Jordan Lee Costumes Portfolio for the Diary of Anne Frank

JORDAN LEE

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK COSTUMES PORTOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SINCLAIR

Role as Costumer For the Diary of Anne Frank, I was the lead costumer.

This is the second show that I have costumed, but the first that I have done completely independently. I began by researching the novel the Diary of Anne Frank and its characters to better understand the story and any relevant historical details, such as Margot's glasses or Mr. Kraler's hearing aids. Then, I researched general fashion in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as the production methods of the star of David patches, in order to inform my overall design with accuracy that could simultaneously communicate the setting to a high school audience. After researching, I pulled costumes from our high school's costume loft, altered them to best fit their actors, and helped generate a matrix of their changes that best reflected the story, while also being practical for the actors.

Design Notes As this play based on a historical event, I found it important and necessary to render the costumes as realistic as possible. However, our loft does not contain a large selection of 1940s clothing, so I had to be resourceful to make modern pieces, such as Mr. Frank's robe, look in context with other pieces that are clearly period costumes. One way I set the male costumes in the 1940s was by adding suspender buttons and suspender to all of their pants. While none of the pants had the classic high-waisted look of men's pants in the 1940s, the suspenders provided the illusion well enough for our audience, the majority of whom are high school students. Despite the creative constraint of working with such a concrete event, I also employed color theory in the costume design. Generally, the van Daan family wore warm colors (reds, browns, etc.) whereas the Frank family wore primarily colors (green, blue, etc.) This served to distinguish between the taut relationships of the van Daan family and the more relaxed nature of the Franks. I also tried to use color to convey the general atmosphere of various scenes, but was limited by our small selection of 1940s period pieces.

1945 The war has left Miep, Mr. Frank, and Mr. Kraler drained, as indicated by their washed out color palette in this initial scene. Miep is noticeably pregnant.

1942 After a few months in the annex, Anne and Mrs. Frank still wear clothes from their arrival. Though some dirt now persists, the costumes are still well-fitting, clean, and crisp looking.

1942 Bundled in all of their clothes with the infamous Star of David patches upon their left breast pockets, the Frank and van Daan families arrive in the annex. Still accustomed to normalcy, their clothes are finely pressed, cohesive, and fashionable.

1942 Mrs. van Daan's character development is the most obviously mirrored by her costumes. Act I contains her finest pieces, including this decadent purple velvet dress with diamond buttons.

1942 The Franks and van Daans celebrate Hanukkah, donning their finest apparel. The scene, despite the festivities, is bleak, as developed thorough through the dark color palette. Mrs. Frank's brighter purple highlights her role in this as a guiding presence for both families.

1944 Miep brings news of the Allied invasion of Normandy. Both families are awoken in their pajamas. The Franks are primarily dressed in cool colors and the van Daan's in warm colors to distinguish their characters for the audience.

1944 Miep and Mr. Kraler reign in the New Year with a cake labelled "Peace in 1944." Mrs. Frank has taken to wearing an apron for practical purposes, and her dresses have become threadbare and plain. Miep is headed to a party and is dressed for the occasion, a reminder that the world outside of the annex continues.

1944 In the penultimate scene, Anne and Peter face their impending doom together. Anne's shawl signifies the hardships they've faced, and the stark outline of Peter's Star of David serves as a reminder the prejudice that fueled the Holocaust.

1944 Mrs. van Daan fall is complete, as her costumes have slowly morphed from luxurious velvet to a tattered, faded sweater and wool skirt. I chose to emphasize this character arc because her development throughout the show is the most obvious, and the actor's portrayal range was the greatest. Augmenting this development through costume design enforced the differing psychological impacts the Holocaust and seclusion in the Annex had on various members of the Frank and van Daan families.