# data[].attributes.body
A view from the bridge is a two-act modern naturalistic play set 1950s Brooklyn, USA.
At this time, women were housewives and there jobs were to stay at home, cook, clean and look after their husbands and children.
The character of Catherine is perceived as a innocent, free spirited young girl who wants to make everyone happy.
Costume: Catherine's main costume (whilst at home with Beatrice) would be a white cotton button-up collar blouse to symbolise her purity and age throughout the play. Her blouse would be tucked into a long linen zip-up baby blue pencil skirt that goes just below her knees. This symbolises her femininity throughout the play and how she is a well-mannered young woman. She would also be wearing a small cotton button-up baby blue cardigan to symbolise what women would have wore at home in the 1950s and also represents her lady-like characteristics in the play. For footwear, she would be wearing small black buckled kitten heels to show that she is growing into a optimistic young woman and also to show that she to has status in the household. She would also be wearing some tan coloured tights to symbolise that she is a respectable young lady and does not convey with the sexual intentions that society may view her to have.
Accessories that Catherine will have in the play are a pair of small silver mother of pearl earrings, these symbolise her adoption of sophistication as a young woman but also that she has some status in the household along with Eddie, Marco and Ropholodo. She will also have a pure white headband in her hair to symbolise her maturity as a young woman but yet the innocent child that Eddie still views her as.
Catherine will have a light layer of base foundation to enhance her natural complexation. She will also have some light pink rose blusher on her cheeks to enhance her natural youthful complexation and to finish she will have a light layer of matching pink rose lip-gloss to further emphasise her age and her change into her first years of womanhood.
For her hair, Catherine would have shoulder length pure honey blonde hair which would be pin-straight but ever so slightly curled in at the end, this is to symbolise her maturity and also her sophisticated manner as a young woman. She will have a white fabric headband placed across the crown of her head to symbolise her young age but also to enhance her natural elegance.

In the Broadway production of 'A View From The Bridge' the character of Catherine was played by Scarlett Johansson in at the Cort Theater between the 24th of January 2010- the 4th of April 2010.
There are certain elements of the costume designed for Catherine that inspired my own ideas such as the baby blue collar blouse and the classic linen zip-up pencil skirt.
(Catherine: played by Scarlett Johansson on the left, Beatrice: played by Jessica Hecht on the right)

# data[].attributes.body
The play 'A View From A Bridge' is set in the 1950s, this is an important aspect to reminisce over when considering costumes.
Catherine is a very optimistic character. She is kind- hearted and inquisitive, however, her naivety often makes Eddie uneasy.

Her main costume (when she is home), would be relatively naturalistic. She would be wearing a white button shirt/blouse as a representation of her innocence; this would be tucked neatly into a baby blue pencil skirt, this is to connote her positive characteristics and the nylon/poly-cotton pencil skirt (below the knee) would suggest her expected maturity . Also representing her eagerness, Catherine would be seen with a cotton lilac cardigan. when considering shoes, Catherine would be wearing shined black kitten heels to display her transition into women-hood.

Catherine's accessories would consist of tan-colored tights to (again) contribute towards her sophistication as well as a white, skinny, leather belt around her waist to present her figure. in contradiction to this, she may wear a baby blue head band (matching her skirt) to show her purity.

Regarding her hairstyle, Catherine would have a pin curled, medium length hair (directed away from her face) and the top half of her hair on the right hand side would be pinned up and out of her face. The reason for this is because it was seen as 'elegant' and it would be at a medium length due the fact that she was young ( short hair-typical house wife, long hair- Hollywood pin ups).

pertaining to the make-up, Catherine would have a base foundation, light pink blush to emphasize her youth, along with pink lip gloss/ Chapstick to expose her femininity.

In 2010, Catherine was played by Scarlett Johansson in the play, performed at the Cort Theatre. Certain aspects of the costume used in this remake such as the belt, the blouses and the hair style played a big part in finalizing the ideas of my own interpretation of the costume.

# data[].attributes.body
ACT 2

Catherine's costume design will differ significantly to act 1 as she is now in the apparel of men and her own comfort zone (Brooklyn home)

Costume:

-  In this act she would consider putting on a 'display' to attract Rodolpho, whilst trying to make sure Eddie doesn't comment to harshly on her outfit choice
- Her skirt is shorter, making her seem more adult looking rather than child looking and having to remain young for her Eddie
-  as its near Christmas, her brown boots signify the cold and snow outside
- she would have a brochette to signify the delicacy of herself
- A cream cardigan to make her seem sweet and content (good wife material)
- her blouse can have less buttons done up to show more skin, conveying the sexual tensions within the play
- She wears jewelers to show her worth within the household

Her hair wouldn't change much, but she would consider dropping it down as this would make her look older and more interesting

- Long wavy mousy brown hair
- gold clip to hold  one side of the hair back as her parting could be on the side instead of a curtain parting

Make-up will be more significant as she is older and more feminine than that of ACT 1

-

# data[].attributes.body
ACT 1

The character Catherine is extremely naive and the epicenter of all the action. She holds the motivation behind all other characters decisions.

