Posted on March 29, 2007
The original Globe Theatre in London, constructed in 1599, was home to the first performances of Shakespeare’s infamous plays. The Globe had a 14-year legacy of introducing some of the most well-known plays throughout the world, until it burned down 14 years later. Although The Globe was rebuilt a year later, a decidedly anti-theatre sentiment overtook London and The Globe was closed in 1642.
It would be over 350 years until the legacy of The Globe theater would continue. A newly constructed Globe theater was built on the original site and continued the celebration of Shakespeare again in 1997.
Jenny Tiramani, currently employed at the Black friar’s Theatre in Staunton, served as the costume designer and set designer for The Globe theater when it opened. In England, both jobs fall under the same heading.
“I think it is for economic reasons,” Tiramani said. She, however, specializes in costume design, and is currently serving as the resident of Black friar’s Theatre in Staunton. Along with working on shows, and finishing books on Elizabethan costumes, Tiramani took the time to come and talk about her experience working at The Globe with JMU’s costume designing and technical costuming classes on Tuesday.
“Before working at The Globe, I was in a contemporary phase,” Tiramani said. “Designing costumes for Shakespeare productions goes in and out of fashion, and I was in a phase where I was designing modern-day costumes for plays.”
When Tiramani came to The Globe, she decided to change her design concept. Her goal was to make the costumes just as realistic and historically accurate as the modern Globe theatre itself. For Tiramani, this meant designing and assembling garments exactly as they would have been in the Elizabethan era, which included using only fabrics available during that age, creating them without the current technological methods of society (including sewing machines) and abiding by the period’s strict code of class attire.
Tiramani brought examples of the fabrics and garments, emphasizing the immense time commitment it takes to replicate the historical clothing. According to Tiramani, Understanding costuming is reliant on comprehending the culture of the time period.
“What if in 400 years someone studying American culture in 2007 saw a picture of a football player in uniform and decided that was how a character in a play should be costumed to communicate that specific culture?” Tiramani said. “That’s why it’s important to understand the culture of a time period to understand costuming. They’re one in the same.”
