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TS
SPE EC H AND TH EA TER AR
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C os tu m e Design
411 an d S ta ge M _a ke up
ces. "
is a theate r set in wh ich the re are bu t few practicable entran
"Life - Victor Hugo

ofearnin9 Ou!comej:

eup
1. Define stage costume and mak
costume
2. Describe the purposes of stage
design
3. Discuss the process of costume
eup in a theater performance
4. Appreciate the importance of mak

Introduction
ing
des ign pro vid es inf o~ a~ on to ~e viewer:5 e~en before the unfold
Costume guage. When actors
s of the pla y. He nce , It IS considered a s!lent lan
of the narrative
in cos tum e and ma keu p, the aud ience can already gather infonnation
step on stage me and makeup reveal hidden tru
ths
ins igh ts of the cha rac ter s. Co stu
and possible of the character, as these complete
Co stume can eve n tell the fate
of the characters. ater, the directorial concept dictates·
ent of the ir rol es. In the
the actors' embodim uld look 00
costum es and ma keu p of the characters; how each character sho
the keup
stume s aid in sha pin g the cha rac ters. In the same manner, stage ma
stage. Co nal
als o an essent ial asp ect in a per formance. Makeup provides additio
for actors is vey ed to the audience during a
anc e the cha rac ter s bei ng con
ways where actors enh
perfonnance.

' Preparation
Task 1. SKETCH A DESIGN
tu
a cil arid dra wing pad. Make at least three sample sketches of cos mes
Get pen .
for the following cha racters:
1. A soldier in a war
2. A priest during Holy Mass
3. A street vendor selling pancake
4. A Jady -sales executive
5. A motorcycle driver
 CHAPTER 3 - LESSON 4: ~o:rtume DBign and Stage Make Up •
. ,-•-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'(ask 2. MAKEUP ME
Be the makeup artist. The director of the production wants you to come up
with sample makeup studies of the characters of a beggar in the play. Be your own
model. Try putting on the character makeup of a beggar. Take a photo. Share it to
your classmates.

~ Presentation

COSTUME
· A costume is what an actor wears on stage during a performance. It is one
of the major visual elements in theater including wigs and makeup. They provide
further developments in "dressing up" the ch_aracters that actors portray on stage. In
theater, costumes give us signals and messages using colors, shapes, and textures. In
a performance, the actors and costumes merge into a unified image on stage creating
• an overall effect. .Costumes help define the psychology of the character, defining ..
· character's behavior in the world of the play. Character's clothes suggest .how
should audience see or perceive the characters. Costumes, like clothes in everyday
life, suggest many aspects of the·character on stage. These include the following:
• position and status
• sex
• of
occupation the character
·• degree of flamboyance or simplicity
• • character's disposition

Features of Costume Design

'
Wilson and"-Goldfarb ~(2019) listed the following costume design objectives: ..
1. Help_show production style
2. ~ignify the time 4/Zd place where the story occurs
3. Indicate the personal characteristics of every chara~ter or group in 'the story
4. Show the relationship. between characters, such as separating major
cha_racters from minor characters
5. Suggests the importance of individual characters .in the play, and its theme
6. Allows actors to move fr~ely in costume in.t~e space
7. Reveals ,consistency with the production design as a whole

Purposes pf Costume Design

Costuming· actors are necessary in ·the overall effect of the play. Along with
stage'design and lighting, costumes bring to life the characters moving in the world
of the play on stage. There are three major purposes of costume:
 SPEE CH AND THE ATE R ARTS
-------------------

1. Cre atin g a character

n they put these on. These
Costumes help actors find their 9haracters whe
r, their mood, temperament,
clothings give the personality of the characte
even their position in the play.
es of the play
2. Communicating the given circumstanc
es of the play, as well the
Costumes communicate the given circumstanc
reflect the kind of weather
period and geographical settings. They can even
conditions of the location of the play.
3. Support the style of the production
play, working collaboratively
Costumes aid in the overaII design of the
onize with the oth er design
with stage design and lights. They need to harm ·
elements.

Functions of Costume Design

stage, creating an image that loo.ks
I . Costumes create ceremonial magic on the
real yet theatrical.
the world of the play. These costumes
2. Costumes allow us to imagine and enter
al and cultural values of the period
pro~ide audience's understanding of both soci
of the play.
y character on stage. These reve al the
3. Costumes reveal the individuality of ever
character.
profession, class status, wealth, and tastes of the
the actors on stage. The se mus t be
4. Costumes provide wearable clothing for
like in everyday life. Costumes
wearable providing freedom of movement just
need to be ready for quick costume changes.

Costume is a silent language ofthe play.

 CHAPTER 3 - LESSON -4: Costume Duign and Stage Make Up
--·--------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------·---
Process of c .ostume Design
A costume designer reads the script and working with other members of the
designer's team creates the overall treatment of the production. For the costume
designer, there are many considerations when designing a costume, including fabric,
cut, fit, color, and condition.

Fabric refers to the type _o f cloth that is used in the costume design. The
choice of fabric should reflect the character's background, status, and personality.
Cut in costume design can help actors look bigger or smaller on stage. · In the
same ~anner, the way costumes are made in relation to their style of cutting can
also reveal the period of the play.
Fit can also reveal the period of the play, due to specific characteristics of
clothing culture of every specific culture and tradition, and the period.
A costume color reveals the personality and background of the character. In
costume d~signing, the choice of color for the character is very essential.
The condition shown by the costume design tells the specific infonnation
about the character's personal circumstances, which can help the audience in
understanding the context of the play.

