MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 5 - Well Prepared Means 120 Pages!

Today we blog with Costume Designer Justin Kailer who's designs have captivated and captured the imagination in beautiful Artes de la Rosa stage productions including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. With a long history of collaboration between Director Adam Adolfo and himself, Justin's designs for Adam Adolfo shows are always crisp, surprising, innovative, with a distinctive eye for detail.

I first met with Adam, regarding this production of Maria de Buenos Aires, in November of last year. We met for coffee at Café Brazil and he hands me packet of information no less than 120 pages long. It was a lot to sift through; a complete synopsis including the libretto, an entire production history with reviews as well as about 100 photos. In no time at all we were discussing his vision for Astor Piazzolla’s “tango operita”.

I took my newly acquired “show bible” home with me that evening and began pouring over it. I firmly believe that a Designer’s work must always start with the script, before any drawings are made. After that comes research. And so, I read the synopsis twice and I must have read the script alone at least 5 times over the next two or three weeks before sketching out preliminary renderings for the principle characters. About the third time through, I began jotting down words that popped out (repeated words), words that I thought of or a certain feeling that the libretto invoked in me. Together with my list and a pencil I started sketching. After another two or three days, I finally had my rough drawings in hand and went back to Adam in late December, early January.

I love working with Director Adam Adolfo simply because he is always well prepared. He is never “not prepared”. He knows exactly what story he wants to tell and how he wants to tell that story. He will often times assemble his production staff to meet this very specific goals. Typically, he tells you that, “this is the way it’s been done, but we will not be doing that—instead we will be doing it this [other] way.” More often than not, the [other] way is drastically different. Adam often challenges me. By encouraging me to try out a new idea, he nurtures my creativity and ingenuity, testing new construction methods or perhaps a delicate fabric. He is always eager and willing to think outside the box, in ways that are not conventional or sometimes even comfortable, often testing limits for actors, production staff and eventual audience members alike.

In my research I was very surprised to learn that awfully little had been done with this particular operita since it was conceived by Piazzola and Librettist Horacio Ferrer almost fifty years ago in the 1960s. Because of this, I basically had free reign and could design the show any way I saw fit, within the constraints of the music and of dance.

The top of the show is extremely colorful and bright, this is when she is first discovering the city. The second Act however will be much darker in terms of costuming and also overall atmosphere. I will often take inspiration from multiple sources for a single production—movies, a piece of art, a shopping trip or even clothes I see a random person wearing on the street. Somehow, in some way, all of these things work together and manage to complement each other every single time. Each costume choice, from beginning to end, is dictated by the progression of the show or what’s happening in a particular scene.

A View of COSTUMES with A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Costume Designer Carl Ramsey

Today Costume Designer Carl Ramsey returns to blog about the continuing process of costuming A View From The Bridge and shares a few preliminary pencil sketches, called renderings, that served as inspiration and the start of discussions with Director Adam Adolfo.

It is interesting, after so much research on one topic, the subject begins to become automatic. Especially in terms of fashion history, you become so accustomed to seeing certain silhouettes, certain lines and shapes, that things become readily identifiable. So when shopping for apparel, regardless if the clothing is vintage or modern, one can confidently grab or pass on a garment that may or may not be suitable for the period, only with a quick glance. This is all fun and games, however, when it comes to the real challenge; narrowing things down to the color palette and thematic elements of the play.

Something perhaps more challenging is trying to understand costumes from the audience’s point of view. One can argue that a particular ‘look’ did exist in the period, but if the audience does not recognize it, then its presence in the play becomes pointless. Therefore, in selecting costumes, I am learning that literal translations are not always the prerogative, but audience perception is key. In the theatre, the audience assumes things are present on stage for a reason, and if something looks like it is out of place, it is perceived either as a mistake or having some function at some point in time of the production.

As the production grows, so do the people involved with it. This show is beginning to come together, and interestingly enough, what the characters in the script learn about themselves, and about each other, so do the actors, the designers, and director, walk away with some notion that the qualities of these characters are not distant from what they would find within the real world, andpotentially, within themselves. Of course, nobody wants to admit to being an Eddie, having gone raging mad at the thought of losing his ward, Catherine. But we all must admit that we possess emotions that can overtake us, if it wasn’t for that fine line of control within our minds, that which we call ‘sanity’.

In terms of costumes, I am not saying that the character’s emotions and thought processes are going leap onto their clothing (giving another meaning to wearing one’s heart on their sleeve), but the fact is their clothes do make up an integral part of them, and they do make up some kind of subconscious character trait as a result. Eddie is always checking his watch, and so the watch has a purpose for his character. Catherine wears high heels at the beginning of the play, which tells us she is in transition into becoming a woman. Eddie forces her into a shorter pair of heels, giving us clear indication of his willingness to subjugate her and make her his own. Miller left no stone unturned when it comes to details, and things like pocket watches and high heels are embodied with important meaning for their respective characters; and as a result for the play as a whole.

