I have been reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. I know that they are a very controversial couple among certain groups because of their specific interpretations of what it means to be a man or a woman. However, putting certain bits aside, I have benefited greatly from reading this book.
The key point is that if you are not satisfied with yourself as a woman, it is because you are not being who you want to be and were created to be. Sin and the devil have attacked you both within and without because true Beauty is weapon of their greatest enemy. True Beauty is living confident of being loved by Jesus. When we know His love, we are freed from sin and the lies of the devil. We don't have to conform to the expectations place on us by ourselves or by others. We are free to be who we were created to be.
The book goes through and helps define where we have picked up wounds in our past that have made us hide who we really are, create defenses so we don't get hurt, and put on a mask that is acceptable to the people we want to satisfy. It focuses on wounds given to girls and women by their families (father, mother, husbands), but it can be applied to wounds given by others (girlfriends, the church, co-workers, etc).
After seeing what the wounds are, it shows ways that different women react - the different defenses that they put up. Whether or not my defenses look like their examples, the truth remains that when I have been wounded, I put up defenses. I have hidden myself so I don't get hurt by "them" anymore. But it doesn't stop there.
The part I just read was a meditation of Jesus' love for us. I don't know how to write about it because it could sound so cheesy or ordinary, but going through the meditation was beautiful. Thinking from different perspectives about how much God loves me soothed aches that I didn't even know had existed previously. It was beautiful and thrilling.
I know the book isn't for everyone, but I also know that Jesus is. His love grows more and more beautiful the more I learn about it. And I hope that it is changing me, making me to be the woman I was created to be.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Dust of Snow
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
~ Robert Frost
Last night as we came home, it was frigid. So cold that the snow squeaked, not crunched. Today it was really cold too - around 9 degrees. I hung a curtain over our front door to help stop some of the drafts. (We also used it to make a tent for part of the day.) As I drove to a Ladies Bible Study tonight, the gusts across the interstate were a little scary. And my nose didn't warm up until I got home after the study. However, the snow and the cold were making me feel rather poetic.
I never know just where to go,
when all the world is full of snow.
I do not want to make a track,
not even to the shed and back.
I only want to watch and wait,
while snow moths settle on the gate,
and swarming frostflakes fill the trees
with billions of albino bees.
I only want myself to be
as silent as a winter tree,
to hear the swirling stillness grow,
when all the world is full of snow.
~ N.M. Bodecker
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Walking in the Snow (Eamon Update)
On January 5, Eamon started walking. I am saying that date because ever since then he has had much more confidence and desire to walk. He now walks on his own about 50% of the time, walking holding on to something 40% of the time, and crawling only 10% of the time he is moving about.
He has also learned to climb off Mommy and Daddy's bed, instead of falling off. And he is learning how to slide down the stairs. He knows how to climb up onto the piano bench, but can't get down by himself. He cannot climb down the step ladder either.
He is a lot less frightened of falling too. This is what scares me the most. Until he started walking, he had a healthy respect for gravity's pull. However, now he seems to not really care that the edge of the couch is right behind him and he will deliberately scootch his little bum to the edge. Then when he falls off, he cries not usually his hurt cry, but his cry of injustice and frustration. There have been a few occasions when he has fallen and it scares him or he hits his head, but we haven't had too many accidents...yet.
He enjoys falling over sometimes. In fact, he has this game that he plays. I will try to get him to walk to me and he takes a few steps and sits down... plop... and giggles and says in his baby way "fall down." Then I will help him back up and he does it again, and again. If I don't help him back up, he leans back (and I make sure to catch him so he doesn't crack his head against the floor) and falls flat on his back. He then wallows about playing with his feet, rolling over and over, until finally he ends up on his belly and we play the "Pretend Eamon is a Pillow" game. He also enjoys games like "Ring around the Rosie" and "Humpty Dumpty" and anything else with falling down in it.
I love his interactive and imaginative play now. I think this week he understood the idea of being a dog or a monkey. I rubbed is head and said, "oh look at my little puppy. Let me scratch him behind the ears." Eamon sat up and rubbed his head behind his ears and made puppy sounds.
