Theatre Appreciation Creative Project
Machinal
Designer
Kiah Kramer
1
Helen Jones
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/24/8c/
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The first costume I have designed is for Helen Jones in the opening scene of the play. Helen has a very anxious and uptight personality and would likely not want to draw attention to herself; therefore, I envisioned her in a very simple, neutral dress that was still appropriate to the setting of the play (1920s New York) such as the one seen here. The materials seen here appear to be very soft and are reflective of Helen’s tender personality. Throughout the play, Helen appears to be very distant from her surroundings and overwhelmed by the world around her and her costume should portray this. The simplistic design of this dress contrasts with the fast-paced world around her. The lines throughout the piece are very straight and do not show off her figure. This would be fitting for Helen because she would likely not want people looking at her. The only thing I would change about this dress is the length; this dress is quite short for its time and I do not imagine that Helen would at all want to be perceived as provocative. The dress would not be paired with any jewelry, except perhaps a very small, dainty necklace and some earrings, and some professional heals such as the ones seen as this picture.
Kiah Kramer
2
George H. Jones
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George H. Jones is a very straightforward man. He does not tend to show any sort of emotions and would likely not choose to express what he is feeling through his clothing. Jones is a businessman and an authority figure; therefore, his costume should show his level of power. The outfit of the man depicted on the left in this picture has inspired my costume for Mr. Jones. He is wearing a nicely tailored suit with many layers and seemingly expensive shoes. The many layers of this outfit are representative of Jones’ emotional defenses which he consistently has up throughout the play and his need to cover up his feelings. Jones appears to be apathetic, especially during the hospital scene where he doesn’t seem to feel bad about the pain that Helen has just been through. Nice, clean shoes such as the ones in the photo would show Jones’ wealth and ease of living. I would pair Jones’ suit with an expensive watch and a solid coloured necktie to portray his simple personality. This costume could be worn in various scenes throughout the play including the office and hospital scenes.
Kiah Kramer
3
Mr. Roe
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My ideas for Mr. Roe’s costume were inspired by the man on the right side of this image. Similarly to Mr. Jones, he is wearing a suit with a waistcoat, button-down shirt, and a tie; however, this suit is not as nicely tailored as Mr. Jones’ and it looks more worn. This costume would be worn when Mr. Roe and Helen meet at the speakeasy. Mr. Roe tells stories of some of the things he has been through in his life including being kidnapped and held hostage. It is clear that he has been through a lot; therefore, his suit is not as clean cut. I imagine that he would take off his jacket inside of the Speakeasy to reveal an off-white shirt and waistcoat. The off-white shirt would show his rugged persona. The materials used to construct his costume would be very soft and reflective of his more loving side. The hat worn by the man on the right in this picture casts a shadow over his face and creates a sort of mystique which would be perfect for Mr. Roe as he is a man whom never seems to be completely open. This also foreshadows his darkness to come when he assists in Helen’s prosecution.
Kiah Kramer
4
Helen’s Mother
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My inspiration for Helen’s Mother’s costume comes from the woman on the left’s outfit in this picture. Helen’s Mother is older and spends most of her time concerning about Helen’s wellbeing. She likely does not have time to keep up with fashion trends but still looks somewhat put together. She appears to be driven by what is practical due to her encouragement towards her daughter to marry Mr. Jones for his money; therefore, her clothes should also be practical. The dress it this picture looks very comfortable and easy to move around in and would suit Helen’s Mother. This dress also looks makes her look somewhat put-together, which also suits her character. I would like her costume to consist of very neutral colours similar to Helen’s dresses so that they compliment each other and look cohesive; however, the pattern on Helen’s Mother’s dress contrasts with the solid colour on Helen’s dresses to show their personality differences.
5
The Telephone Girl
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The Telephone Girl plays an important role in the show because she breaks Helen out of her shell and introduces her to Mr. Roe. She is very youthful and bubbly. The woman in this picture is wearing a beautiful, flattering dress that is full of layers and movement. The fabric in The Telephone Girl’s costume should be very light to represent her youth and confidence; nothing should appear to be weighing her down. The colours in her costume would be warmer and brighter than Helen’s costume to represent her cheerful personality and self-assurance. This dress is much more revealing than any other costume seen throughout the show because it is to be worn to the Speakeasy which is a place full of scandalous topics and the Telephone Girl should be seen in this light as she introduces Helen to the man she would later have an affair with.
Kiah Kramer
6
Stenographer
https://www.nps.gov/frla/learn/
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While the stenographer is a very small role in the show, I believe that her part in the story is very important because she represents a type of woman in her time and is opposite to Helen in many ways. She is completely lost in her work and very in touch with the world around her. This picture shows a woman wearing a very typical 1920s stenographer outfit. Her outfit contrasts with Helen’s because it compliments the setting, is very flattering, has multiple textures and is more revealing. Her top is very thin and shows off her femininity, without weighing her down, while her skirt looks very professional and in-touch with her environment.
