L’Enfant et les Sortilèges is a one-act opera by Maurice Ravel. It tells the story of a mischievous young boy who, after being sent to his room for bad behavior, is plunged into a surreal dreamworld where everyday objects, animals, and elements of nature come to life and confront him. Guilt-ridden and overwhelmed, he begins to realize the consequences of his cruelty and learns empathy through the fantastical encounters.
For this opera I drafted and assembled the costumes for the blue chair, the frog chorus, fire, the clock’s waistcoat and tie, and the black and white apron.
The Cutter/Draper and I worked together to draft and cut the pieces for the baritone chair. The exaggerated sleeve shape was meant to be reminiscent of a wingback chair. The sleeve shape we came up with is a inspired by the terno sleeve (a traditional Philippine womenswear sleeve shape). This chair was a challenge because the singer needed to look as much like a stylized wingback chair as possible, but also needed to maintain a good range of motion, and because the designer purchased *just* enough fabric, so laying all the pieces out in a way that would allow the stripes to line up and the suit to fit well, was a puzzle!
The blue chair was a breeze after the challenge of the striped chair. The photo is cut off, but her hem is a generous box pleat reminiscent of a dust ruffle.
