The Role of Costume in the Formation of the Character Image in the Theater of the Corypheses (1882 – 1914)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is establishment of relations between scenic outfit and characters personalities in performances of the Theater of the Corypheses (1882 - 1914). In the methods set we are founding on historic basics and inter-disciplinary approaches. In bounds of historic-comparison and, partially, mythological methods liaisons between costumes typology of adjacent periods are tracked. Formal method helps to analyze costume as metaphors of meaning, and iconological approach allows determining semantic time symbols. Scientific novelty of the research is based on the system analysis of printed editions and archived materials and determines scenic costume as concrete image, which becomes inseparable from character’s personality. Conclusions summarized in the article give possibility to state that the Theater of the Corypheses during its activity behaved to scenic outfit as to a complex set which was appearing as a result of collection and studies of different sources and actual material. Near sources of formation of theatrical costume traditions where famous directors which in the same time had significant acting and writing experience and acquired encyclopedic knowledge. Into the set of theatrical costume in addition to clothes, shoes, hats and accessories, makeup, features of the actor's posture, a picture of his movements are included. Thus, the stage activity of the Theater of the Corypheses is a set of costumes, which became iconic and were imitated by various drama theaters that operated in Ukraine in subsequent historical periods. An important professional component in the process of creating theatrical costumes was added by artists-connoisseurs of the Ukrainian past, who in the early XX joined the preparation of performances on historical themes, began to create sketches for all stage costumes.