Costumes Centre Stage: 'Re-membering' Ellen Terry

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBNChapterpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter illuminates the important function which stage costumes can play in what Marvin Carlson termed ‘ghosting.’ Having established the role of costumes as ‘carriers of identity’ and ‘memory’ it considers why and how performers might deliberately reference their own past roles by re-creating, or alluding to costumes which reference a previous performance, or a specific aspect of their celebrity.
Through the close analysis of specific examples from the wardrobe of celebrated Victorian actress, Dame Ellen Terry (1847-1928), it highlights the degree to which costumes are haunted by ‘ghosts’ of ‘performers’ and ‘performances’ both during the lifetime of their original wearer(s), and after their death.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPerformance Costume
Subtitle of host publicationNew Perspectives
EditorsSofia Pantouvaki, Peter McNeil
PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
Chapter6
ISBN (Print)9781350098800
Publication statusPublished - 20 Aug 2020

Keywords

  • Costume
  • Ghosting
  • Theatre
  • material culture
  • Identity
  • Performance

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Costumes Centre Stage: 'Re-membering' Ellen Terry'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this