The main job of "Black Off" in a production is to provide physical and emotional support to every actor through the clothing he or she will wear to enhance characterization. At the same time the design must provide strong visual support of the story, concept and context of the play as a whole. It is my role to ensure that the costumes reflect the visual style of the production and help actors port
ray their characters on their journey through the play’s action. I take my cues from the characters and their surroundings as written in the play, as well as from the stylistic choices of the production. In the same way that an actor builds upon the framework of traits and actions of his or her character in the story, I read what the character does and says for clues about what they might wear. I also need to think about how best to reflect a character’s evolution through the development of the story. Sometimes the character is best served by creating contrast between how a character behaves and what he or she looks like.