He (finally) waves "bye-bye" which is so fun to watch as we leave places. He doesn't seem to get it when people leave him though. He also claps when he hears applause and when he sees a alligator (SNAP, goes the alligator's mouth) and when he has done something naughty that he usually gets his hand smacked for, such as playing with the stereo system. It is rather funny; he will touch something he isn't allowed to, then clap his hands with a serious look on his face. Then he looks at me to see what I am going to do and grins his most charming grin. What a kid!
Today we took him out into the snow. I didn't put him in the knee-deep for him snow, and kept him mostly to the shoveled walk and driveway. He helped clean the snow off the car with his mittens and stepped out of his boot into the wet slush left from where Thomas had already shoveled. He liked being outside until that point and was happy to go in, but as soon as he had his coat and boots off, he wanted to go out again. He was scared of our neighbor's snow-blower until I watched it through the window with him. Then he liked it. And he especially like seeing people he knew, like his Daddy shoveling, and our friends who dropped by briefly, through the window.
Oh, he also has his two top molars. And his bottom gums are all swollen. The result of this has driven his mother crazy on a quite a few days. He gets so destructive and crazy and whiny and he won't nap, I am nearly driven out of my mind. However, he has also begun to learn calming down, like sitting quietly on mommy's or daddy's lap, or being in his crib listening to music for a while. So when he gets too crazy, we just are quiet for a while and that helps - both by calming him down, and by restoring my sanity.
Every day, I love this child more. You know, love is a beautiful thing. The more you give, the more you have to give. Even on rotten days, when I remember that and give him a cuddle or a kiss or read him a book or focus just on him, I am filled with such love and happiness that it wipes away the rottenness for a while. And often, I get cuddles and kisses/slobbers back.
He has also learned to climb off Mommy and Daddy's bed, instead of falling off. And he is learning how to slide down the stairs. He knows how to climb up onto the piano bench, but can't get down by himself. He cannot climb down the step ladder either.
He is a lot less frightened of falling too. This is what scares me the most. Until he started walking, he had a healthy respect for gravity's pull. However, now he seems to not really care that the edge of the couch is right behind him and he will deliberately scootch his little bum to the edge. Then when he falls off, he cries not usually his hurt cry, but his cry of injustice and frustration. There have been a few occasions when he has fallen and it scares him or he hits his head, but we haven't had too many accidents...yet.
He enjoys falling over sometimes. In fact, he has this game that he plays. I will try to get him to walk to me and he takes a few steps and sits down... plop... and giggles and says in his baby way "fall down." Then I will help him back up and he does it again, and again. If I don't help him back up, he leans back (and I make sure to catch him so he doesn't crack his head against the floor) and falls flat on his back. He then wallows about playing with his feet, rolling over and over, until finally he ends up on his belly and we play the "Pretend Eamon is a Pillow" game. He also enjoys games like "Ring around the Rosie" and "Humpty Dumpty" and anything else with falling down in it.
I love his interactive and imaginative play now. I think this week he understood the idea of being a dog or a monkey. I rubbed is head and said, "oh look at my little puppy. Let me scratch him behind the ears." Eamon sat up and rubbed his head behind his ears and made puppy sounds.
He (finally) waves "bye-bye" which is so fun to watch as we leave places. He doesn't seem to get it when people leave him though. He also claps when he hears applause and when he sees a alligator (SNAP, goes the alligator's mouth) and when he has done something naughty that he usually gets his hand smacked for, such as playing with the stereo system. It is rather funny; he will touch something he isn't allowed to, then clap his hands with a serious look on his face. Then he looks at me to see what I am going to do and grins his most charming grin. What a kid!
Today we took him out into the snow. I didn't put him in the knee-deep for him snow, and kept him mostly to the shoveled walk and driveway. He helped clean the snow off the car with his mittens and stepped out of his boot into the wet slush left from where Thomas had already shoveled. He liked being outside until that point and was happy to go in, but as soon as he had his coat and boots off, he wanted to go out again. He was scared of our neighbor's snow-blower until I watched it through the window with him. Then he liked it. And he especially like seeing people he knew, like his Daddy shoveling, and our friends who dropped by briefly, through the window.
