The Moors

The Moors was a theoretical class project for THEA 545: Costume Design. The Moors, by Jen Silverman, is a dark comedy about love, desperation and visibility. This was a historical-based costume design project, meaning that each undergarment that was representative of the 1830s setting of the play had to be drawn with exquisitely fine details depicted in the drawings. Finding a way to represent the comedic spinster sisters Huldey and Agatha, the presentation takes its  inspiration from the dark English Moors and the extant garments of that time period. A cold blue is used to depict Agatha’s clothing as she begins to become more hostile, juxtaposed against Huldey’s appearing in a bubble-gum pink nightmare dress clad with a bodice that is fully covered in smocking. This undoubtedly highlights her childish nature. The challenge of the play is to find ways to represent the characters of “Dog and Moorhen” through human actors, taking direct inspiration from English Moorhens and incorporating those ideas within clothing utilizing appropriate color and textures.