Hope Maddox
Costume Design and Technology
A Christmas Carol:
In the Winter of 2022 I costume designed A Christmas Carol at the American Shakespeare Center under director Stephanie Holladay Earl.
For this production I wanted to set the present day of Scrooge in the 1840s when the original book was published. I wanted there to be an obvious difference between his present day and future world versus the past, which the ASC typical sets in the Regency era. One of the easiest ways to show that was through the women’s dress silhouettes so I choose to have the shops build Mrs. Fred and Mrs. Cratchit's dress to reflect the 1840s using 1840s patterns. I keep with the past set in the Regency era and played with more summer-like colors.
We redesigned all three Ghost's this go around and they reflect different seasons: the Past is Spring and Summer, the Present is Fall and Early Winter, and the Future is the grim and lonely Late Winter. I worked to build, the wand for Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, the Ghost of Christmas Future, and Tiny Tim's leg brace. I distressed the Beggar Boy and the Charwoman. My assistant Savannah Bower built the Ghost of Christmas Past.
All Show Photos are Courtesy of the American Shakespeare Center and Anna Kariel Photography.
Featured Article: ASC Christmas Carol Costume Design Article-December 2022
