Kabaal en Liefde
by Schiller
2014
Assignment Costume Design and Dramaturgy.
The play is set in a fictive interpretation of ‘Apartheid’; but instead of an opposition between coloured people and white people, here we find a division between rich and poor.
The rich world is marked by an extremely artificial and dehumanized institution, whereas the poor people are still in touch with reality and nature. The division between the two populations is shown through the use of contrasting materials.
The wealthy are dressed in different types of plastic and simili-leather. These costumes are blatantly artificial, and therefore make the characters seem strained and even anguished.
The poor people, on the other hand, are dressed with natural fabrics, such as light cotton, which makes us relate to these characters more, and makes them seem more human.
