My daughter was chosen to play Lady Bracknell. All of the Lady Bracknells before her such as (my personal favorite) Judy Dench were strong,forceful women. Since I was helping out with the costuming,she wanted to design her own costumes. Sure,I said because this was to be the last show before she graduated. I walked right into it. I should have known she would design something difficult…“But not for you,Mom,” she says. Anyway,she spent an evening drawing up a couple of costume designs. Pictures are all well and good,but executing a costume to look like a picture is an entirely different matter.
The Act I hat was just big and overdone. The Act III hat had to be imposing,so we put a bird on it. Back in those days placing a dead bird on a hat was actually not unheard of. Okay,a black bird. In honor of Edgar Allen Poe,we dubbed it the “Edgar Hat.”
LADY BRACKNELL, ACT I
Lady Bracknell Act I
Lady Bracknell,Act I Original Rendering
The Periwinkle Hat
Lady Bracknell Act
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LADY BRACKNELL, ACT III
Lady Bracknell,Act III
Lady Bracknell Act III Original rendering
The "Edgar Hat"
Lady Bracknell,Act III
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GWENDOLEN FAIRFAX and CECILY CARDEW
These costumes were interesting because Gwendolen’s green flowered dress was actually made about five or six years earlier for the same play at a local playhouse. The “rust”colored outfit is actually a beautiful ‘milky way’brown brocade. It was made from a huge skirt which had a ten-yard hem. I did not make the dress for Cecily but I made the hats for them both.
Gwendolen
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GWENDOLEN and CECILY
Gwendolen and Cecily
Gwendolen and Cecily