A View of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE with Costume Designer Carl Ramsey

Today we spend a few minutes with Costume Designer Carl Ramsey as he talks vision for Artes de la Rosa's A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE.

The vision for Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, is an exciting venture, not only because we have set it in one of my favorite time periods, the late 1950's, but also because, working with Director Adam Adolfo, it offers the challenges necessary to grow and experience the design process with a professional company, well equipped for the task at hand.

When meeting with Adam, it was important to discuss the concept for the show in immense detail. I am learning in this field how crucial it is to communicate, to exchange ideas, and to make sure that both director and designer are both 100% on the same page. It is easy for the slightest ambiguous idea to transform the concept of a show in a different way, which is not necessarily bad, but perhaps undesirable by either party. So especially for a production with this kind of intensity, it was important to get all the details right.

In discussions with Adam, he wanted the heightened sense of drama found in opera; the set design especially offers this drama, with its grandiose scale. But in a conceptual set design how do you match the dramatic scope with costumes while still maintaining the dignified 50’s look? At the same time, the challenge comes to create costumes that are, well…not costumes at all. They are real clothing that real people would have worn at this particular time period.

The answer to such questions, after much discussion, is this: clean cut silhouettes and maintaining true to the period. Nothing should suggest an ambiguous design; nothing to sway or create uncertainty of the moment marked in time. ‘True to period’ is certainly not a new concept, but many designers may justify their cause, saying that because it ‘looks’ period, it must ‘be period'. Another justification is that budget and time may chop away at the designer’s definitive concept, and one sometimes has to resort to such an option; it may not be a bad idea in some cases. But if the costumes, as previously expressed, are to be apart of the dramatic influence of the play, the clothing must be spot on in quality.

Texture is another key player of the drama. Especially if we are in the 50’s we are free to play with many different types of fabrics. The texture should appeal to the audience, to tease them, as if people should want to reach out and feel what the actors are wearing. Texture in a sense, becomes its own character, apart of the play itself.

Adam and I are particularly fond of using color for dramatic effect, and in typical Adam Adolfo form, he is pushing me out of my comfort zone. I fight and insist that my colors are quiet enough, but he is adamant that they are still too ‘hot’. After all, colors like dull mustard never comes off as hot in my opinion, and the fear creeps up as the costume designer that the color palette may come off as boring and uninspired (perhaps the designer’s worst nightmare!) However, after a long discussion, and after providing more examples of his vision, he leads me to confidently agree that the play deserves an all over cooler color palate. The color still pops if presented in front of an even quieter neutral scheme, and the overall effect is one that not even the brightest colors can compete with, in terms of this dreary, rainy world that these characters inhabit.

Overall, this production provides the perfect opportunity to grow as a designer, and learning to communicate in this process has become the key feature in creating a successful production.

Costumes are Alive

In our latest blog Costume Designer Justin Kailer shares with us the ins and outs of what it means to be a Costume Desigern.

A costume is defined as live scenery worn by the actor in a particular role in a particular play . It is considered “live” because unlike with set or lights, a costume is designed to move or to restrict the movement of an actor. Therefore Costume Design is buying, making and/or renting clothing that fits into that particular play’s environment and also suits that particular actor’s character.

Any part of theatrical design must start first with the script. Read, re-read, and read it again. . . Make notes, highlight any references to costumes, props, set requirements, etc. Know the play backwards and forwards, upside down and inside out. Then speak to your director, chances are that they’ve had the script for longer than you have. A director may have particular ideas or insights about how they want the production to look. For instance, Tennessee Williams wrote Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, setting it on a cotton plantation in Mississippi. For this particular production however, Adam has chosen to transport this very Southern atmosphere to one that would lend itself better to Hispanic audiences. He chose a sugar cane plantation just outside of Miami that would introduce the Cuban influences as well as the Latin-American lifestyle.

It is my job to costume accordingly, taking into account the given circumstances of the play, such as social status or wealth, religion, climate and location. But also color palate, the form or silhouette. The time of the play, summer versus winter will effect the texture of the clothing . . . Is it light and airy like cotton, or is it heavy perhaps wool or tweed.

Costumes effect not only the overall look of a show but the actors as well. A prime example being that a woman walks differently in heels than she would in tennis shoes or flats. In the same manner, a man is seen differently when he wears pants or dress slacks as opposed to jeans.


Justin Kailer is a Professional Costume Designer and Tailor with a degree from Baylor University. He has designed for both theatre and opera through out the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.