A Midsummers Night’s Dream

My concept for Midsummer Night’s Dream was to translocate it into 1920s New Orleans. I wanted to find a different kind of interpretation for the 'fairy' characters. The strong voodoo culture in New Orleans caught my interest. I found inspiration for the roles of Oberon and Titania from the king and queen of voodoo in the 1800s, Doctor John and Marie Laveau. The fairy courts style nods toward the New Orleans Mardi Gras with elaborate costume. In working with the ‘real world characters,’ I thought a lot about class distinctions during the 1920s. The mechanicals being a very low class and the main characters coming from a higher status. I saw the mechanicals as a 'band' taking inspiration from the jazz bands of the time with their relaxed style of dress. The main characters, coming from wealth, are much more put together and wear elegant designs in fine fabrics. Creating these distinctions between the three groups is what drove my design choices.