SURVIVOR
Survivor is a character of change
At times she is full of strength and hope but at others fearful and unable to speak her truth. She begins as a tree only to be struck by lightening and violently uprooted by the spirits of cruelty around her. After much time drifting endlessly in the ocean, she washes up on shore mearly a husk of her former self. But through the help of the trusty Rabbit and the Intergalactic Keeper, she is able to be reborn a beautiful and fierce Phoenix ready to fight and inspire. Her look and her costume had to reflect these changes to help the audience follow her story.
Pre-production:
All of the costumes were conceptualized by Kat. One of the challenges for Survivor’s was her metamorphosis in a live action performance in union square. Each stage of the costume also represented how Survivor felt on the inside but still reflect her inner feelings. These are Kat’s original designs that were given to Cammi Upton and Bec Sloan, our costume creators!
She begins as a tree wearing a brown robe with some “bark cloth” affixed to it. She wears a headdress with a little bird on it and carries branches in her hands. As the spirits of cruelty being to tear into her, they unravel her bark, and take her leaves and crown. She becomes lost in the ocean, which has been created out of some tulle fabric hidden in the bark! Lastly when she is ready to rise and speak her truth- she sheds the brown exterior to reveal a shiny red interior power suit. She is then bestowed with a pair of wings and a new crown to finish out the performance as a powerful phoenix.
Moodboard:
Some of our inspiration for the look:
Tree Outfit 1
Water Detail
Arise a Phoenix:
Getting Ready:
Lauren getting ready with Addam and Jeffrey!
Played By:
Lauren Kneteman
Hair Design:
Jeffrey Jagling + Addam Moreno
Makeup Styling:
Emily Amack + Amy Palmer
The Performance:
The protestors swarm and rip Survivors bark off!
Still shot: bark being peeled off by the creatures of cruelty