University of North Carolina Greensboro

Master's Thesis

The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus

Sample costume renderings.

Dr. Faustus (early in show).	Dr. Faustus (late in show).

Lucifer and Beelzebub.	Devils (early in show).
Wagner.

The Seven Deadly Sins
(Wrath, Lechery, Averice, Pride, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony)

Notes on Master's Thesis:
To begin, it should be stated that this thesis project was entirely a paper project.  My overall idea for the design of Marlowe's Dr. Faustus was to make it visually enticing, historically accessible and philosophically thought provoking.  To enhance the visual richness, I approached the design of the scenery and costuming with a goal of reflecting modern beauty.  The scenery was primarily a spacious glass and steel home, indicative of Faustus' wealth, but also his relative emptiness.  The costumes were based on the (then) most recent fashion magazines, with rich fabrics and plush color.  To enhance the accessibility of the play I set it in modern times.  There is no need for the audience to wonder what aesthetic or value system is being used, as it is their own.  Faustus' constant desire for more and more material goods should be well understood by the modern American audience, as well as its ultimate emptiness.  To engage the audience philosophically, I chose to set the entire play in Faustus' home.  Mephistophilis does not take Faustus any of the places his tells him they are going, but instead creates the illusions in Faustus' home.  This underscores the way in which Faustus is manipulated.  The lighting for this project is centered around the projections needed to create the illusion of travel to the places Faustus is supposed to go.  In addition, there is a rich use of color surrounding Mephistophilis and his magic, and an essentially white light when Faustus is alone.