Summer Tour 2014 - Addison Radle "The Costuming of a Character, and the Characterization of a Costume"

By 2014 Summer Tour cast member Addison Radle:

The Costuming of a Character, and The Characterization of a Costume

As a cast member of a Grassroots show, you are a lot more than just an actor. You are a director, a props master, a stage manager, a stage hand, and a costumer to name a few. This allows you to have more influence over the show than an actor normally would. For instance, you design your own costumes. 

Rarely, if ever, during a production do you, as an actor, get to sit down with the costume designer and discuss the details of your costume. On previous occasions I felt that my costume did not fit the character at all, especially in smaller roles where no background is given in the text. As you have spent hours thinking about this character, who they are, where they come from, why they are where they are now, you ought to have a very vivid image in your head of what this character looks like. 

In As You Like It, I play the character, Jaques. Very little information is written in the text. Basically, you know that he is melancholy and that he followed the duke into exile. Because of his speech in Act II, Scene VII, one can assume he is something of a philosopher and a poet. 

From this I pulled that he was once a member of the Dukes court prior to his exile. He is melancholy as of late, because he longs to be back in court. Upon discovering this, I began to imagine him still wearing his old clothes from court, holding on to what little he has left. But they are not what they used to be. He has been in exile for many years, and the clothes are no better for the wear. His once fine suite's sleeves are tattered and torn. His best pants are ripped and stained. He has gone from riches to rags.

About Addison Radle:

This is Addison's first show with the Grassroots Shakespeare. His favorite Shakespearean plays are Othello, Richard III, and The Taming of the Shrew. His dream roles are Iago in Othello, Cassio in Julius Caesar, and Owen in The Foreigner.

***Check out this video featuring Addison Radle then come and see our shows! Details at www.grassrootsshakespeare.com and our Facebook Event. ***