The Functions Of Costume In Theatre Performances

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUNDS TO THE STUDY

According to Banham (2015) is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music, and dance. Elements of art, such as painted scenery and stagecraft such as lighting are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the experience (Carlson, 2016).

Theater generally is an ancient art. Therefore, the act of costuming in the theatre is said to be as old as theatre itself.

Theatre is said to be a well-organized structural building where performance are carried out.

Costumes therefore play an important role in the actualization of a play on stage. As they are seen non-verbal element of a performance, they include the clothes and accessories carried by the actors and actress on stage; they communicate hidden messages to the audience if well depicted or handed by the costumier. Another exciting career in the theater is that of a costume designer is the person who plans or designs the costumes to be worm by actors in a theatrical performance.

The shape, color and texture that a costume designer chooses make an immediate and powerful visual statement to the audience.

The creative collaboration among the costumer, director, set and lighting designer and other technical ensure that the costumes are smoothly integrated into the produce as a whole.

According to Beacham (2016), theatre is a collaborative art, where the playwright, artistic director, technical designers, performance and audience come together to make a theatre experience.

Costumes are complimentary theatrical element with various function which deals with the personification of characters on stage.

According to oxford advance dictionary, Costume is the clothe worn by actors in a play or film/movie or worn by somebody to make them look like something else.

Costumes are special kind of clothing’s worn by actors on stage in order to aid dramatical actions and interpretations. Costumes are paramount among other visual element in theatre used in human experiences to an audience.

According to Black (2010); Costume in the clothes worn by actors on stage, whether it be layers of clothing or nothing at all

Costumes can also be derived from every day dress or it can be symbolic; a dress made for a ghost must of necessity depart from natural dress worn by humans, it is  usually symbolic. From example: if a character is costumed in black tunic with horns on the head, by merely seeing that character on stage, what comes to the mind is the picture of Devil. Costumes are the most personal aspect of visual elements in theatre. To members of the audience, a performer and his or her costumes are perceived as one, they merge into a single image on stage.

At the same time, costumes have values of their own, adding color, shape, texture, and symbols to the overall effects created on stage.

Accessories such as masks, walking stick, head gear, hairdo, make-up and personal items like bracelets and necklaces, are important components of costumes.

Apart from the theatre, most people think of costumes in items of the outfits people wear to parties, office, traditional ceremonies and so on.

Like other aspects of the theatre. However, costumes play significant roles in daily life. People wear clothing’s not only from comfort but also from the information they intends to pass across to other people about themselves, such as; status, occupation and culture to mention but a few.

In order, form a play to come alive, the creative dexterity of both the Artistic director and his technical crews must come into play In line with the selection of good script.

In fact, in the theatre, costumes are means of depicting character given circumstance. Thus, they aid characters actions on stage, thereby portraying the proper character traits required of the actor. Costumes can be used to describe age of the actors, the period of play, costumes can be used to deficit moods, costumes cam be used to distinguish occupations, costumes are a cultural marker, costumes can tell the time and whether of the play, Etc.

Therefore, an actor costumes enables the audience to identify the character through appearance and also posse’s visual potentials of information’s which convey meanings to the audience. In play incorporating history or table of myth, costumes has the added function of providing spectacles on stage.

The importance of costumes to theatrical performances cannot be over emphasized, despite all challenges and critical comments passed on the practice of costume; it remains the most personal and relatively non-verbal from among other visual elements in the theatre. Hence, it is necessary that playwrights, artistic directors, actors, costumiers, scholars, theatre practitioners must revisit the practice of costume from better recognition as a form of art, that stands on its own; thus requires adequate attention. Play performances should not take place without consulting a costumier, whose organizes a critical sections with the artistic director, cast members and other technical personnel’s before the actual performance; and it should be ready in good shape at least a week or two before the performance day, better still they should be tested by the actors. Actors must not be left alone to source for the costumes themselves. Hence, costumes must be seen as an inevitable element of the theatre that possesses the strength to inform and express the qualities of a particular play performance.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Costuming among other elements in the theatre ranging from light, sound, props, and set design stands to have more distinctive features because it creates strong visual effects and also communicates hidden meanings to the audience to enhance the total aesthetic of performance.

Therefore, the major problem associated with theatre practice today includes; the gravity of importance given to dialogue. Thus, costumes as a visual element which would speak strongly about the action unfolding before the audience are left out. Hence, audiences are bored with dialogues, which is most cases are forgotten within the time of performance. Within this context also, some of the problems examined at larger scale are; whether, the costumes has used in the performance of “the gods are not to blame by ola rotimi and man” in the WELL depicts the historical setting in the play. How have they assisted in educating, entertaining, and informing the audience and the society at large.

1.3 Significance of the study

The study aim at facilitating and highlighting the importance and functions of costumes as an inevitable tool in the promotion and development of theatrical performances.

Secondly, in order to change the attitudes of costumiers, directors, actors, actresses, students, scholars and playwrights towards the use of costumes in theatrical performances. Costume suffers neglect over the years whereby much emphasis which attributed to dialogues and actions. Therefore, little amount of information’s and attentions have being ascribed to costume in most performances. It is believed that dialogues and actions are greater importance of a clearer message to be passed across to the audience. Finally, this research intends to increase the numbers of existing literatures on discipline, in order to promote the interest in the field of costume.

1.4 Objectives of the study

The objectives of this study are:

1. To establish a more interpretative depth to the value of costumes in stage productions has seen in the performance of The Gods Are Not To Blame and Man In The Well.
2. To interrogate the possible dangers that could be encountered by costume designers in aesthetics of costumes and the costumiers need for critical and creative handling.

• To study the general significance or the role of costume in a theatre performance

1.5 Scope/Limitation of the study

The scope of this work covers the usage of costumes in theatrical performances. It is basically a review on a play production that was staged at the open air Theatre. The gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi and man in the well written by Akanji Nasiru.

The research explains the roles or functions of costumes in theatrical performance, especially in educational theatres. Thus, the research also involves a primary material which is the use of visual presentation. Since costumes are visual elements need for the use of pictures are necessary in order to aid understanding in my presentation of data.

Certain setbacks and challenges are faced in the case of study. These challenges could be seen in the scope of study; as the research only covers the university Open Air Theatre Productions.

As a result of the restrains in the research study is restricted to the curricular duration of the university, which is three semester (from 300 level second semester to second semester 400 level). This might be inadequate for an in depth research required on the study.

1.6 Methodology

In the process of realizing the purpose of this research, the researcher made use of the primary and secondary source.

The primary source consists of the visual representations in term of the pictures of the performance, references from existing literatures on the study of costume, journal, and internet. The secondary source consists of oral interviews between the researcher with students, consumers and lectures.

1.8 definitions of terms

(a) Costume: Costume is the cloth worn by actors in a play or film/movie or worn by somebody to make them look like something else

(b) Theatre: Theatre is a collaborative art, where the playwright, artistic director, technical designers, performers and audience come together to make a theatre experience.

(c) Culture: is the complex whole which includes knowledge beliefs, art, moral laws, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society.