I’m working on some costume design for PCC’s upcoming production of Everyman, a 15th century allegorical morality play about Everyman’s reckoning with Death and, ultimately, God.

Everyman, in this case, is going to be one of the only actors who isn’t a giant, fantastic, steampunk-inspired puppet.  Everyman will also be played by many different actors throughout the play so the challenge was to make a costume that harmonizes with the pre-existing steampunk theme, is representative of Everyman AND is easily donned by actors of many shapes, sizes and genders.  This is what I came up with.

To me, Everyman is “trapped” in his myopic selfish individuality and unable to see through the human illusion of separateness and into the truth of his togetherness with God.  Until he can act on the Knowledge of this togetherness through Good Deeds, he is damned.  So, the chains and the cage-like hat represent that mentally “trapped” state, a prison of his own making, and the eye makeup represents his “blindness”/ignorance to his togetherness with God.

I took inspiration from pictures of archaic prison technology from Discipline and Punish.  The lock over his heart is based on a real lock from a Victorian insane asylum.

Everything will be metallic colored (tarnished silver?) but not necessarily actual metal.  I plan on making the hat comfortable to wear with padding protecting actor’s heads from anything pokey or rubby.  I’m thinking about fitting elastic on the inside to make the hat secure yet one-size-fits-all.  I could also add a chin strap for extra security, it depends on how heavy and large it ends up being.

I hope the rest of the creative team likes it!  I’m excited to share this idea with them.

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