designer and those physically constructing the garments. I’ve always thought about how in entertainment, scenes are composed of actions designed to make the audience have specific reactions. Although I never thought about it until now, costumes do the exact same thing. Personally, the way a character dresses is the first thing I notice about them- that’s how I judge them. Teng designs so that that initial judgement from the audience aligns with the way that character was written. His focus is broader than the aesthetics of the clothes, he considers the psychology behind them, which is so interesting. I also liked that Teng explained the role of the assistant designer. I’ve always thought that they designed the “lesser” characters, if you will, but they are the middle men. They are involved in the production of every garment, and put the thought into projects that the head designer doesn’t have time to work out. I have a whole new appreciation for costume designers after reading this article, and will definitely pay attention to costume changes in the future.
I really liked Roger Teng’s take on how costume design can make or break whether several aspects of a show feel “authentic” or not, because he describes the magic of a costume perfectly. A costume has so many responsibilities in creating the world of a show. A costume must establish both the nuances and the general ideas of a character, whether it be a leading lady or an ensemble member. A costume has to establish the setting of the show through cohesive and detailed design. A costume requires so much patience because creating an entire immersive world that will grace a Broadway stage requires so much patience. I also loved how he commented on how this relates to the role of an assistant designer, because so many design choices are made by the assistant simply because no human could create something with so many responsibilities in so little time in such large quantities by themselves. An assistant designer has a beautiful bond of trust with their designer that sometimes is the direct link to a design making a show come to life.
I really enjoyed the way this article talks about the mindset of a costume designer. Something that has always interested me is how the audience will often sit with the set of a show for up to half an hour before the show actually begins. People are just sitting in the audience, looking at the set, and taking in the visual information about the world of the play. In the same way, costumes tell us so many things about a character before any dialogue is spoken. Something one of my previous teachers would always ask is, “Why did that character wake up and put on that specific outfit today?” So much thought and intention goes into good costume design; it’s truly amazing. And sometimes, there are pieces of a design that aren’t even for the audience so much; they’re more for the actor’s benefit. Something as small as the pendant on a necklace might not always be visible to an audience, but it can be used for the actor’s characterization. The little details like that are often what ties something together.
I found this article to be really interesting! I’m super intrigued by costume design - I think it’s really cool to see how a character’s arc influences their clothing, and, conversely, how their clothing influences the actor’s choices and characterization. I really liked getting to read about the exact job of an associate designer; it’s a less talked about role, but it was interesting to hear about all of the creative authority they’re given in a character’s design. It was also cool to see how associate designers can help on actual costume construction, in addition to artistic design - Teng gave an example of how he suggested a quick change method for one of the outfits in Dreamgirls. I also found it interesting to see how his work in the theatre influenced him creatively, and how that influence carried over into his other, non-theatre projects. I really appreciated getting to learn more about costume design as a whole, and it’s definitely something I’ll look for next time I see a show!
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