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A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams, is one of the most critically acclaimed plays of the twentieth century. The tragic drama centers on Blanche DuBois after she is forced to move in with her sister and brother-in-law down in New Orleans.

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Costume design is the most personal visual element on stage. A costume plays a very crucial role in a play because it is what ultimately transforms an actor into a character. Costumes help establish time period and location of a play while also indicating a character's identity, economic status, etc. A costume designer is given several responsibilities to make sure everything runs according to plan. We are expected to draft costume charts to determine how many costumes each character will need, determine the dramatic groups in the play and establish color schemes, sketch silhouettes for each costume and render costume plates, and most importantly supervise the construction and fitting of all costumes. It is definitely a lot of work, but it always pays off after every show!

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This short clip can help put some perspective on the different style worn by women during the 1940s.

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1940's Fashion Show in Color - WW2 Women 1941

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The interpretive director would like to produce an accurate interpretation of the script in order to capture the true essence of the play. They wish to provide a visual performance worthy of enlivening the masterpiece behind Tennessee Williams’ work. My job is to support the director in carrying out their vision by providing quality costumes to transport the audience to New Orleans in the late 1940s all from the comfort of their own seat.

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For our Broadway production we are expecting around a $10 million budget, estimating the costume expenses to yield around $300,000. I will use this budget in order to find costumes replicating the style of clothing worn in New Orleans, Louisiana. Not to mention I would also have to take into consideration the time period, as it was just after World War II. With authenticity as top priority, I intend to use the budget to find top quality costumes for the production.

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Blanche Dubois is a deeply troubled woman that would prefer to live in an illusive fantasy than face reality. Despite losing the family wealth and estate, Blanche would continue wearing clothes indicating a wealthier background instead of coming to terms with her situation.

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I would portray her wearing clothes belonging to someone of higher class as well as the accommodating accessories. For this time period accessories include hats, coats, or feathered boas like the one in this picture.

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The director assembles the design team including members working set, sound, lighting, and of course costumes. In order to accurately portray the play's characters, it is essential that the costume designer has a meeting with the director to discuss ideas and conventions. It is then a costume designer's responsibility to ensure costumes work with all aspects of the play.

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Stella Kowalski is a simple woman who appreciates her husband, Stanley Kowalski, as well as her role as an expectant mother and housewife. She chose to leave Belle Reve and make a life with her husband. This is why I would portray her in middle class housewife attire.

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Stanley Kowalski is a working-class man who lives in New Orleans with the company of his wife Stella Kowalski. Since he is of a working-class status, I would dress him in a style similar to this picture indicating the 1940s casual attire.

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Stella will be seen wearing casual dresses often paired with an apron in accordance with her responsibilities in her apartment.

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To effectively portray Stanley's brutishness, I would pair the slacks and dress shoes with a tank top instead of a collared shirt. That way his muscles will be visible and his sweaty top can better portray his threatening masculine presence.

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This is a video portraying the "good housewife" cooking in the kitchen during the late 1940s. This video effectively shows the gender roles and stereotypes which were in place at the time of this play.

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The Good Housewife "In Her Kitchen" (1949)

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To avoid any challenges, I took our $300,000 budget and created a map indicating how much will be put into each costume. I also set aside $50,000 for emergencies in case something unforeseen happens - that way we won't run into trouble. There are not too many economical limitations on a Broadway set because these types of productions can expend more money than say a community play could. By writing out all my expenses beforehand I was able to stay within budget and deliver costumes produced to the best of my ability.

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For starters, A Streetcar Named Desire is the pinnacle of great American plays tackling very taboo topics. Themes of sexual desire, fantasy and delusion, loneliness, and many more are all covered as the play delves into the topic of human imperfection. This play is a classic and should continue being produced and explored.

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This project allowed me to explore the role of a costume designer in a stage play's production. It allowed me to ponder the significance each role has and appreciate the outcome a little bit more knowing all the work that is put into a play. If our mock production was successful, I would hope that the audience could appreciate the craftsmanship of the costumes. A lot of the time small details like costumes or lighting are overlooked when, in reality, the play's overall message would not be as settling had any of these roles been unsuccessful.

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I took on this challenge as costume designer to alleviate this play into excellence. Considering that this is a Broadway production of a critically acclaimed play, it is an honor to see the actors wearing my costumes on stage. Witnessing first-hand all the hard work that goes into being a costume designer allowed me to appreciate the details of this production. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

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Alyssa Garcia
Professor Damgen
TA 2660 - 60
05 December 2021