• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of stage costumes of a children's play and to creatively design them for the play, 'The Nutcracker', in an attempt to expand the means of expressing designs for stage costumes for children's plays. The Nutcracker, a play written by the German author, E. T. A. Hoffman in 1816, is better known today through its ballet adaptation by Tchaikovsky, and various versions have been presented by ballet companies and drama producers. The characteristics of the stage costume in a children's play are visual artistry, decoration, activity, and visual attention. The costume shows visual artistry because stage costumes with high artistry can increase the elements of fantasy and visual satisfaction in a play for children. The various decorative elements in stage costumes can help capture the attention of children and enhance their interest in the play. As dynamic movement and lines are often used to prevent children from becoming bored, activity must be taken into account when designing stage costumes. Visual attention is required to help children become better immersed in a play, and color selections for the stage costumes need to be emphasized. Thirteen characters were selected to develop a total of 13 pieces of stage costume in a standard size for a 9-year-old child. The design was focused on enhancing the fantastic elements and the entertainment value, and diversified surface decoration techniques were applied to the costume to draw the attention of children and express the formative beauty.