The Importance of Primary Research When Designing for Sensitive Topics; Costume Designs for I Once Knew a Girl by Teya Sepinuck, a Theatre of Witness Production. 

Primary research, in terms of theatre, it is the foundation for honoring someone’s story. This past summer, on a study abroad trip to Northern Ireland, I had the honor of meeting a few of the women that participated in the original production of I Once Knew a Girl by Teya Sepinuck. After seeing how storytelling could bring healing to this community I knew I needed to explore what it means to be a designer when producing such a production. When approaching the costume designs for I Once Knew a Girl, primary research is of central importance as the topic is a historical event in recent history and its characters are biographical, telling their own stories through the role of an actor. Serving the play and its powerful message while preserving and honoring the characters and their context is a high challenge for a costume designer. How is primary research crucial for the costume design process for a sensitive story? This essay will seek to address primary research through the application of the costume design process of I Once Knew a Girl by Teya Sepinuck. This will be done by utilizing historical, oral, and visual recourses.

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First it is important to give an overview of the style of this production. Theatre of Witness was created by Artistic Director Teya Sepinuck. She created a form of testimonial performance as a platform to share personal and collective stories of suffering, transformation, and peace. She interviews each of these storytellers to create monologues and build a performance. In her book, Theatre of Witness: Finding the Medicine in Stories of Suffering, Transformation and Peace, it is explained that she uses the power of theatre and storytelling to give a space for stories to be heard, that would otherwise go unnoticed (Sepinuck). Her website, Theater of Witness, explains that she also has worked with anyone who’s story has been silenced such as prisoners, the disabled, elders, and police. She has worked in the US, Poland, and Northern Ireland (Theater of Witness). The play, I Once Knew a Girl directed by Teya Sepinuck was filmed and produced in 2010. Sepinuck gathered women from all walks of life that experienced the Troubles, from being directly involved in the conflict or were affected by the echoes of trauma that were a result. These women performed monologues about their experiences. As explained in the video description of the original production, the play explores themes of violence towards women, self-identity, silence, and healing (Sepinuck). Since these are real and raw stories, coming directly from the mouths of the silenced, it is crucial to have the proper historical foundation to start this costume design process.

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An Irish Times article explains, the nation of Ireland has been divided ever since King Henry VIII split from the Catholic Church (McGreevy). From 1606 to 1630 King James I calls for settlements of plantations in Ulster, and area known today as Northern Ireland. He gave the land to English Protestant Settlers, while it was already inhabited by Catholic Gaelic people. The Catholics massacred the settlers, ending in a permanent feud between the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. In a separate Irish Times article McGreevy states that a rebellion in 1916 Easter Rising occurred. The rebellion was led by Irish Republicans as a fight for home rule, occupying Dublin’s City Hall and catching the attention of Britain (McGreevy). The Irish War of Independence in 1922 lead to the formation of the Free Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland was left to be ruled by Britain. People that were Catholic and living in Northern Ireland did not have the same rights and opportunities as the protestants living alongside them. An Irish Calling article stated that, during the 1960s the police force in Northern Ireland, known as the RUC, was made up of 90% protestant (Irish Calling). Although, Catholics made up 30% of the population in Northern Ireland. Catholics were segregated and had limited rights compared to the Protestants (Irish Calling). The Troubles began in 1960s and ended in 1998 when The Belfast Agreement was signed. During the Troubles from 1969 to 1994 over 3,500 people were killed. Countless lives were lost leaving the country vastly depressed leading to abuse of family members.