Oh, he also has his two top molars. And his bottom gums are all swollen. The result of this has driven his mother crazy on a quite a few days. He gets so destructive and crazy and whiny and he won't nap, I am nearly driven out of my mind. However, he has also begun to learn calming down, like sitting quietly on mommy's or daddy's lap, or being in his crib listening to music for a while. So when he gets too crazy, we just are quiet for a while and that helps - both by calming him down, and by restoring my sanity.
Every day, I love this child more. You know, love is a beautiful thing. The more you give, the more you have to give. Even on rotten days, when I remember that and give him a cuddle or a kiss or read him a book or focus just on him, I am filled with such love and happiness that it wipes away the rottenness for a while. And often, I get cuddles and kisses/slobbers back.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Les Miserable (The Movie)
It is no secret that I love the story of Les Miserables. It is one of my favorite novels and my favorite musical, so I suppose it isn't too surprising that now it is being added to one of my favorite movies.
In spite of some of my earliest fears, I was very pleased with the casting choices. Hugh Jackman is a favorite actor and I have really appreciated Anne Hathaway's roles recently. Finding the right Eponine was very important to me and I am glad they went with one I was familiar with. And Amanda Seyfried's Cosette was sympathetic (as opposed to some versions, where she is annoying). The Thenadier's were the right balance of self-importance and humor - enough humanity to make them tolerable, but enough arrogance to make they despicable, if that makes any sense.
One of the problems with the musical is that if not done just right, the second half looses momentum or the first half feels just like a long prologue. This version, however, I felt got it exactly right. The history built up the second half but didn't overshadow it. In fact Javert's response to the "miserables" held the story together. At the same time, the audience was able to get to know new characters without feeling overwhelmed or getting lost.
Perhaps my favorite bits were little references to the book that you just can't get from a stage performance. One was Valjean's jump in to the water after the hospital scene references the way he was caught and taken back to hard labor, was presumed drowned, but had really escaped to go get Cosette. Another was the elephant that Gavroche lived in with the street boys. Also, after Eponine dies, the camera rests briefly on Gavroche, who we know to be her brother from the novel. The death of Grantaire and Enjolras also referenced that horrible, yet touching scene in the book. Little things like that, and there were many, and I am sure I didn't catch them all because the book is not fresh in my mind, added depth to the story.
In fact, the camaraderie of the students let me like them better than I have before. I mean, I liked Marius and Enjolras before, but I liked that all of them were noble and passionate characters, and completely human at the same time. In fact from the "Red and Black" scene on, I knew that the barricade would break my heart. They were good friends, they laughed together and at each other, but they also worked together and would (and did) die for each other. It made Marius's "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" all the more heartbreaking. I half thought during that song, there would be flashbacks showing them all-together again instead of their ghosts appearing like they do in the stage version. But because you saw that camaraderie before, their absence was felt without being shown.
In spite of how much I loved it, I did find a few things distracting and a few things that I didn't really like. Many people have written about Russel Crowe's voice. The only place I wanted it to be bigger was when he sang "Stars" because in that song, he isn't appealing to himself, but a higher law, and I wanted his voice to reflect the grandeur he saw in that law. But I suppose it isn't quite fair to compare him with Philip Quast who sings it on my recording. While on the subject of voices, there were a few songs where I thought they were just a little out of Hugh Jackman's comfortable range. He could sing them and hit all the notes, but I felt a that in a few places he wanted to be quieter, but couldn't because it was just too high. That made me wonder if he is more of a baritone/bass than a tenor/baritone. I don't know, I just wonder. I also didn't like his song "Suddenly" - the one about getting Cosette and that changing everything, and the reference later when he said that she taught him to love, because I felt that was contrary to all the story until that point. He learned to love after the priest showed him God's love and forgiveness. Taking Cosette was just one outworking of that love.
I think my biggest complaint was the use of close-ups. I know that it was intentional because the director wanted the audience to see everything going on underneath the surface of the face, but I felt that it was over-used. I wanted to see not only what the character was thinking and feeling, but also the space he was interacting with. The way Thomas said it was, "If you have that much screen, why only use close-ups?" Grandeur and intimacy, freedom and condemnation, hopelessness and joy can be shown by focusing on the face, but also by putting the face as part of a bigger picture. I wouldn't say don't use any close-ups; I just felt they were a bit over-used.
