ABSTRACT
Clothing is about the externals of character, but all clothing represents a choice and is therefore an expression of character. Clothing can go to the very heart and soul of a person or a character. It can relate to the way they use their bodies, sense the world and relate to their chakras. The exercise can be applied to the creation of character, giving the actor and thereby the character, ownership of what they wear so that it is transformed from mere costume to clothing. Sometimes costume is important and should be ‘owned’ by the performer and the character they are playing so as to become not a costume but clothing. In one variation the exercise can be a good way of exploring a recent period, asking actors to find from their home or their families or a charity/thrift shop a piece of clothing specific to a year or decade.
