LUMINOUS FIELDS

I created the costume design for Luminous Fields, an interactive video installation designed by Luftwerk.

  Photos thanks to Peter Tsai

'TWELFTH NIGHT' - Jeff Recommended

Twelfth Night opened last weekend at First Folio Theatre in Oak Brook, IL.

Director Michael Goldberg set the production during the British Raj in India. I was really excited to design costumes for this concept. It was very similar to a design concept I developed for a college paper-project in 2005. (I set A Midsummer Night's Dream in 18th century India - the "human" world was the insulated/isolated British government and the "fairy" world was the real world of India outside the government buildings.)

I took costume inspiration from historical research ranging between 1880-1900 for my designs of Twelfth Night. I used a range of years because I felt that strict historical accuracy was far less important that creating the right mood for each character for this production. This range allowed me to use the garment details, silhouettes, and styles that fit each individual character and scene; and that flexibility lent a lot to the design.

Duke Orsino costume sketch

I was very careful to be culturally sensitive while designing and creating these costumes. This sensitivity began with using accurate historical research to backup each design choice, seeking out individuals with personal experience wrapping and wearing saris in a variety of styles, and drafting many patterns used for most of the garments worn on stage for the production.

I also used the two cultures' clothing styles to further the story of the play and give some extra depth to the characters. The most noticeable example of this is my design for Olivia's costumes. Her first costume was a very traditional English mourning gown - high collar, stiffly buttoned up, in the deep purple color of 'Western' mourning. As she falls in love with an Indian, Cesario, and comes out of mourning, she begins to wear clothing that is less rigorously British and hints at Indian style until she has completely melded the two styles into one ensemble.

Olivia costume sketch - her final look

Twins Sebastian and Viola (dresses as 'Cesario') with Olivia and Orsino

Here are some reviews of the production:

Colonial India is the Setting for a Skilled and Sensitive 'Twelfth Night' by Kerry Reid for the Chicago Tribune:

"Keller's Olivia moves from constricted Victorian mourner to a woman set free by unexpected passion, expressed by the sarilike costume she dons in the second act (Elsa Hiltner's threads are a highlight)..."

A Few Flaws Mar Bard's Playful 'Twelfth Night,' by Barbara Vitello for the Daily Herald:

"It's a pretty, pleasant production and the credit rests in part with Goldberg and First Folio's talented artistic team."
"...the setting does showcase the most ethnically diverse cast I've seen on this Oak Brook stage, as well as Elsa Hiltner's comely period costumes. "

'Twelfth Night' by Joe Stead for SteadStyle Chicago:

"...exotic and colorful costumes by Elsa Hiltner..."

Review: 'Twelfth Night'/First Folio, by Oliver Sava for Chicago Theater Blog:

"From a design perspective, Twelfth Night is spectacular, with the Eastern-inspired costumes and sets creating a beautiful environment for Shakespeare’s comedy to unfold in. "

Review: 'Twelfth Night'/First Folio, by Dennis Polkow for NewCity Stage

'Twelfth Night' by Keith Griffith for The Chicago Reader

Special thanks to my incredibly helpful assistants Jessica Trier and Page Domikaitis!

Production photos thanks to David Rice.

MANIFEST 2010 STREET TEAM

Photo by Christopher Smith for the RedEye

I created the Spectacle Street Team for Manifest 2010 at Columbia College Chicago, and they were featured in the RedEye today!

Aside from designing their costumes, I created the Spectacle Street Team Ensemble, auditioned the performers, and, with the help of director Ann Boyd and the Spectacle Shop, planned their performances.

For more photos click here!

'DANCING AT LUGHNASA'

Dancing At Lughnasa is a memory play; and I wanted the costume design to aid in the overall feeling of deeply ingrained, yet misty memories. I used a soft color palette and delicate patterns in the costumes. All of the costumes were very gentle. Gentle in texture, color, and design.

With the exception of Kate's school suit, the sisters wore similar floral dresses, cardigans, and aprons. Simple touches added to their costumes gave them a sense of individuality - but in a struggling household special individual items would be minimal.

Some Dancing At Lughnasa reviews:

'Dancing at Lughnasa' Opens up in Oak Park
-Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune

Oak Park Festival Theatre - 'Dancing At Lughnasa' from The Oak Park Journal

'Dancing At Lughnasa'
-Tom Williams from ChicagoCritic.com

'MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING' - Jeff Recommended!

Antonio, Hero, Don Pedro, Beatrice, and Benedick at the masked ball

First Folio's Jeff Recommended Much Ado About Nothing opened last Friday at the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook and runs through August 17.

Director Michael Goldberg and I discussed several possible time periods to set the play in. We needed a time period that a free and independent woman like Beatrice could fit in to; but also one that held women's honor at the highest level - where death would be preferable to living with the shame of infidelity. I also felt that it was important to choose a time period with a flowing, loose, and pretty silhouette. I didn't want a time period that had stiff corsets or large amounts of fabric on either the women or the men. Since it's an outdoor summer show it was important to me to keep the fabrics light, cool, and breathable for both the women and the men. The characters within Much Ado had an ease about them that perfectly fit the Regency period.

