K L A R A  L A N D I N  L A R S S O N
Costume design and making




This Medea is inspired by the very foundations of classic greek dramatic theatre - going back to look at the way character traits were enhanced by exaggeration in movement and dress, and how the same actors shifted between different roles by putting on a different mask. The research led way into another part of the play: Medea is often described as the first feminist play, featuring a multidimensional woman as protagonist. It explores motherhood, inequality between the sexes, and the situation of immigrants, among many other themes. This very clear feminist label invites exploration of one of the core themes of modern feminism: the notion of gender as constructed, of femininity / masculinity as roles learned to play from an early stage, costumes and masks grown into as we wander through life. Playing with our perception of power related to gender roles - what in the typically masculine image is read as powerful, and why -  and what happens if it’s removed, or distorted? All the characters were approached in a similar way, trying to pinpoint their particular role in the play, and using - often exaggerating - their assigned traits, all to put a finger on the fact that society is constructed and that the roles we might play so effortlessly in the end aren’t more than just that - a role, a costume. Contrary to this, Medea is depicted in a slightly different manner. Because she is portrayed as different in the play, she is a foreigner, and it’s always her perspective that is served to the audience - she partakes in every single scene and we get to see all the different sides to her character, so in a way she’s the most human, the most plausible and ”true” person, as we are shown all her nuances. But - she’s is also a coldblooded murderer.
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