uniform to be worn by Randy Wonzong, who plays
Chebtykin in The Three Sisters. (photo DA)
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Costumer Sandra Barton stands next to an authentic W.W. I
uniform to be worn by Randy Wonzong, who plays Chebtykin in The Three Sisters. (photo DA) |
The Three Sisters, directed by Sue Pate, Department of Theatre Arts, will debut on March 10. The play was written by Anton Chekov during the turn of the century in a turbulent Russia when the power struggle between the working class and the elite was intensifying.
An often under-recognized aspect of producing a play is the costume design. For Three Sisters, the costuming is especially interesting. Sandra Barton, assistant shop supervisor in the theatre arts department, did extensive research on both Chekov and the era the play was written, Barton realized she wanted the costumes to be as authentic as possible. She made arrangements to visit Western Costume, a rental shop in Hollywood that has been in existence since Hollywood began and supplies many costumes for movies. She flew to Hollywood at her own expense to choose costumes and work with the costumers in person.
The uniforms that cast members such as Charles Urbanowicz, Anthropology, and Randy Wonzong, Theatre Arts, will be wearing, are actually from W.W.I. Chekov's writing predates W.W.I, but Barton found in her research that the styles had not changed from before and during the war. The original costumes capture the feeling of the time period.
Chekov is known for his fully drawn characters. Barton said that Chekov was an especially keen observer of the time and place he lived in. His ideas came from the people he was surrounded by. However, he appeared neutral in his political stance. The attention to detail and the extra effort made by Barton to obtain the accurate costumes complements Chekov's close observations of the people presented in this play.
The Three Sisters will be showing March 10-13 at 7:30 p.m. and March 14 at 2 p.m. in the Harlen Adams Theatre.
CD