Duchess of Malfi- Truckers

A theatre performance of The Duchess of Malfi, by playwright John Webster, 1614

1970’s American Trucking Boom, New Mexico

To reconceptualize the 17th century play within a new setting, translating the original themes and characters, with reference to the original 17th Century dress.

I have designed costumes for five of the plays characters, placing them within the context of a New Mexican roadside Truck Stop and Diner. Depending on the character’s role, they have been assigned rigs, trucks, and bikes translating as a hierarchy which reflects the order of a Royal Court. Using trucking advertisements such as “Old Home” and C.W McCall's songs to inform the authenticity of my designs, as well as using the 17th century doublet tabs as a subtle historical reference within trucker jackets.