This can influence her choice of costume drastically throughout the play, as in Act 1 were she could be dressed with:

- long pleated skirt, contemporary  colours (blue, cream) below the knee as she hasn't got any reason to display herself maturely at this point in the play. However further on (ACT 2) she would be flaunting herself in front of men so her skirt will be shorter, showing more skin for the objective of attraction (Rodolpho)
- White shirt/blouse with buttons done up to represent her age and her becoming a woman
- Brown loafers to show that shes always ready and on the go if need be. Foreshadowing the rush of ACT 2

Her hair is very attractive, long and well looked after even if she lives within a rough town of Brooklyn; it represents her young femininity within a masculine house. ACT 1  hair:

- Tied up as a side bun, very 1950's style
- Ponytail which resembles her youthfulness before becoming a woman
- She could also have a gold pin to hold her hair back which could of been a sentimental item of her mothers, passed down to her
- Mousey light brown hair, somewhere in between blonde and brunette

Make-up is highly simplistic, highlighting the power of her character without needing to pursue sexual attention from others:

- A light coloured blush, to give colour to the face
- Basic skin complexion which resembles her young age
- Having olive skin tones (Italian) which help to identify her ethnicity without covering herself in too much make-up. 1950's make-up is very simplistic which entailed black eyeliner to emphasize the eyes and a red lipstick to attract men/sexual partner

# data[].attributes.body
The character of Rodolpho leaves many questions in the plot of A View from the Bridge. is free spirited Italian nature often juxta poses the nature of the character of Eddie.

This can be shown through costume as he often wears conflicting styles dude to his immigrant nature and lack of knowledge on the American styles.

Hair- a crucial part of the plot is his Platinum blonde hair, that often led to questions of his sexuality at the time. This hair should be drastic and look fake in order to ass to the mystery of the character. Therefore, it should be more yellow in colour as this is the result that earlier hair dyes would have produced. He should have a 'greaser' hairstyle as this was the emerging pop fashion of the time.

Shirt- a short sleeved sports shirt would have been appropriate for the character as he is often in fashionable clothes due to his 'new money' look. The shirt should also be in a dull primary colour such as yellow or blue. To represent his vibrancy but equally his eternal lower class lifestyle. Underneath the shirt an ivory vest should be worn. This was a common feature of 1950s fashion, especially in working men. It should also be somewhat dirty and stained to contrast his pathetically bright shirt.

Trousers- Rudolpho should wear pleated wide leg trousers, these should be oversized, slightly too baggy at the waist and slightly too long for his legs. This is to show his youth and naivety. It shows how he originally wastes his pay on clothing and shoes. This suggests his youth and therefore his slim body and strength compared to the character of Eddie. These should be lighter grey in colour and made from wool and polyester as this would have been a cheaper blend of fabric for the time.

Belt- a tight and worn brown belt should worn. Perhaps made to look as if multiple button holes have been made to look as if the belt is a 'hand me down'. This gives his character a certain raffish charm.

Shoes- There is reference to new shoes within the play, however, they should not be as m=formal or well made as Alfieri. They should be a basic brown oxford shoe that is made from a rubber sole rather than a leather sole. They should also be laced up incorrectly- to show his working class nature and lack of knowledge in the world of fashion.

# data[].attributes.body
Hair: Alfieri would have grey or black hair and he would have his hair gelled back.  (shows status and it was fashionable in those days)
Clothes: Grey top hat, grey suit and trousers, blue tie and dress shoes.
This was a typical outfit for a lawyer. It shows his status so many people would respect him yet they would be weary of him which is portrayed in the play.