Below are some details on what costumes c~ do to support the theatrical

production:
• Indicating Style and Tone. Costumes convey to the audience the kind
of style the audience will be witnessing.
• · Indicating Time and Place. Costumes suggest the location or the place
where the story of the play takes place. They may also indicate the
period Qf the play.
• , Identifying Status and · Personality. Costumes show the status of
the character using color, textile, and texture. It signals whether the
.
character., is rich or poor. Costumes, likewise, suggest. character's
\

.j ,e~onality. Characters who are outgoing Qiay have colorful costumes, as

·compared to shy persons who may have du]). ·clothing.
• Indicating Relationships among Characters. Costumes tell the role
of each .character in the play. Major roles have different costumes
compared to those who are just supporting r9les.

• Creating Symbolic and Nonhuman Cha~acters. Costumes symbolize

abstract ,or nonhuman characters by giving them shapes through fabric
and textile designs.
Meeting Performers Needs. Costume should be wearable to allow ·easy
• movement of actors on stage. The design s~ould provide easier ways for
quick costume changes during a perfonnance.
 SPEE CH AND THEA TER ARTS
-------------------- ------------------------------------------------ -- ----------------------------------

Task 3. SKE TCH A COS TQM E

pad. The dire ctor of the
Be the costu me desig ner. Get a penc il and draw ing
es for the play New Yorker
prod uctio n wan ts you to subm it co~tume design studi
In Tondo by Marc elino Aga na Jr. The direc tor want
s you to design spec ifica lly the
inside the class room and show
cost ume of the char acter Kika y/Fra nche ska. Bring it
it to the class .

MAK EUP
s to the appl icati on • of
Mak eup is an integral part of a costume. It refer
s perfo rmer s assu me the
cosm etics to acto rs' faces and bodies. Mak eup help
ical appe aran ce of the acto rs'
pers onal ity of their char acter s, as it tran•s foim s the phys
can allow youn ger acto rs to
faces. The use of mak eup in a thea ter perfor,mance
can mak e simu l~ted wrin kles
portr ay olde r char acter s. For exam ple, piak eup artists
gray patc hes in the hair. In
on a youn g acto r's face to crea te an olde r lo'o k with
role in crea ting nonr ealis tic
nonr ealis tic productions, mak eup play s an essential
ed makeup, thes e char acter s
creatures or characters. Usin g pros theti cs and specializ
mak eup desi gner s and ~ist s,
can com e to life on stage and appe ar to seem real. For
, the hum an face is like the canv as for a pain ting.

How Mak eup Can Cha nge the Actors

As men tione d previously, the impo rtanc e of make
up cann ot be disc redit ed for
. Belo w are som e exam ples
it functions as an impo rtant elem ent in the design team
·
where makeup play s vital roles in characterizations:
1. exag gera ting or disto rting the acto r's natural eye
plac eme nt
mou th
2. incre asing or decr easin g the size and shape of the
3. high light ing the angu larity of the nose I

4. emp hasi zing the tilt of eyeb rows

5. chan ging textu res of the face· by mak ing it rqugh
6. crea ting wrin kles on the forehead
7. shap ing and shad ing the face

orary thea ter com pani es.

How ever , mak eup is undervalued in man y cont emp
the design elements
There are time s that mak eup ~esign is the last com pone nt of
n only com es duri ng dress
that are cons idere d. Ofte ntim es1 the mak eup· desig
e are also occa sion s wher e
rehe arsal s or som etim es just befo re opening night. Ther
mak eup is just left to the discretion of the actors.
 CRAFTER J - LESSON 4: Costume Design and Stage Ma/U! Up

Costume and makeup enhance the characters.

i
How to_Do Stage Makeup
of
In. theater, stage makeup tends to be darker and heavier because the bright
lights that can wash out makeup if not done properly. L'Oreal Paris (2021) listed
some basic theater makeup tips to guide both actors and makeup artists:

STEP #1: Prime the Face

It is important to prime the face to keep oil under th~ bright stage lights.
Makeup primer helps keep the makeup stay longer on the face.

STEP #2: Perfect the Complexion

Use foundation with a matte finish· to avoid the shiny face especially, when
exposed directly to stage lights.

STEP #3: Emphasize the Cheekbones

Emphasize the cheekbones to avoid makeup being washed out easily. Sweep
blush on your cheeks and then blend it with the rest of the face.

STEP #4: Define the Eyes

First, use an eye primer. To define the eyes, use matte eye shadow below the
bone of the brow to the eyelid. Dark brown matte helps define the crease to even
the color using a brush. ·

STEP #5: Grab the Eyeliner

To create the illusion of lashes that look thin, create a line on the upper lash
line. Then, place a thin line that is closer to the lash line for emphasis for a more
natural look.
 ___SPEECH
_____ AND THEATE~ ARTS ______ __ ____ ____ ___ __ __

---- ----_--------------------------------------------------- -------- --·- '•

STEP#6·· c oat the Lashes ·

Coat the lash by p acmg.: : : .
, mascara. 0 r
you can even use false lashes to ere
1
more emphasis on the Iash es,.. . a~

STEP #7: Fill in the Brows .

Eyebrows are important for facial expressions. Define tbe brows by Crea .
the perfect shape. . tini

STEP #8: Paint the Pout .

Color the lips by lining the pout of your lips. Fill in lips with long..1 .
riqw..d 11pstick
· .
to give emphasis on the mouth.
astl.J.lo
ei

STEP #9: Set the Look ~

Finally, set the look of your character for the makeup to know the expected
appearance of the characters.

Task 4. MAKEUP COLLAGE

Make onJine research .of Filipino productions that you think excel in makeu
d es1gn.
· ' Arrange these photos m
Choose at least six photos. . co llage iorm.
c:
Show it top
your classmates inside the classroom and support your answer.