My final complaint was Heaven being depicted as the barricade. The words, "We will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord, we will walk behind the plowshare, we will put away the sword..." being linked with the large red flags and the barricade seemed to be rather ironic to me, as if even although they are all together, they still have a battle to fight. I thought that it would be beautiful imagery if they all started pulling apart the barricade: fixing the things broken, using them for their intended purposes, making the tables back into a place to share food together, the beds back into places of rest, and the piano back into something that could bring joy to everyone. But I suppose that could be difficult to show and really convey the meaning.
In spite of these complaints, which I know are matters of preference and personal opinions, I loved the movie. My favorite part was Colm Wilkenson playing the part of the priest, then singing at the end, "And remember, the truth that once was spoken, to love another person is to see the face of God." I love his voice and his acting, but I also love the fact that Colm Wikenson has passed on the torch of Jean Valjean to Hugh Jackman (who many people will very likely see as "the" Jean Valjean) just like the priest passed on the Love of God he received and started the story of giving Love to others.
In spite of some of my earliest fears, I was very pleased with the casting choices. Hugh Jackman is a favorite actor and I have really appreciated Anne Hathaway's roles recently. Finding the right Eponine was very important to me and I am glad they went with one I was familiar with. And Amanda Seyfried's Cosette was sympathetic (as opposed to some versions, where she is annoying). The Thenadier's were the right balance of self-importance and humor - enough humanity to make them tolerable, but enough arrogance to make they despicable, if that makes any sense.
One of the problems with the musical is that if not done just right, the second half looses momentum or the first half feels just like a long prologue. This version, however, I felt got it exactly right. The history built up the second half but didn't overshadow it. In fact Javert's response to the "miserables" held the story together. At the same time, the audience was able to get to know new characters without feeling overwhelmed or getting lost.
Perhaps my favorite bits were little references to the book that you just can't get from a stage performance. One was Valjean's jump in to the water after the hospital scene references the way he was caught and taken back to hard labor, was presumed drowned, but had really escaped to go get Cosette. Another was the elephant that Gavroche lived in with the street boys. Also, after Eponine dies, the camera rests briefly on Gavroche, who we know to be her brother from the novel. The death of Grantaire and Enjolras also referenced that horrible, yet touching scene in the book. Little things like that, and there were many, and I am sure I didn't catch them all because the book is not fresh in my mind, added depth to the story.
In fact, the camaraderie of the students let me like them better than I have before. I mean, I liked Marius and Enjolras before, but I liked that all of them were noble and passionate characters, and completely human at the same time. In fact from the "Red and Black" scene on, I knew that the barricade would break my heart. They were good friends, they laughed together and at each other, but they also worked together and would (and did) die for each other. It made Marius's "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" all the more heartbreaking. I half thought during that song, there would be flashbacks showing them all-together again instead of their ghosts appearing like they do in the stage version. But because you saw that camaraderie before, their absence was felt without being shown.
In spite of how much I loved it, I did find a few things distracting and a few things that I didn't really like. Many people have written about Russel Crowe's voice. The only place I wanted it to be bigger was when he sang "Stars" because in that song, he isn't appealing to himself, but a higher law, and I wanted his voice to reflect the grandeur he saw in that law. But I suppose it isn't quite fair to compare him with Philip Quast who sings it on my recording. While on the subject of voices, there were a few songs where I thought they were just a little out of Hugh Jackman's comfortable range. He could sing them and hit all the notes, but I felt a that in a few places he wanted to be quieter, but couldn't because it was just too high. That made me wonder if he is more of a baritone/bass than a tenor/baritone. I don't know, I just wonder. I also didn't like his song "Suddenly" - the one about getting Cosette and that changing everything, and the reference later when he said that she taught him to love, because I felt that was contrary to all the story until that point. He learned to love after the priest showed him God's love and forgiveness. Taking Cosette was just one outworking of that love.