Alfieri is a choral character. He narrates many aspects of the play and yet he also interacts with some of the characters. This requires for him to look very different to the rest of the characters in the play. His attitude doesn't change at all during the play as he views the entirety of the events from a third person point of view

# data[].attributes.body
Period of play: 1950
Hair and makeup: Beatrice's hair would be styled in a pinned back chin length bob in a light brown colour and her makeup would consist of an orange tinted red lipstick, light pink toned blush on her upper cheek bone, light mascara and arched up eyebrows that were darkened. (image below)
(explanation for hair and makeup in part 2)
Clothes: Her clothing style would be an over the knee, relatively loose dress with an apron around her waist. The dress would have short sleeves and it would have a very slight v-neck to accentuate her neck in a very conservative way. Dresses with this cut were seen as making a woman seem more feminine which is what women would strive to be.  The dress would be a warm tone natural colour (brown with a tinge of orange) as that was a status of class and Shoes would be black with a small heel to add femininity and to show simplicity of what her life was lfe.
(explanation for clothes in part 2)

# data[].attributes.body
Shoes- The character of Alfieri may wear heavy Oxford shoes that highlight his wealth and class in comparison to the other characters. The shoes should be fully laced and perforated with a single toe cap- as this was the more traditionalist fashion of the period. Alfieri's character must emanate wisdom, to show this, more traditional styles of clothing should be selected.

Glasses- The 1950a was an era where wearing glasses was not just to help you see better, but also, a fashion statement. Whether you needed glasses or not, they were becoming ever more fashionable. The Ray-ban club master frame would be an appropriate style for Alfieri as it was a more classic style as opposed to the emerging cat eye frame was. These should be in a mottled brown colour, or a dark black to match his tie.

Tie- The tie should be a lengthened and narrowed version of the famous classic tie in the 1940s. The tie should be dark black, not dull, to highlight his higher class and the boldness of his character.

Shirt- The shirts collar should be straight and pointed, without buttons as this was the fashion of the early 1950s. The shirt should also have one small breast pocket, be fitted and have small silver coloured cufflinks to compliment the suit without distracting from its simplicity and splendour. It should also be a porcelain white colour to contrast with the black tie but not so the difference is too drastic, making his suit look cheap.

Suit- He should would wear a charcoal grey suit that is made from wool and with elements of arnel, to show the marriage of old and new America within the character of Alfieri. The jacket should be broad, with padded out shoulders and there should be approximately 1 inch of the shirt sleeve showing at the end of the jacket sleeve. This is to show the porcelain white shirt and highlight the flawless and untarnished nature of Alfieri's character.

Hat- A classic charcoal grey fedora should be added to the costume for scenes that are placed outside etc.
There should also be a slim satin ribbon around the base to add a touch of class and a polished finish to his character.

Hair- a classic slik side pertain would be suitable for Alfieri as it is a timeless style which may have been worn by a conservative family member or a rock 'n' roll misfit. His hair should be dark in colour with elements of grey and silver, to show his older age than the rest of the characters. However, it should be subtle to show how he is not a labourer and has aged gracefully.

With this costume there is the opportunity to 'dress it down' for example in the scene between Alfieri and Eddie, his may undo a shirt button, remove his jacket and roll his sleeves. This is to show how he is a functioning part of the story line, despite his choral responsibilities.

# data[].attributes.body
The character of Alfieri provides a choral figure that is separate from the rest of the play. He almost frames the play in its entirety.

Therefore, his costume has to stand out from the others, it must be immaculate and highlight that he is a narrator separate from the story.

However, his costume must be easily altered so that he can easily slip into the plot of the play.

# data[].attributes.body
Eddie

Navy/ blue overalls tied by arms at the waist

Off white t-shirt with oil and sweat stains

Heavy duty work boots

Dark denim jacket

# data[].attributes.body
Alfieri

# data[].attributes.body
Beatrice is characterised as someone who is married to Eddie. She tends to be on everyone's side and she's seen as the tragic hero as she loses everyone for something that isnt her fault. Her style, due to the period she lived in, would be a warm tone colour scheme with a basic style of dress as for women in the 1950's it was important not to dress in a way that would attract male attention after a woman is married.  Everything she would wear would also be simple because it was something women in the working class would wear. Her hair would be pinned back and short in order to show that she is married and it was a fashion statement in the 1950's as this hairstyle would accentuate the facial features making women appear to be younger.
Her makeup was done in order to give her a more lively appearance. Rosy cheeks would add her youth, arched eyebrows were a fashion statement and a coat of mascara brought attention to the eyes which also added youth to her character.
Beatrice differs from what women were said to be like in the 1950's as she would, on many occasions, stand up to Eddie and she wouldn't submit to his every need like many wives did in those times. She does do the roles of a typical housewife and yet she does stand her ground in many aspects of the play. Her character only truly changes in the aspect that she loses everyone close to her because of something that isn't her fault. She does slowly grow more and more agitated with Eddie and all of the fighting that is happening in her house.

# data[].attributes.body
Alfieri

Dark check suit blazer

One tone black or grey trousers

Briefcase

Black clip-on tie

Slicked back greying hair

Pencil moustache

# data[].attributes.body
Catherine

1950's