Costume Design for the Stage
TPA 4040.01
Spring 1999  T/R--12:30 to 1:45  FAB 204
Colleen Muscha
Associate Professor of Costume Design and History
Office hours:  TTH 9:30-11:30 or by Appointment
 644-7514--FAB 325 E-mail:  cmuscha@mailer.fsu.edu  
 
 
 DESCRIPTION:   Exploration into the costume design process, including:  researching, script analysis, the costume designer's role throughout the production process and design problems.

CLASS FORMAT:  Lecture classes exploring the design elements and principles, and how they relate to   the costume designer, including analysis of costume design work; production process, including:   script analysis, researching and library techniques, budgets, organizational skills, communication   skills, working with the shop staff, fittings, dress rehearsals, resumes and portfolios.  Project oriented classes including: design project presentations and rendering technique labs.

ART MATERIALS:

TEXT:           The Costume Designer's Handbook  Ingham and Covey (the 1992 edition)

SCRIPTS:  French Fries
                    The Nerd  Larry Shue
                    Mother Courage and Her Children  Bertolt Brecht
                    The Tempest   William Shakespeare
                    The Cherry Orchard  Anton Checkov

GRADING:   Costume Design renderings and swatches for:

                   French Fries and  Emotions                                    (10 %)
                   The Nerd  Larry Shue                                            (10 %)
                   Mother Courage and Her Children  Bertolt Brecht  (10 %)
                   The Tempest  William Shakespeare                        (20 %)
                   The Cherry Orchard  Anton Checkov                    (20 %)

                  Sketch book--Figures, faces, clothing studies, etc.   (10%)
                  Test on lectures and text                                          (10 %)
                  Class participation and viewing FSU productions plus attend:  One fitting,
                       dress parade, one dress rehearsal for a MainStage Show.  (10 %)
 
Work turned in late will drop grade by one-third unless you have a valid excuse.

ABSENCES: Only TWO unexcused absences will be allowed.  For each additional absence, the final grade will be lowered by one-third--for example:  an A becomes and A-, A- becomes a B+
Students are expected to arrive promptly.  Excessive tardiness will be considered as an
absence.

FSU HONOR CODE:   Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor code published in The  Florida State University Bulletin and Student Handbook.   Each student has the responsibility:
   1.  to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work,
   2.  to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community,
   3.  to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the
    University community.

  Violations of this code in any assignment, test, paper, or attendance sign-in will receive a
  minimum penalty of a grade of zero for the assignment in question and/or may receive an "F"
  for the course at the option of the instructor.

ADA:  Anyone with a disability needs to report to the Student Disability Resource Center for
  proper documentation.
 

PRODUCTIONS:   All students will be required to attend all FSU School of Theatre
 productions:  The Importance of Being Earnest and Hamlet.
 Costumes from these shows will be discussed in class and questions about them will appear on the semester test.   Non-theatre majors must bring in theatre ticket stub for proof of attendance.

CALENDAR:

Jan.   7     Introduction to class;  Slides of student costume renderings from previous years.
 
        12     Lecture/discussion:  Design elements and principles and there relation to
                    costume design.
        14     Lecture/discussion:  Script Analysis for Designers and Costume Design Research
 
        19     DESIGN PROJECT # 1--French Fries--design presentation.
        21     Lecture/discussion:  Directors, concepts, other designers, theatre spaces, scale,
                    color palettes.
 
        26     DESIGN PROJECT # 2--Emotions--design presentation.
        28     Lecture/discussion:  The production period, costume shop personnel, and tour of
                    the costumes shop, stock and dressing rooms.  Discussion of The Nerd.

Feb.   2     Rendering Lab--The Figure
          4     Lecture/discussion:  The budget, rehearsals and stage management, buying, pulling
                    and renting. . .   The Nerd research presentation.

          9     DESIGN PROJECT # 3--The Nerd--design presentation.
        11     Lecture/discussion: Measuring and Fitting of Costumes.
                    Discussion of  Mother Courage and Her Children.

        16     Rendering Lab--The Face, Hands, Feet
        18     Lecture/discussion:  The costume production bible and assistant costume designer;
                      first dress, wardrobe and strike.    Mother Courage research presentation.
 