I think my biggest complaint was the use of close-ups. I know that it was intentional because the director wanted the audience to see everything going on underneath the surface of the face, but I felt that it was over-used. I wanted to see not only what the character was thinking and feeling, but also the space he was interacting with. The way Thomas said it was, "If you have that much screen, why only use close-ups?" Grandeur and intimacy, freedom and condemnation, hopelessness and joy can be shown by focusing on the face, but also by putting the face as part of a bigger picture. I wouldn't say don't use any close-ups; I just felt they were a bit over-used.
My final complaint was Heaven being depicted as the barricade. The words, "We will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord, we will walk behind the plowshare, we will put away the sword..." being linked with the large red flags and the barricade seemed to be rather ironic to me, as if even although they are all together, they still have a battle to fight. I thought that it would be beautiful imagery if they all started pulling apart the barricade: fixing the things broken, using them for their intended purposes, making the tables back into a place to share food together, the beds back into places of rest, and the piano back into something that could bring joy to everyone. But I suppose that could be difficult to show and really convey the meaning.
In spite of these complaints, which I know are matters of preference and personal opinions, I loved the movie. My favorite part was Colm Wilkenson playing the part of the priest, then singing at the end, "And remember, the truth that once was spoken, to love another person is to see the face of God." I love his voice and his acting, but I also love the fact that Colm Wikenson has passed on the torch of Jean Valjean to Hugh Jackman (who many people will very likely see as "the" Jean Valjean) just like the priest passed on the Love of God he received and started the story of giving Love to others.
Friday, January 04, 2013
Janus
I was reading BBC this morning and a Cambridge professor gave a little talk about the Roman's view of the new year. One of the things she mentioned was the god Janus, who gave us the name January. He was the god of beginnings and transitions, doorways and time. He has a face looking backward, so that we can learn from where we came from, and a forward looking face to encourage us to look forward to what may come. The professor mentioned that one of the things he is always doing is looking for peace and war, with the goal to capture war in his own temple and let peace run free throughout the world.
It made me remember that the turn of the year is a good time to look back and look forward. Changes happen every year, sometimes physical, sometimes spiritual, sometimes emotional. It is often hard to describe these changes because they happen so slowly, but as you look back you see how far you have come.
Physically, I haven't changed that much. Well, I have had to go up a size or two in clothes because giving birth and breast feeding have changed my shape a bit, but I weigh about the same I did before I became pregnant with Eamon. I have a few more wrinkles around my eyes when I smile and a few more aches and pains occasionally - signs that I am getting older, in spite of the fact that I feel rather young.
Emotionally, I feel that I am in a much better place. Having a loving and supportive husband goes a long way in letting me be who I am at my best and encouraging my better attributes (while loving me in spite of my negative ones). Having a child who is learning to love (and give cuddles and kisses when asked) is precious and reminds me that even when I get annoyed at him, I am still loved. For example, this morning, after a terrible night, he woke me up with kisses on my cheeks and forehead. And my family is wonderful and I delight in their company, both hanging out with them and talking with them on the phone. And I made a good friend this year who had taught me a lot about having good girl friends who you can call for encouragement, but also who will call you when she needs encouragement. It has taught me also about how the church ought to work and what I can do to make it work better.
And spiritually, this year has been a long journey. I enjoy and look forward to my Bible Study time and the Bible has taken on new and fresh meanings. I have been freed to ask questions again and be ok with not knowing all the answers. I have been able to see and know that God loves me and is working in me and through me. I have been able to see my limitations, not necessarily, as sins but as opportunities to give others the freedom to serve. And I have been able to better take responsibility for my sin without plunging into guilt and shame.
Looking toward the future is both fun and scary because I have no clue what it will hold. Physically, I hope to exercise more regularly; even if it isn't much or hard-core exercising, I want to spend a bit of time consciously working to make my body stronger and healthier. Emotionally, I want to be better at sharing the love I have been given. I want to be more honest but also more loving, not avoiding conflict just for the sake of discomfort, but seeking peace in all my relationships. I want to be a better friend, a better mom, and a better wife. But most importantly, I don't want my emotions to define my identity, but rather my identity in Christ to guide my emotions. And spiritually, I want to be better at giving thanks. Rather than spending most of my prayer time in asking for things of personal comfort, I want spend more time in thanksgiving and prayer for the good of others. I want to continue to have focused Bible study times and understand the depths of God's love more.
