“I dearly love the period, so everything from my perspective has to be anchored in the reality of what people really wore,” says Erik Teague, costume designer for Constellation Theatre’s The Wild Party, period musical set in the 1920s.
“It’s an exciting period to work in because, even though we mostly look at the past as black and white thanks to photography, it was actually full of color and full of life. The rough edges on things are what makes them really alive to me. Torn stockings, threadbare textures, fringe that has seen better days, ostrich feather boas that have a wonderfully wilted appearance….”
Teague had to remain true to the feel of the period while crafting costumes durable enough to withstand nightly, vigorous performances.
“Figuring out interesting ways to edit the style lines to support the vigors of our production was a challenge. It’s like design Sudoku.”
The Wild Party runs until October 29th at Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $55. Call 202-204-7741, or visit ConstellationTheatre.org.
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