Raquel Barreto on designing for “Watch on the Rhine”
Creating contrast between different social classes was a main focus of the costume design process for Watch on the Rhine, and I tried to achieve it through the use of textures, colors, and the way clothes were fitted to each actor. Besides delving into the fashions of the time and exploring images of historical figures with lifestyles comparable to those of the characters in the play, I also looked at photos of exiles and refugees, both of the 1930s and current. Using a variety of sources of research is an important part of bringing diverse perspectives to the design, and allows designers to put themselves in different shoes when creating for a character.
For the character of Sara and her immediate family, who have been living in near squalor, we want the sense they are possibly wearing everything they own when they enter the stage. I tried to dress them in vintage whenever possible, and looked for fabrics with the most textural complexity, such as wool skirts and suits, hand-knit sweaters, and textured cottons. Those fibers were also well-suited for distressing, and a contemporary audience can easily connect with the wearer of a faded hem that implies the garment is a hand-me-down, for example. My team and I worked on giving the childrens’ clothes as much life as we could, including details such as small holes, patches, mending, and darning. Depending on where you sit in the theatre, you may spot some unraveling at the elbow of a sweater or simply get a general impression of the worn, weary quality of the clothes as a reflection of the characters’ struggles. Fanny, on the other hand, wears fabrics with a lot of luster: burnout velvets and silk charmeuse, for example, catch light in ways that are playful and luxurious, and create a silhouette full of movement. The servants in the household are also wearing fine fabrics, but in matte weaves and subtle prints. Their discreet and practical elegance leaves room for the more exuberant styles of the people they work for.
As for color, the artistic team settled on a tight palette of dark colors, but it was important to find a way to express class distinctions. Sara, Kurt, and their children are dressed in dark earthy tones, in items that are sensible and do not call attention to the wearer. Fanny’s colors are saturated jewel tones, and David evokes a boyish insouciance in his range of blues and greens.
While a contemporary audience member may not necessarily be versed in 1930s men’s tailoring, for example, we all respond to clothes that are better fitted to the body, and recognized it as a symbol of wealth. Thus it was important for Teck and Marthe’s clothes to be precisely tailored — Marthe’s dresses are both fitted and flowy, and feel frivolous and carefree in their relationship to the body — again something our contemporary eyes can identify as a sign of privilege. Teck’s suits are cut slim for the period, emphasizing elegance and growing increasingly fitted as the show progresses. By the end of the show he finally lands on a slender double-breasted suit with structured shoulders that evokes the mood of a film noir character. While every person in the audience may have a different experience with the historical period and events of a given play, a designer can help tell the story by making choices that resonate with today’s audience and draw from our contemporary visual vocabulary.
(Note: Text and images are copyright of Raquel Barreto.)
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