Beatrice and Benedick

All of the women's dresses, overlays, aprons, petticoats, and corset-lettes were made for the show by my assistant Lucie Adler and myself, with the exception of one ensemble dress that I rented. The historical color scheme for Regency women is very light, if not white. I wanted a little color in their costumes for theatricality's sake, and designed Ursula, Maraget, and ensemble women's dresses in a very light color pallet of light blue, soft green, and a touch of yellow. Beatrice and Hero's costumes were in light creams. This slight distinction in color pallet kept all the women historically in the correct period, but also allowed Hero and Beatrice's dresses to pop a bit more on stage than the other women's.

'Elsa Hiltner's handsome ethereal gowns lend an air of easy elegance to the ladies of Messina.'

-Kerry Reid, Strong First Folio Cast Delivers This Summer's Straight-Up 'Ado', The Chicago Tribune, July 16th, 2008

Sketch of men's military uniforms

Napoleon was the main influence for the men's military uniforms. There are two factions within the military men's group: Don Pedro's men, and Don John's men. I distinguished between these two groups (who were essentially wearing the same uniform) by the color of the waist sash. Don Pedro's loyal men wore gold sashes, while Don John's men wore jealous olive-black sashes. Within the groups individual men wore their uniforms slightly differently. As the Prince, Don Pedro had a more regal coat, military medals, and more lace on his shirt and jabot. The other men's coats had front flaps that could be fully buttoned, folded down, or left completely open. This offered a wide variety of looks within the same uniform. For example, Borachio - Don John's often drunk companion, wore his uniform with very little regard, often with the coat flap fully unbuttoned or discarding the coat all together.

I also wanted the men to arrive in full uniform, and then begin to loose pieces as they became more relaxed and at home on Leonato's estate. In several scenes in the garden the men do not wear their coats or jabots. This furthered the feeling of ease at Leonato's house, and created a clear difference between Claudio and Don Pedro's attitudes towards Leonato and his family before the first wedding and later in the play. After Claudio hears of Hero's infidelity he looses his former ease and wears his full uniform.

Benedick, Don Pedro, and Claudio in full uniform

I created a complementing neutral pallet for the ensemble men, and used the same pallet with more contrast for Leonato and Antonio's costumes. I pulled richer fabrics for Leonato's costume, yet allowed the pieces to be worn in the same relaxed way that the soldiers wear their uniform, creating a strong sense of ease on Leonatos' estate.

Extra costume pieces were added over the ensemble men's base to create characters such as the watch or gardeners.

When I began designing Dogberry's costume I had a lot of discussions with Director Michael Goldberg on what direction he wanted to take the character. I created a costume based on our discussions, but allowed to make changes on the design based on the rehearsal process. One of my favorite aspects of Dogberry's costume was the old, dirty powdered wig I gave him for the trial of Conrade and Borachio. That wig summed up Dogberry's attitude about himself as an upstanding citizen and a gentleman of style - and clearly would not have the effect on others that he was assuming it would. In the end very little needed to be changed from our original discussions.

First Folio Shakespeare Festival has posted a video clip of Much Ado About Nothing on their site.

Here are some reviews (I'll post more as they come):

"Elsa Hiltner's handsome ethereal gowns lend an air of easy elegance to the ladies of Messina."
-from Strong First Folio Cast Delivers This Summer's Straight-Up 'Ado' by Kerry Reid from The Chicago Tribune (July 16th 2008)

"Goldberg updates the play to the Regency Era, which is reflected exclusively in Elsa Hiltner's dapper, early 19th-century costumes: dark tailcoats and buttery yellow trousers tied with gold sashes for the noblemen; simple, pale blue and off-white empire dresses for the women; and rough-hewn, earth-tone garb for the middle-class rustics."
-from Barbara Vitello's First Folio Presents A Merry 'Much Ado' The Daily Herald (July 18, 2008)

" Make a mental note of the beautiful Regency-era clothing by costumer Elsa Hiltner;..."
-from THEATRE 'Much Ado About Nothing' by Scott C. Morgan from Windy City Times (July 23, 2008)

First Folio's 'Much Ado' A Clever, Funny Staging by Sandy Illian Bosch from Pioneer Local (July 17th 2008)

Terrific Humor from an Outstanding Cast Propels 'Much Ado About Nothing' by Tom Williams from ChicagoCritic.com

"Nick Sandy’s stylized fight choreography is highly effective, as are Elsa Hiltner’s delicious period costumes."
-from 'Much Ado' At First Folio by Randy Hardwick, ChicagoCritic.com

Review 'Much Ado About Nothing' At First Folio by Scott Zacher from Chicago Theatre Blog, July 24, 2008

Photos thanks to David Rice.