         23    Lecture/discussion:  Student portfolios, resumes, job sources, contracts.
                 Mother Courage fabric texture board and color palette.
         25    Rendering Lab--Watercolor Techniques

Mar.   2    DESIGN PROJECT # 4--Mother Courage and Her Children
                    design presentation.
          4    Rendering Lab--Drapery

 SPRING BREAK
 
        16    Rendering Lab--Fabrics Rendering Lab--Clothing and Accessories.
        18    Tempest--discussion and research.  Review for test.
 
        23    Test on lectures and text.
        25    Rendering Lab--Work on Tempest sketches and scene chart.

        30    Tempest--Preliminary sketches and colored character scene chart.
Apr.   1    Rendering Lab----Fabrics and textures for Tempest Project

          6    DESIGN PROJECT # 5--Tempest--design presentation
          8    Discussion of The Cherry Orchard.  Edwardian/Russian research presentation.

        13   Cherry Orchard--Preliminary sketches and color palette.
        15   Rendering Lab--Fabric and textures for Cherry Orchard Project
 
        20    Portfolio and slides of costume designs--professional examples of  designer's work.
        22    DESIGN PROJECT # 6--The Cherry Orchard--design presentation during the
                   FSU Design/Technology Exhibit.
 
April  27        Sketchbook due for final evaluation.
 
COSTUME DESIGN PROJECTS:

Project # 1--French Fries

1.  Read the monologue.  Analysis the character.  Research the types of clothes you think she would wear.
2.  Render her (in a standing position) using a color media of choice.
3.  Size--9"x 12" to 11"x 14"

Due--January 19th
 

Project # 2--Emotions/Adjectives:

1.  Choose Two:  Rage, Lechery, Compassion, Apathy, Amazement, Whimsicality, Rapture, Trepidation
2.  Use a theatrical scale for a large proscenium house.
3.  Research the "emotion/adjective", either nature, art work such as paintings, etc. that best helps support
  your ideas.
4.  Use the design elements and principles in ways that support your view point.
5.  Render the "Emotions" costume for a man and woman for a theatrical production that incorporates your
 research and view point.
6.  Size--9"x 12" to 11"x 14"

Due--January 26th.  Bring the research along with the renderings.
 

Project # 3--The Nerd

1.  Read and analysis the play and characters.
2.  Research of the clothing should be present day.  Research “Monsters and/or Monster costumes”.
3.  Use a small scale for a Lab Theatre space.
4.  Present the costume ideas for the following characters using a magazins collage technique for the garments:
 
 Willum, Rick, Axel, and Tanzy

5.  Present your ideas for Rick’s “Monster” look by rendering him.
6.  There should be five (5) plates total. Size--9"x 12" to 11"x 14"

Due--February 9th.  Bring the research along with the renderings.
 

Project # 4--Mother Courage and Her Children

1.  Analyze and research the period look for the costumes you will designed for Mother Courage.
2.  Make a fabric texture board and color palette that expresses the concept your would like for the show.   Due February 23rd.
3.  Render in color the following characters:

 Mother Courage, Eilif, Swiss Cheese, Kattrin

 Plus choose one of the following characters and render:  the Cook , the Chaplain, or Yvette

4.  Swatch renderings.
5.  The rendering format should not be smaller than 9" x 12 ".

Due--March 2nd.  Bring the research along with the renderings (five costumes total).
 

Project # 5--The Tempest

1.  The period to be researched is The Italian Renaissance through Elizabethan plus inspiration for “fantasy” characters.

2.  The characters to be designed are:
 
 Prospero in his “magical” robes, Ariel, Caliban, Stephano, Trinculo, Miranda, Ferdinan, Antonio
 
3.  Have a point of view to the show--that is a concept.  This concept should be a written statement of no more than 100 words.
4.  Character scene chart for ALL characters and scenes.
5.  Rendering need to be swatched.
6.  Renderings should be no smaller than 9” x 12”.

Due--April 6th.  Final renderings (with two swatched), and concept statement.
 

Project # 6--The Cherry Orchard

1.  Period to be research--Edwardian and 19th century Russian ethnic
2.  The characters to be design are:

 Ranyevskaya, Anya, Varya, Gayev, Lopakhin, Trofimov, Charlotta, Firs and Dunyasha

4.  Rendering need to be swatched.
5.  Renderings should be no smaller than 9” x 12”.

Due--April 22nd for the Design/Tech Exhibit.