I was blessed with a generous, hard-working, good-humored costumer for The Canterville Ghost. Set in 1910, she diligently rsearched the era and designed costumes for 23 young performers accordingly. She created charts explaining when a jacket was worn, when a robe was worn (lots of robes and pajamas for when the Otis family is awakened in the middle of the night by the Ghost) and she detailed when hats were on and off.
For dress rehearsals: the girls all buttoned their blouses and dresses - in the front. They had never seen blouses that buttoned in the back before. Mr. Otis wore his tie to bed because he could not get it on and off. Nor could he figure out how to tie it. He also could not hide the tie under his robe. He also could not get the robe on over his suit jacket.
Hats were on the coatrack and without exception, every young, male performer who wore a hat would put it on when they entered the home and put the hat on the coatrack when they exited to go outside.
By opening night, most of the proper dressing got sorted out. Until opening, when Lord Canterville in his black suit - happened to look down at his shoes (during curtain call). And discovered that while he look quite "natty" in his black funeral suit (the scene where the Ghost is finally laid to rest) the brown shoes he was wearing did not exactly go with the black suit. The thought registered across his face and then to all those in the audience. Including the costumer.
And the Young Duke in the play continued to wear his hat indoors and take it off outdoors. But somewhere a glimpse into the past and how people dressed was explored. And someday, in some trivia game, these young performers will know the answer to an obscure question about Edwardian dress in 1910 England. All because of The Canterville Ghost. (Who probably remained amused at the chaos of dress rehearsal.) Oscar Wilde would probably have something to say on the subject.
For dress rehearsals: the girls all buttoned their blouses and dresses - in the front. They had never seen blouses that buttoned in the back before. Mr. Otis wore his tie to bed because he could not get it on and off. Nor could he figure out how to tie it. He also could not hide the tie under his robe. He also could not get the robe on over his suit jacket.
Hats were on the coatrack and without exception, every young, male performer who wore a hat would put it on when they entered the home and put the hat on the coatrack when they exited to go outside.
By opening night, most of the proper dressing got sorted out. Until opening, when Lord Canterville in his black suit - happened to look down at his shoes (during curtain call). And discovered that while he look quite "natty" in his black funeral suit (the scene where the Ghost is finally laid to rest) the brown shoes he was wearing did not exactly go with the black suit. The thought registered across his face and then to all those in the audience. Including the costumer.
And the Young Duke in the play continued to wear his hat indoors and take it off outdoors. But somewhere a glimpse into the past and how people dressed was explored. And someday, in some trivia game, these young performers will know the answer to an obscure question about Edwardian dress in 1910 England. All because of The Canterville Ghost. (Who probably remained amused at the chaos of dress rehearsal.) Oscar Wilde would probably have something to say on the subject.
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