Costume Design #1: A Memory of Lizzie

May is not a very significant character in the play, however that is the case for most of the characters in the play except for the stationary protagonist, Lizzie Borden. When we casted our roles in class, I opted for May, so I decided to design her costume as one of my costume designs. Although the play is meant to have a horrific and dull appearance, I decided to keep May's clothes bright and cheerful because the children in the play are not evil and they are innocent. Also, in the beginning of the play, everyone sings the song "Oranges and Lemons" and my design matches that; the shirt being the oranges and the skirt being the lemons. I could not keep everything about this costume happy and cheerful because it is indeed a horror play. So, I decided to make May's boots black and her bow black, because black symbolizes darkness, mystery, and negative connotations. There is not much evidence in the script to determine what May's personality is like. She seems to have an ordinary and typical personality so there is no outrageous aspect to play her role. The clothes that I have chosen are similar to clothing from the Victorian Era as that is when the play is set.