Costume Designer (and actor) John Dunn shares his vision for the LIDLESS design:
One of the more interesting things about LIDLESS for me are the mentions of animals throughout the script. LIDLESS playwright, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, includes these references as shorthand for some of the play's central themes. The strongest in the script is that of a goldfish and an orange Guantanamo prison jumpsuit, for instance.
In the play, a teenage girl, Rhiannon, has an assignment to interview people and she often asks what type of animal people would consider being. Her curiosity and need to collect and explore is her way of dealing with her life. It is through the construct of her interview questions that Ya-Chu Cowhig builds some of her strongest images.
So, it made sense the colors of these animals as a guideline on putting together the costumes for the show. It's merely a guideline. I use a couple of other concepts in determining which colors go where. For example, the gray and green of Alice and Bashir's wardrobe calls back to the olive drab camouflage of her military experience.
So, it made sense the colors of these animals as a guideline on putting together the costumes for the show. It's merely a guideline. I use a couple of other concepts in determining which colors go where. For example, the gray and green of Alice and Bashir's wardrobe calls back to the olive drab camouflage of her military experience.
Alice - elephant (gray, ivory); secrets we don't acknowledge, aka "the elephant in the room"
Rhiannon - raven / goldfish (black and orange); relying on exploration and collection; her asthma - being unable to breathe without support, as a fish out of water
Riva - hummingbird (jewel tones, especially green, purple, pink, indigo); able to slip in and out of a chain link fence and thus to escape pain but visit it when needed
Lucas - cricket (brown, yellow); seems to chirping a calm mantra in his head to calmly deal with life; also perhaps more grounded and comfortable with small details.
Bashir - iguana (light green, gray); somewhat zen attitude, being able to sun oneself and weather the pain
Rhiannon - raven / goldfish (black and orange); relying on exploration and collection; her asthma - being unable to breathe without support, as a fish out of water
Riva - hummingbird (jewel tones, especially green, purple, pink, indigo); able to slip in and out of a chain link fence and thus to escape pain but visit it when needed
Lucas - cricket (brown, yellow); seems to chirping a calm mantra in his head to calmly deal with life; also perhaps more grounded and comfortable with small details.
Bashir - iguana (light green, gray); somewhat zen attitude, being able to sun oneself and weather the pain
LIDLESS performances are Thursday - Saturday June 2 - 18, 2016 @ 8PM and Monday June 13, 2016 @ 8PM at Fresh Arts Gallery located in Winter Street Studios, 2101 Winter St., Houston, TX 77007.
Join us on opening night!
Join us on opening night!
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