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After studying the women through textual research there seemed to be a general theme of sexual violence that women experienced throughout The Troubles. Anne Walker, an ex – IRA member and character in I Once Knew a Girl stated in the production, “And I was finding out that more and more men, more and more people that I knew back at home in Derry were being violent their women. Was it the frustrations about not being able to talk about the Troubles…It’s the damage of our culture that doesn’t get talked about here” (Sepinuck). Within the IRA, women were used as a means of sexual distraction. Patrick Radden Keefe in his book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland explains, “As a tactic evolved in the conflict, IRA women occasionally set so-called honey traps, trolling bas in the city for unsuspecting British soldiers, then luring them into an ambush” (Keefe 67). This gave leeway for a costume design opportunity to explore the relationship between garments of the time and violence. An article by Theresa O’Keefe stated, “…Women (catholic) also experienced sexual harassment on a constant basis from foot patrols, passing military and police vehicles, and soldiers in watchtowers” (O’Keefe). Women suffered sexual abuse from male family members in their youth, as discussed in the play. But how does on present these stories through design without the risk of overshadowing? Research was conducted on Verbatim theatre to discover the best methods of approach. Verbatim theatre is a form of theatre where the text is crafted from interviews and retellings of the past directly from the mouths of the people that experienced these events. Helena Enright, a verbatim theatre playwright states, “My challenge lay in creating an appropriate theatrical framework, appropriate theatrical means, to ‘hold’ the testimonies. I saw my task as letting the testimonies ‘breathe’ so that they could reveal this” (Enright 183 – 184). This leads to the belief that the stories need to take the led, rather than the visuals.  

 

Much of costume design research is visual. After historical, oral, and textual research comes a visual understand to build the conceptual world and costumes of this production. By using photography, one can gather not only the fashion of the period but the economic background of Northern Ireland. What types of garments were available can describe identity of these women. The defining garments make up who these women are by setting them in historically inspired garments that evoke who they are today. Aside from photography, tangible artifacts can present an event if one was not there to be a witness. For example, handkerchiefs made by IRA women that were held in prisons were a way of spreading propaganda, boost morale, and show pride in Irish identity (Purbrick). They used their “womanly” skills as a means of civil rights action. This sort of artifact could be replicated and used for design, serving as a vehicle for bring the past to the present setting the world for an audience that might be unfamiliar with the material itself.

 

My deliverable was in the form of a design presentation for a mock production of I Once Knew a Girl by Teya Sepinuck. I presented a design statement that discussed the themes and how is was to be addressed through the set and costume designs. I then displayed a collage of the world and the color palette to set the scene. Then came the collages of each of the women with accompanying costume renderings. I explained each of the costumes and how I came to my designs by extensive research and personal experiences on my study abroad trip.

 

The world of the play is raw, being set in an abandoned factory, like the catholic ghettos during The Troubles. The set design is meant to be simple yet powerful. By using personal photographs and murals for the Bogside Artists, it is intended to honor their stories and merely support the messages and painful imagery. The space is open with a back staircase and a chair for each of the women to be used for staging practices. As each woman comes forward to tell their story, another line of rope is flied in with photographs of their past. Along the back wall are three murals created by the Bogside Artists that are on display in Derry along the Bogside were Bloody Sunday took place. The textures are distressed, warn, and forgotten, much like Derry’s past.

 

The costumes are intended to show the identity and culture of Ireland, but still divide them through defining garments. Each of the women wear linen, cotton, and wool all natural materials that hold historical significance in the weaving of Ireland. The color pallet stays consistence in each of the costumes taking inspiration for the beautiful landscapes of Ireland I photographed on my trip. Each garment holds significance to the individual taking inspiration from their past and what they might wear today.

 

Anne Walker, an ex-IRA member wears a black turtleneck, leather boots, and a short skirt. This was taken from research images of what a female IRA member would have worn in the 1960s. Kathleen Gillespie, a sleek woman sports a 1980s-trench coat, pencil skirt, and blouse. The 1980s notes were taken from a personal photo of Kathleen and her Husband Patsy before he was killed by the IRA, and the sleek updates are inspired by her resilience as a women, mother, and wife. Therese McCann speaks of her loss of innocence. She wears a simple and clean linen dress, reminiscing the childhood that was taken from her due to her sexual assaults from family members. Catherine McCartney speaks on being a young mother during The Troubles and later developed depression. The cotton mid length dress and Irish lace detailed wool sweater hints at her mothering efforts to create a youth community group in Derry. Ruth Moore grew up in the troubles aftermath. Her loose cotton pants, wool sweater, and linen blouse speaks to her struggles with identity and lose of home as an Irish protestant feminist. Maria Murphy, the youngest of the group felt a blow from The Troubles dealing with sexual abuse as a child from depressed family member. She later became a police woman to bring justice to people in similar circumstances. Her structured blouse and pants are inspired by her police uniform that gave her strength in her lowest moments. The Little Girl does not present her own story, but holds the most impact when delivering the messages of the play. She is a presentation of each story, showing a loss of childhood due to sexual violence, self-identity, and the forgotten past. Her costume is a linen dress with patch work of Irish lace and propaganda handkerchiefs pulled from visual research.