Each of these forward looking things are steps on a journey, not a destination, because I know that I will not achieve all I want to in this year. But they are goals that I can always come back to, even when I mess up. Phillipians 3:10-14 have been my "theme verse" and continue to be as I face a new year.
It made me remember that the turn of the year is a good time to look back and look forward. Changes happen every year, sometimes physical, sometimes spiritual, sometimes emotional. It is often hard to describe these changes because they happen so slowly, but as you look back you see how far you have come.
Physically, I haven't changed that much. Well, I have had to go up a size or two in clothes because giving birth and breast feeding have changed my shape a bit, but I weigh about the same I did before I became pregnant with Eamon. I have a few more wrinkles around my eyes when I smile and a few more aches and pains occasionally - signs that I am getting older, in spite of the fact that I feel rather young.
Emotionally, I feel that I am in a much better place. Having a loving and supportive husband goes a long way in letting me be who I am at my best and encouraging my better attributes (while loving me in spite of my negative ones). Having a child who is learning to love (and give cuddles and kisses when asked) is precious and reminds me that even when I get annoyed at him, I am still loved. For example, this morning, after a terrible night, he woke me up with kisses on my cheeks and forehead. And my family is wonderful and I delight in their company, both hanging out with them and talking with them on the phone. And I made a good friend this year who had taught me a lot about having good girl friends who you can call for encouragement, but also who will call you when she needs encouragement. It has taught me also about how the church ought to work and what I can do to make it work better.
And spiritually, this year has been a long journey. I enjoy and look forward to my Bible Study time and the Bible has taken on new and fresh meanings. I have been freed to ask questions again and be ok with not knowing all the answers. I have been able to see and know that God loves me and is working in me and through me. I have been able to see my limitations, not necessarily, as sins but as opportunities to give others the freedom to serve. And I have been able to better take responsibility for my sin without plunging into guilt and shame.
Looking toward the future is both fun and scary because I have no clue what it will hold. Physically, I hope to exercise more regularly; even if it isn't much or hard-core exercising, I want to spend a bit of time consciously working to make my body stronger and healthier. Emotionally, I want to be better at sharing the love I have been given. I want to be more honest but also more loving, not avoiding conflict just for the sake of discomfort, but seeking peace in all my relationships. I want to be a better friend, a better mom, and a better wife. But most importantly, I don't want my emotions to define my identity, but rather my identity in Christ to guide my emotions. And spiritually, I want to be better at giving thanks. Rather than spending most of my prayer time in asking for things of personal comfort, I want spend more time in thanksgiving and prayer for the good of others. I want to continue to have focused Bible study times and understand the depths of God's love more.
Each of these forward looking things are steps on a journey, not a destination, because I know that I will not achieve all I want to in this year. But they are goals that I can always come back to, even when I mess up. Phillipians 3:10-14 have been my "theme verse" and continue to be as I face a new year.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Final Costuming Post
Here are a few other photos from the play.
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| Orlando and Adam |
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| Jaques and Duke Senior |
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| Silvius and Phebe |
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| Lady Frederick and Duke Frederick |
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| Orlando, Rosalind (Ganymede), and Celia (Aliena) |
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| Spying on Phebe and Silvius |
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| Phebe and Silvius |
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| Touchstone threatening William |
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| Oliver and Celia (But for the bloody napkin!) |
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| Touchstone and Audrey |
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| Wedding Scene |
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| Jaques de Boyes (played by my brother, the director) |
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| CAST PHOTO |
Costuming 5: The Beard
In our interpretation, Sir Oliver Martext was actually a decent man, he was just a back wood preacher. So he served as our Hymen too. However, the actor also played Adam and has a very youthful face. To help both give him age and to build his characters, we gave him facial hair. A grey mustache for Adam and a big ole beard for Sir Oliver Martext.I have made facial hair pieces in the past, and reusable ones at that. By attaching the crepe hair to netting or tulle, it can be removed for future performances, saving hours of prep time. However, for each of those, the hair was supposed to stay on the entire performance (mostly). And I had time to build the facial hair piece on the actor.
