ALL Yerma design notes - covering lighting, set (with drawings) & sound ideas for every act/scene, and costumes (with drawings) for every character. Includes references to historical/social context in order to obtain the top marks. I used these to revise for my Drama A-level in 2023 to get an A*.
INTRO = As a costume designer, my intended effects for the audience are to reflect the traditional outfits
of rural 1930s Andalusian Spain (e.g they didn't have much money or time to care about appearance &
clothes) and to use a naturalistic style with symbolic elements to convey the influence of Catholic
religion, the use of colour to convey key aspects of characters personalities, and how revealing each
character’s costume is in regard to their attitude to the social expectations and roles (e.g women)
expected of them in rural Andalusia.
CONTEXT, LOCATION, TIME...
Women:
● Hot Andalusia climate so light fabrics
● General peasant style
● Easy to suggest pregnancy with loose styles
● Long, ankle or three quarter length skirt, with elasticated waist
● Tight fitting or loose blouse tops, tucked in
● Bare feet (ease of movement supports flamenco style/physical theatre style) or boots
● Cord or coloured ribbon tied around the waist as a belt
● House coat from cotton
● Long woollen cardigan
● Black small heeled boots
● Hair - long, loose, worn down OR tight slick back
● Flowers in hair that are mentioned in the play (e.g carnations, rose, jasmine)
● Cross necklaces shows religion
- In the 30s, in Andalusia, housewives in farming villages would not have had expensive clothes.
Men:
● Hot Andalusia climate so light fabrics
● Cotton shirt - stained (occupation of farmer & wears the same daily - showing they're poor),
collarless, buttoned up/undone, long sleeves, rolled sleeves, strong earthy colours (e.g dark
green and browns)
● Corduroy trousers - black/brown/grey/pinstripe, more practical than aesthetic, mud at cuffs
(occupation of farmer), deep turn ups, ankle length, loose
● Held up by suspenders
● Pockets (for tools)
● Fajine sash
● Waist coat
● Jacket
● Leather boots, steel toe-caps, scuffed or bare feet
● Trilby hat/fedora or flat cap (protect face from sun & respect/etiquette such as tipping it to ladies,
not to have one would be commented on and goes against social norms)
● Cane (Basque style walking stick called a makila)
CHARACTERS COSTUME
Yerma - Seamstress so adds ornamentation/frills to it, shows she is richer
than the other women due to Juan's occupation at the end & lives in
fantasy
● Informally dressed when in her house so no head-dress and hair is
loose
● Apron as a working housewife
● White nightdress
● Slippers (espadrilles)
● Shawl to cover head when going to Dolores OR pull tighter when
scared of Juan
● Hair out at the start and slick in low bun by the end to show contrast
, ● Ribbon colour changes (e.g blue is domesticity, green is jealousy, red
is love etc)
● Mustard flowers embroidered on dress
● Makeup to make her look older and 'tired' at the end (e.g pale
foundation, wrinkles through contour)
● Blusher when near Victor
● Yerma should stand out.
● Either adding or subtracting colour as the play progresses
● E.g adding more orange or red would suggest increasing turmoil
leading to blood. Or starting with reds and flower colours suggest
fertility, life-blood etc which could then ‘drain’ out from Yerma as the
play progresses (e.g grey)
Juan - Contrast with Victor
● Pale (doesn’t feel the heat) foundation to show he is weak/tired/lacks
strength
● Nightwear (vest & long johns) or cotton striped button up pyjamas?
● Shirt - freshly ironed by Yerma, stained (from "wine" and "drinking",
yet he doesn’t want to spend money on cleaning it as he is a miser),
buttoned to the top, off white/grey (colourless as possible & makes
him look pale/drains complexion + shows he is dull and not
ostentatious), buttoned to the top (conservative, traditional,
repressed)
● Patching/reinforcements (sewn by Yerma), held up by suspenders,
pockets (for tools), deep turn ups
● Fajine sash (for Yerma to help put on)
● Upturned moustache (Spanish Salvador Dali style) & by the end a
beard
● Family emblem embroidered (to show his honour) and in colours
red/yellow of Spanish flag
Victor
● Trousers of a looser, lighter fabric (e.g linen)
● Unbuttoned (more open, carefree, relaxed than Juan, yet also slightly
sexual)
● Scuffed leather boots strapped with cord or rope/undone laces
● Hat - flat cap or fedora at a jaunty angle (flirtatious)
● E.g a red - to symbolise fertility again - open waistcoat on Victor
● Bag
● Shaven beard (cares more about appearance 7 is more youthful
compared to Juan), by the end a 5 o'clock shadow
Shepherd (& little boy) - Brown, wooden, Shepherd's crook
- All white symbolises angels - but also reflects it's a dream and Yerma
won't have a child
Maria - Colours e.g pink to show caring/kindness
- Floral pattern
- Covered head as comes in from outside, or ribbon tying hair back
- Shawl to wrap the baby in for carrying like a sling & symbolise
secrecy
- Maria’s skirt & shawl will be brown
- Cream blouse but without the frill that Yerma’s has, as she is less well
off.
- Like Virgin Mary, light blue
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