Today, my group and I began to chose props and costumes for Act 1 Scene 5. To begin, we read through the lines and addressed the setting and tone of the scene. The first thing we noted from the stage cues was that the party was masked and, therefore, mysterious. In order to set this tone, we chose to make masks and have the scene lit by candles. We also concluded that the party was held in a large ballroom with many people dancing to the music. Capulet welcomes the guests while giving orders. Capulet commands that the “musicians, play. A hall, a hall, give room! and foot it, girls” (Shakespeare 39). As Capulet proves, he is demanding and in an authoritative role at the party. Therefore we chose to place me (Capulet) in the front of the room, …show more content…
The costumes were very important to showing the role of people in the party and their effect on others. For example, Romeo instantly falls in love with Juliets and claims the he “ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (Shakespeare 41). Romeo, however, is incapable of seeing her face so he must be seeing a magnificent dress. Since Juliet is beautiful, our costume choice for Ayesha was a brightly colored dress and mask so that the audience’s eyes are drawn to her dress and not distracted by other characters, thus creating a similar effect on the audience. As for Capulet, our costume choice was simply a crown, mask, and formal attire to give him a commanding presence, but not one that cause the audience’s eye to be drawn to him rather than Juliet. Tybalt (David) and Romeo (Justin) were also picked to be in cache pants and button down shirts to look formal, but not special as they are simply guests. Finally, the nurse is dressed in an apron because she is serving the role of a servant like figure who is aiding Juliet. She is not dressed formally as she is not of higher status. These costumes will help focus the audience’s attention on Juliet, and also set the hierarchy of power among the guests without needing verbal cues. Capulet will have the most formal attire and a crown proving his power while the nurse will have on an apron showing her