Jeff Stolz, Costume Designer for Conference of the Birds, has posted a new article in PanLab.  Click here to check it out!

by Jeff Stolz, Costume Designer

What is the symbol of a bird, or a princess?  How can one become another?  In The Conference of the Birds the costumes are symbols which the actors use to tell the story of this remarkable journey. The performers are not birds; they are using symbolic behavior and movements to convey the idea and symbol of a bird.  Their costumes need to serve the same function.  Tail plumage and wings are implied, but not mimicked, in the cut of the costumes.

The costumes for The Conference of the Birds are based on several ancient clothing forms of the Middle East and China.  There are several aspects that drew me to examine theses forms.  The first and most obvious is that the clothing is contemporary to the original telling of the story.  The majority of the clothing forms that I explored are based on the square and the rectangle.  There are seemingly endless variations of how a square or rectangle can be worn on the human body.  The idea of using these simple shapes works well with how the show is being staged.  Fast!  A performer is a bird, and then becomes a princess, a moth, a king, all very quickly as the story unfolds and they continue on their journey.  The cast needs to be able to reach for an iconic costume piece that they transform and will in turn transform them. 

Each performer wears a base costume that is the color of earth and sand; the starting point of their journey.  The outer garments have touches of color to symbolize the bird portrayed. As each performer moves gives movement to the fabrics and colors they create the illusion of a great flock of colorful birds embarking on their long and arduous journey. 

The garments are sheer and tie onto the body.  The ritualistic action of wrapping, tying, and preparing is also very symbolic of preparing oneself for a journey.  Clothing which ties on is also more secure and will move with the performer no matter how strenuous the movement may be. The sheerness of the garments allows us to see inside. 

As the poem teaches us, the birds already have what they desire within them if only they take the time to see. Thank you for taking this journey with me.  I hope that you find what you are looking for, but then, you may already possess it!

Check out our new video interviews below with director Dipankar Mukherjee for his new show Conference of the Birds running March 12-29, 2009!
Click here to watch the for more information or to reserve tickets to Conference of the Birds!