ABSTRACT
In general, the costume is the first thing the spectator sees. It is the costume that creates the first impression on the audience about us. I have mentioned that the first impression about a person
is formed during the first 90 seconds. By this time up to 95% of the impression is formed. The remaining 5% will be formed during the following hours, days, weeks, sometimes months. What I mean is that when we step out on stage the costume must be able to attract the attention of the audience and convey the right impression on the nature of our performance. As the audience is at a certain distance from the performer, the small elements need to be carefully considered. Quite often there will be nothing particular about the costume-it may be a beautiful dress, a pair of modern trousers and a shirt, a short sleeves blouse, a stylish suit. But again: quite often the character may require a special attitude to the costume. We may have to portray an epoch, a profession, represent a mythical or ordinary animal. Sometimes some objects, the weather or geographical concepts may be our “costume.” It is all dependent on the lyrics which contain the specific information and which set the starting point of the stage performance. But it does also depend on our creative interpretation of the character. Some characters may be presented by a dance or a mise-en-scene and that will spare putting on costumes of unusual form and color which will need time and money to create.
