Eileen Chaffer

Concept

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This production of Still Life with Rocket was the second phase of a devised work conceived and directed by Mollye Maxner.

An ensemble of drama students and our creative team came together to explore a series of "knowns" from which was created a unique immersive theatrical experience. The "knowns" consisted of character names, age ranges, possible occupations, and locations.

As a Costume Designer, I'm accustomed to first analyzing a text, then coming together with a Director and creative team to establish common ground which leads us to the concept and approach. We concieve our designs and present them to the cast.

In the case of this devised piece, the performers were our text. I was able to attend rehearsals and observed how actors interacted with one another through improvisation. In addition, we had weekly meetings to discuss what they were discovering about their characters. We all brought in visual inspiration and collaboratively assessed how the characters would ultimately present themselves.

The show ended up being set in rural, modern-day West Virginia. The clothing was straightforward – with lots of denim, t-shirts, sneakers, and boots. The Hair and Makeup designer (Harley Haberman) and I were constantly reminding each other that our work needed to remain "invisible". This would not be a show where the audience members walked out saying "those costumes and wigs were incredible!" Instead, everything needed to look incredibly "real!” We were able to achieve this by making specific, intentional choices in tandem with the performers while allowing the characters and story to evolve organically. The show turned out to be one of the most significant performance art pieces that I've ever experienced. I felt full of love, laughter, anger, and tears – all the while moving through issues of family, obligation, addiction, illness, sexual orientations, and race relations. Everyone involved was mutually impacted, taking both pleasure and pride in telling this amazing story.