Tags
corset, costumes, Persephone Theatre, The Importance of Being Earnest, Western Canada Theatre, wigs
Ladies, let us all take a moment, bow our heads in silence, and say a prayer of thanks to whatever god invented the bra. I am now certain that the corset was surely designed by the devil. Evil, awful, dreadful thing.
No wonder Victorian ladies were always fainting, I’m telling you, you CANNOT BREATHE in these damn things.
When an actor cannot breathe, an actor cannot speak properly. Your ribs get very sore because there’s no room for them to expand, but by design and habit, the poor little things just keep trying their darndest to push out against the evil boning of the corset. You then require very painful sessions with the massage therapist who does her best to restore some movement and suppleness to the diaphragm by jamming her fingers up and under your ribcage. Ouch.
Okay, I complain, but actually, I’m thrilled with everything about this show, and I’m pretty sure I still have the best job in the world. Look at how awesome my wig turned out!
We have a great script, a great cast and crew, and a beautiful design. The best part? We get to do it all over again in January at Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops. Hurrah for co-productions!
Holy cow, I can’t even begin to imagine wearing one of these things and attempting to sing! WOW!!!!!
Yeah, it’s really quite awful. But I’ve heard of girls wearing them in musicals, too. Hopefully, they’re made of a stretchier material than this one. This one is a full-on replica of a 1905 corset, boning and all. Ugh.
It’s a great wig, and a great show. I know what you mean about breathing – I’ve WORN a corset, in a university production of “Marriage of Figaro” when I played Cherubino. Not fun – BUT I had a Scarlett O’Hara 19-inch waist. The ladies in the company were ready to kill me.
Needless to say, it was a LOONG time ago.
I remember reading about an interview with Jane Fonda, who said that in her opinion, one of the most influential women in history was – wait for it – Coco Chanel, who was the first major designer to create clothes for women that DIDN’T require a corset.
So you understand my pain! (And darn you and your 19″ Scarlet O’Hara waist – I have no doubt the ladies were very upset). May the god of ladies’ undergarments bless dear Coco Chanel. I shudder to think I might still be wearing one DAILY if not for her!