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"Imagining a Character's Costume"
Warming up Your Body: Drawing Our Names With Our Bodies Warming Up Your Designer Mind: Costume Yourself Read the Script: Host Your Own Play Reading Showtime! Design a Character's Costume |
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You can also download a printable PDF of these exercises!
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To build the world of a play, theatre designers use costumes, props, sets, lights, and sounds as their tools. This series of activities will help your family put your designer hats on to imagine how the costumes of a Young Playwrights’ winning elementary play would look on stage.
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Warming Up Your Body:
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WHY DO WE WARM UP?
When we want to be creative, it’s always good to warm up our body first! Sometimes our bodies have tension in them because of other things we did during our day. Physical warm-ups help us loosen our muscles, take bigger breaths, and focus our imagination.
When we want to be creative, it’s always good to warm up our body first! Sometimes our bodies have tension in them because of other things we did during our day. Physical warm-ups help us loosen our muscles, take bigger breaths, and focus our imagination.
DIRECTIONS:
Everyone stands in a circle. A volunteer steps into the middle of the circle and spells their name one letter at a time using their voice and one part of their body. The rest of the circle follows by repeating that letter and gesture. So, if TAYLOR were to spell their name, the first round of the game would go like this:
1st letter - T - spelled with left arm. Everyone else repeats the letter and left arm movement.
2nd letter - A - spelled with right arm. Everyone else repeats the letter and right arm movement.
3rd letter - Y - spelled with head. Everyone else repeats the letter and head movement.
4th letter - L - spelled with hips. Everyone else repeats the letter and hip movement.
5th letter - O - spelled with left leg. Everyone else repeats the letter and left leg movement.
6th letter - R - spelled with right leg. Everyone else repeats the letter and right leg movement.
Repeat the game until everyone in the circle has a chance to spell out their name!
Everyone stands in a circle. A volunteer steps into the middle of the circle and spells their name one letter at a time using their voice and one part of their body. The rest of the circle follows by repeating that letter and gesture. So, if TAYLOR were to spell their name, the first round of the game would go like this:
1st letter - T - spelled with left arm. Everyone else repeats the letter and left arm movement.
2nd letter - A - spelled with right arm. Everyone else repeats the letter and right arm movement.
3rd letter - Y - spelled with head. Everyone else repeats the letter and head movement.
4th letter - L - spelled with hips. Everyone else repeats the letter and hip movement.
5th letter - O - spelled with left leg. Everyone else repeats the letter and left leg movement.
6th letter - R - spelled with right leg. Everyone else repeats the letter and right leg movement.
Repeat the game until everyone in the circle has a chance to spell out their name!
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Warming Up Your Designer Mind:
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WHY DO WE WARM UP?
A costume designer is like a detective. When they read a script, they ask themselves key questions to find out important information about the characters. Then, they use that information to imagine what that character might wear. It’s good to practice being a costume detective by staring with someone you know - yourself!
A costume designer is like a detective. When they read a script, they ask themselves key questions to find out important information about the characters. Then, they use that information to imagine what that character might wear. It’s good to practice being a costume detective by staring with someone you know - yourself!
DIRECTIONS:
Print out our costume template or draw an outline of yourself on a blank piece of paper. Use the three prompts below to draw a costume for yourself:
Print out our costume template or draw an outline of yourself on a blank piece of paper. Use the three prompts below to draw a costume for yourself:
- What’s the weather like outside today? Costume designers use seasonal items, like a winter coat or shorts, to show the time of year the play is taking place.
- How are you feeling today? Costume designers often use colors or patterns like stripes and polka dots to show a character’s emotions and personality.
- What’s your favorite thing to do for fun? Costume designers will use accessories like hats, glasses, and jewelry to give clues about what activities a character likes to do.
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Read The Script:
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Now that you’re warmed up and ready to put your costume designer hats on, download a play written by one of our young playwrights and read it together. As you read, listen closely for details that the playwright shares about each of the characters that may be important to add to their costumes. You can even make a list of these details so you don’t forget!
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Showtime!
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Pick a character from the play you just read. Print out our costume template or draw an outline of that character on a blank piece of paper. Use the prompts below to draw a costume for this character:
Amazing job! Now you know how a costume designer decides what every character should wear in a play.
Don’t forget to share photos or videos of your reading by tagging @PYPlaywrights on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
- What kind of world does the character live in? Costume designers use special items, like capes or spacesuits, to show if a play takes place in a different time in history or a different kind of world than our own.
- What is this character’s personality like? Costume designers often use colors or patterns like stripes and polka dots to show a character’s emotions and personality.
- What does this character do for work or fun? Costume designers will use accessories like hats, glasses, and jewelry to give clues about what roles or responsibilities the character has in the play.
- Are there any other important clues you want to give the audience about the character? Add any last details the costume needs to tell the character’s story!
Amazing job! Now you know how a costume designer decides what every character should wear in a play.
Don’t forget to share photos or videos of your reading by tagging @PYPlaywrights on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
Challenger's Revenge
by the 2018-19 Cheltenham Elementary 3rd Grade Playwrights
Two wrestling dynasties are tangled up in a grudge match for more than the title. This is about honesty VS. foul play and unicorn machines VS. magic gloop. Has BLACK MAMBA gone too far -- and will his daughter ever forgive him?
by the 2018-19 Cheltenham Elementary 3rd Grade Playwrights
Two wrestling dynasties are tangled up in a grudge match for more than the title. This is about honesty VS. foul play and unicorn machines VS. magic gloop. Has BLACK MAMBA gone too far -- and will his daughter ever forgive him?
| challengers_revenge_3rd_grade_cheltenham_playwrights.pdf |