 

Before I started designing I needed to get a grasp on my historical research. I refreshed myself on past resources that were used in preparation for my study aboard trip. That lead into my oral and textual research. Since this production was only filmed and there was no script available I took the liberty to watch the production several times, taking note of the physical and tonal tendencies. Then I embarked on my visual research. This aided in the creation of my collages and gave me the framework for the garments and set design. I made a brain map of each women about their story and a few sketches of garments. After I put together my color palette, then came the creation of each collage. By using visual research, the collages lead to the development of the set design and costume renderings. The set design was created in digitally on Procreate, pulling from research images to build the set. The render was also created digitally using the same platform. I wanted the style to be light handed, as if the costumes were just a wash of an idea. These stories were so fragile, so watercolor was the best technique giving enough shadowing to create depth without getting too heavy. I pulled from the same color palette to keep everything cohesive. I ended up writing my design statement last. After completing this project, it would have been move helpful to create my statement before starting my design process and after my research was complete to give me a framework to always fall back on.

 

Throughout my undergraduate costume design career my research process was often diminished due to lack of time or a disconnect with the material. This project allowed me to explore an in-depth design process on a subject matter that already held a deep importance to me. By giving myself a better understanding of how necessary the research process is, I believe that my designs show the success of those necessary steps. At times, I found it difficult to uncover personal stories aside from the women involved in this production due to the “hushed” culture of Northern Ireland. As I assumed the visual research was most helpful in the development of my deliverable, but the historical background to explained the images and stories. As a costume designer, I believe that this project helped me develop a design roadmap I can follow for many production. But most importantly, as a theatre artist I have found my drive to design and create stories that aid for the misheard, under represented, and forgotten.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Theater of Witness, theaterofwitness.org/about/.

 

Helena Enright (2011) ‘Letting it breathe’: Writing and performing the words of   others, Studies  in Theatre and Performance, 31:2, 181-192, DOI: 10.1386/stap.31.2.181_1

 

KEEFE, PATRICK RADDEN. SAY NOTHING: a True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. WILLIAM COLLINS, 2020.

 

McGreevy, Ronan. “A History of Ireland for Outsiders: From Henry VIII to the Troubles.” The     Irish Times, The Irish Times, 6 Mar. 2019, www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish- news/a-history-of-ireland-for-outsiders-from-henry-viii-to-the-troubles-1.3816898.

 

McGreevy, Ronan. “The History of the Irish Border: From Plantation to Brexit.” The Irish Times, The Irish Times, 24 Jan. 2019, www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/the- history-of-the-irish-border-from-plantation-to-brexit-1.3769423.

 

Sepinuck, Teya. Theatre of Witness: Finding the Medicine in Stories of Suffering,    Transformation and Peace. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2013.

 

Sepinuck, Teya, director. I Once Knew a Girl . Theatre of Witness , Teya Sepinuck, 10 Dec. 2019, https://vimeo.com/378585344.

 

O’Keefe, Theresa. “Policing Unruly Women: The State and Sexual Violence during the Northern   Irish Troubles.” Womens Studies International Forum, vol. 62, 10 Apr. 2017, pp. 69–77.,    doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2017.03.003.

 

Purbrick, Louise. “Cloth, Gender, Politics: the Armagh Handkerchief, 1976.” Clio, no. 40, 2015,  bdoi:10.4000/cliowgh.688.

 

“The Troubles in Northern Ireland – a Brief Overview.” Ireland Calling, ireland-     calling.com/troubles-in-northern-ireland/.