7
The Office
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The office in the opening scene of Machinal seems to be a sort of organized chaos. It is described as being very loud and busy. This picture depicts a cramped office with lots of papers and people everywhere and many loud devices. This office represents the mechanical world forming in New York at the time and how anxiety-inducing it could be. Helen is very overwhelmed by this environment and it is important that the audience understands why this is. The set would be comprised of five desks on wheels which would come together in the center of the stage, five wooden desk chairs, and many props including but not limited to papers, lamps, a filing cabinet, a typewriter and a stenography machine. The set will include a wall with a window and door to Mr. Jones’ office at the back of the stage. This wall will not move during the first four episodes.
Kiah Kramer
8
The Hotel
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/
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In the third part of the play, George takes Helen to a hotel for their honeymoon. George and Helen both comment on how expensive and luxurious the room is. The room to the left is large and looks quite extravagant; however, there aren’t any personal items. George is described as being apathetic; therefore, a lack of anything remotely personal is very appropriate. This room looks very beautiful, but it does not look very comfortable just as Helen and George’s relationship looks good from the outside, but is really actually very dysfunctional. The set for this scene will include a large bed with many embroidered pillows. A chandelier will be hung from a batten and dropped down from the flies to show the luxuriousness of the hotel and a chair and mirror will also be present as requested by the playwright.
9
The Hospital
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The scene that surrounds Helen giving birth is a turning point in the show. George’s true colours are revealed and we can see how isolated Helen feels. George feels no sympathy for Helen while she is in pain and tells her to “brace up”. The set for this scene should be quite bare and invoke a feeling of uneasiness as this picture does. I would like for everything to be slightly tilted on the stage to show how unbalanced the situation and George and Helen’s relationship is. The set for this episode would include a wall on the rear with a window looking out to a tall building and a door leading to a corridor as stated in the script. There will be a singular hospital bed similar to the one in this picture and a chair. The furniture will be very thin and uncomfortable to set the underlying discomfort in this scene.
Kiah Kramer
10
The Speakeasy
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image.travelandleisure.com/sites/ default/files/styles/1600×1000/ public/speakeasy0215-the-owl- bar_0.jpg?itok=BAwMIByd
It is quickly made very apparent that the speakeasy is a place full of controversial and illegal activities. Conversations about homosexuality and abortion are heard in the background at a time where homophobia was everywhere and abortion was illegal. The picture shown here is dark and there are many objects casting shadows; this would be very fitting for the play as the speakeasy is full of secrets and dark topics hiding in the shadows. In my design for the speakeasy set, there would be at least three dark, wooden tables (as stated in the script) similar to the tables in this picture, dark chairs, many bottles, and an electric piano.
11
Mr. Roe’s Apartment
https://static01.nyt.com/images/
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Mr. Roe’s apartment represents a major change in Helen’s life. The picture to the left shows a room with many shadows, but it looks oddly peaceful. Mr. Roe’s apartment needs to be dark and full of objects that cast shadows to represent their deviant behavior, but it should also be surprisingly calm to reflect Helen's unusual state of content. One side of the stage needs to have a dresser with a mirror for Helen to get dressed in and I imagine that some mementos from the Rio Grande could be placed on the top since Mr. Roe frequently speaks of this place.
Kiah Kramer
12
The Courtroom
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The people in the courtroom are described as being very mechanical in nature. I would like the set for the courtroom to be reflective of this. Everything should look methodically placed and there should be no decorations or unnecessary clutter. This picture shows a very empty courtroom; it is simple. This is a scene where truths are revealed and the set represents a place where justice is served; therefore, it should be very open and bright. Episode eight is a turning point in the show and should look different than all of the other scenes. The courtroom should be spread out and there should be a very clear view of the witness stand and Helen.
13
Episode 5 Lighting
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The speakeasy in episode five is a place full of devious behavior and the lighting should reflect this. The lights should be primarily warm-toned, dimmed, and include lots of shadows. Filament light bulbs were around in the 1920s and are usually very warm-toned; therefore, I think they would be very suitable for this scene. The lights and shadows in this picture acted as inspiration for my lighting designs for this scene. I would like for the scene to be visible, but there should be no excess lighting. The placement of shadow-casting objects and lights in a manner that the audience can see the shadows without them obstructing their view is also important to represent the secrets hiding in this bar.
Kiah Kramer
14
Episode 1 Lighting
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The office in episode one represents the fast-paced world that this story takes place in. This world is also a very dark place and that should be clear in the lighting of this scene. The lighting seen in this picture is bright enough that people could comfortably work, but it was not overly bright. The intensity of the lights should be low and the colour should be very light with warm undertones to portray the impending danger in the play and show the industrial nature of the scene. I imagine that most of the stage would have light reaching it; however, the majority of the light would be centered on the scene.
15
Episode 8 Lighting
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Many truths are revealed during the courtroom scene and Helen has finally felt liberated; therefore, bright lighting so that everything is very visible feels very appropriate. Primarily white lights with cool undertones would be used in my lighting designs to represent the truth revealed but also the cold nature of Helen’s impending death. This picture shows a very well lit stage with bright lights which would work well for this scene; however, I might incorporate one shadow that is cast near or over Helen to show the darkness which she now carries with her.