Interview: Daniel Carter - "In The Blood"
Daniel Carter is a second-year MFA Design and Technology student. He is the costume designer for In The Blood.
What is your inspiration for your costume design for In the Blood?
This show has two worlds, the world of the displaced and the world of the settled. The homeless create their surroundings from items found or recieved. Throughout this show with Hester’s family, there are different articles of clothing created from items one would find on the street of an urban setting where the patterns and textures intentionally don’t match. Their clothes are designed as a level of protection and functionality. The world of those with money is different, each item has been hand picked, carefully tailored, and given bold and vivid colors. Their looks are designed for aesthetic.
How do you view each character, and what were your concepts for each of them?
In my mind, each of these characters is both a representation of an actual person Hester has interacted with, but the people also represents a function of our society. These functions are the homeless, medical, welfare, religion, friendship, and love.
The children were a unique challenge as they are played by Adults. Martin encouraged me to find each of the actor’s inner child. Their costumes allow them to play and move around the stage in a way that creates an alternate to their adult counterpart.
Why do you think this play is important to today? What makes it relevant?
Telling the story of the homeless on stage has been revealing and eye-opening. The policies and systems set up to aide and assist the impoverished are created by people who don’t understand what the homeless interact with on a day to day basis. Hester’s voice and her needs are so quickly dismissed by the people claiming to help her. Their focus is meeting their needs so they can leave as quick as possible.
I recognize the responsibility UGA has given me in designing this show. I have really tried to avoid stereotypes of the characters in this show recognizing I am not a person of color and a male. With the charge of Martin, the homeless in this show wear worn clothes, but not “dirty” clothes. Hester is a mother and watches over her children and cares for them. The choices she makes in this show pull so many emotions from me it is difficult to express.
If you could, then how can you briefly describe In the Blood in just a few words?
Raw, eye opening, powerful, emotional.
In the Blood opens February 15 in the Cellar Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at ugatheatre.com/blood