For this piece I had neither of those options. The Beard could not be glued to the actor's face, but able to be added and removed easily. And I had no time to build it on him since I made it either the day or the day before the play opened. I also realized that my latex glue was completely dried up and the spirit gum was glued shut.
I took a brown felt ribbon and in the middle sewed a little piece forming a little pocket for the chin to fit into. That way it wouldn't slip while he talked. Using our Yorick Skull (that we got for our pirate party), I glued the tulle onto the ribbon with felt glue. I then untied the ribbon and added the beard hair, still using felt glue. The funny thing about felt glue is that it doesn't dry as quickly and leaves all sorts of residue on fingers and combs and scissors and anything that it touches, but at least it dries clear. I used a lot of glue, but some of the hair still didn't want to stick.It was a tricky, sticky process. But when it was done, I was very proud of it.
Costuming 4: Phebe's Wedding Dress
In our telling of the story, Phebe was a lady of Duke Senior's court who was banished with him. In her banishment, she was "discovered" by Silvius, a local farmer, who desired her hand in marriage. She thought herself to far above him in education and literacy, so was quite attracted to the intelligent shepherd Ganymede. Her dress, while not the height of fashion was to have a little taste of the Court.Similar to Rosalind's, Phebe's dress was made out of a lace table cloth. However, this tablecloth was much heavier, so I had to make the dress in two pieces, a skirt and top. Because of the pattern of flowers, I made a straight skirt attached to a waistband. The top was similar in style to Rosalind's, except it had a side opening. The velcro wasn't really strong enough to hold the weight of the material and was always coming undone. Fortunately, she too had an under-dress.
I didn't get to finish her dress either. It was supposed to have lace over the shoulder straps that matched the pattern of the dress. And I wanted to make the side openings a little stronger. But I think it looked really good on her.
Costuming 3: Rosalind's Wedding Dress
The plan was to make three flapper dresses that could be used in the court scenes, then slightly altered for the wedding scene. After using an old sheet and some lining material to make some low-waisted knee-length dresses, I realized that this plan was going to be a lot of work. People also began mentioning flapper style dresses that they had and the two huge sequined dresses that I had also fueled my creativity.To make a long story short, Rosalind, Celia, and Lady Frederick (Lord 1, in the script) had one set of dresses and Rosalind, Celia, Audrey, and Phebe had another set of dresses. We borrowed Rosalind and Celia's court dresses. I altered Lady Frederick's dress and Celia's wedding dress. I let Audrey use one of my dresses (which just so happened to be Phebe's wedding dress when I performed the play) and made Rosalind and Audrey's wedding dresses.
Searching for inspiration in the many boxes of material in our props room, I found some old tablecloths donated because they were stained. I brought them home, sprayed them with stain remover, and washed them. I then brought out my mother's dress form and began playing around. After draping fabric and pinning and re-pinning, I had a dress I was some what pleased with. Please remember that I had already made the under-dresses, so it wasn't just a lace dress.Using half the tablecloth, I positioned the center of the table cloth in the center of chest. I then draped it so the hem was even and cut under the armholes. I held out the extra material in the back and pinned it closer fitting in the top, but gradually becoming the full width of the table cloth by the hem. Then using some of the other half of the table cloth, I made strips to go over the shoulders.
The trick was getting it off the dress form and sewn together. By neglecting my poor baby, I managed to get it done in about a day. It is accented with roses (hand sewn on by my loving mother) and a ribbon to cover up some mistakes. The ribbon ties in the back. I wanted to have good closings, but I had to settle for velcro because of the time crunch. I also don't know how I would get the closing I want without making an under-dress that I would attach the dress to, but since the dress has a back closure and the under-dress that I had made has a side closure, it didn't work with this one.The finished product was a straight dress, with enough elegance to fit Rosalind's past, but enough simplicity to fit her current situation. Now that I have had time to look at it and think about it, I have a few things I would have done differently, but alas, Time has a way of doing that, but I know what to do if we ever use it in another 20's play.
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