HEAD OVER HEELS, 2024
1st Place Undergraduate Costume Design, SETC Design Competition 2023
Production Photos
All cast (start)
Main cast
(L-R) Mopsa, Pythio, Dametas
Musidorus and Philoclea
Pamela (Act I)
Ensemble
Mopsa, Philoclea, Pamela
All cast (end)
Pythio and Snake Ensemble
Pythio and Snake Ensemble
Pythio as Great Owl
Cleophila, Pamela, and Mopsa
Pamela and Mopsa
Philoclea and Cleophila
Cleophila and Gynecia
Renders
Pamela
Gynecia
Basilius
Philoclea
Musidorus
Cleophila
Mopsa
Pythio
Dametas
Ensemble
Sketches and Process
Pamela Sketches
Mopsa Sketches
Philoclea Sketches
A "Dinah Shore" esque look at the mermaid scene in "Vacation", featuring Mopsa
Design focused on looks reminiscent of animals, no true animal features (tails, ears, etc.) while still keeping an 80's look
The color palette was made to be as tight as possible for this design
Research
World Research: Current Arcadia
World Research: Changing Arcadia
Cleophila Research
Musidorus Research
Ensemble Research
Head Over Heels is a jukebox musical comedy featuring music from the Go-Go's, classical language in verse, and themes of LGBTQ+ identity. Utilizing the music of the Go-Go's led the design into a neon 80's world tinged with aesthetics of ancient Greece due to its location being in the fictional Grecian Arcadia.
Arcadia has broken in two; one side of society is focused on keeping the conservative, Reaganomics-esque status quo, while the other is a punky, colorful world pushing for expression. Some characters are symbols of these respective groups, while others explore between the lines; not unsimilar to a new LGBTQ identity. Characters explore gender, sexuality, and identity, represented in the costumes by changing silhouette and color.
The color palette was kept tight; blue and pink being the focus. These colors are a good shorthand for our modern audience to show a gender divide. Colors that fall outside of this palette display a break in convention that has perpetrated Arcadia. The removal of certain, stiff clothing pieces also displays this idea, representing a sloughing-off of a character’s previous identity.
UM Theatre and Film
April 2024
Director - Rory Ledbetter
Scenic Designer - Jared Spears
Costume Designer - Ava Greer
Lighting Designer - Annalise Caudle
Makeup Designer - Palief Raspberry