Carousel Themes

Central to the story of Carousel are the rich, complex, and yet ordinary characters whose relationships narrate the progress of the plot. The characters provide a point of connection with the audience. They serve as vehicles of the performance’s emotion, mood, and style. And they showcase the themes of love and loss, forgiveness and redemption, joy and shame that are so prominent throughout the play. The artistic choices made by the costume designer enable these functions of character, while helping to identify the play’s period, effectively tracing character relationships throughout the dramatic action, and in turn enhancing the audience’s understanding of the themes and style of the performance.

The opening scene of Carousel features a staged

But although the set design draws the eye and captures the attention, it does not effectively establish a context for the opening scene of the performance. Rather, the characters who enter the stage facilitate the audience’s immediate understanding of period and atmosphere. The gentleman who enters dressed in a tailcoat and top hat with long sideburns and mustache, pulled along by a young girl in a blue ruffle dress and pigtails, transports the viewer to late 19th-century or early 20th-century America. The strongman scantily-clad in a leopard fabric leotard and black shoes reminds the audience of our place at a spectacular carnival. The dancing Beauties donning wild hair and feathers, sheers, ruffles, and pink and blue glittered skirts remind of the color and livelihood of performance. Of course the barker, with his red- and white-striped tee, sleeves rolled up, donning suspenders and a black cap asserts his own dominance beside the carousel. The costumes in this opening scene at once enliven and describe the characters who help to establish the period and mood of the carnival. Throughout the remainder of the

Carrie is dressed in all pink with a ruffled blouse and skirt, and carries a large, brown purse. Julie wears a simple, white blouse tucked into a flowing purple skirt, with a belt around her waist and smaller purse by her side. The overwhelming pink effectively communicates the femininity, romanticism, and vibrancy of Carrie’s fleeting personality. The larger purse and fluidity of her costume reflect her loudness and freedom of spirit. Julie’s costume, in comparison, represents the simplicity of her character, her modest and sweet temperament, her strength of will, and a hint of her loyal passion, albeit confined a bit at the waist. Particularly in this first encounter with two of the play’s main characters, the designer meticulously crafts each costume to represent and embody the two characters on stage and to effectively complement their interaction. This first impression provides a basis for the audience to gauge and understand the dynamic relationship between Carrie and Julie, especially as it develops throughout the remainder of the