Murder He Wrote: Macbeth Project Costume and Make up design

Project number three: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Costume and Make up Design by Casey Martin


Macbeth, hearing the name send shivers up your spine. When seeing it, it is usually the darker, Gothic type style that many have just stereotypically put with Macbeth. To me there is so much more than the darker side of Macbeth. I believe there is a deeper decadence behind it, a very pristine anomaly about the play that people look over. What I am talking about is my concept delves into not only the deep undertones but also the beauty that covers those sinister lies hiding behind those clothes. How I stumbled upon my 'idea' is through a fashion source that is heard little about. I wanted to make a statement without over shadowing the characters true initial personality. Thus getting drawing out the design a Steam punk Victorian era concept with an added twist of animal like attributes. Not the basic jest of whoever would create a costume rack for Macbeth. However it is a different one and one that will capture the attention of the audience. First I must describe what Steam punk means, it is the post industrialist world of the 19th century London where writers like H.G. Wells that wondered what if science had taken over the new frontier of the industrial revolution. However it did not last long until the 20th centry of 1990 had picked it up again revitalizing it and changing the spectrum of the Victorian clothing aspect. I am using that type as well as the 19th century attributes with my costumes. In Steam punk, mixing in gadgets is the fad, and I wanted to interpret that into the pictures with arm bands made out of gold and different weaponry. Another aspect I added is a animistic one, kind of twisting the barriers of the Victorian era giving it a raw edge. I grouped their class into separate species; example the witches being the anti-fashion type women would be the jungle feline type for being so ravenous. The Thanes being of the bird phylum for their swift movements and military experiences. The murderers the lupine having said their loyalty to Macbeth. The royal family, mostly King Duncan would be apart of the Eutheria class (plant eating animals) having King Duncan be an Elephant. The only one who is much different then the rest is Lady Macbeth which I did on purpose. Everyone can relate that the woman would be 'venomous like a viper' I dubbed her the cobra who always lashes at the Raven (Macbeth's) ego. Is it practical? Yes, it may take a lot of work because the amount of gadgets all over the characters costume. It can be a much more rounded show capturing the attention of the audience so that they may be able to understand it without racking the brain on 'who is who'. As I have said before I do not want Macbeth to be just another dull dreary play you have to sit through. This will be able to keep the audiences attention while still keeping that abysmal coarseness of the play.