Costume Design for Guys and Dolls

In the fall of 2010, I was the costume designer for the MIT Musical Theater Guild's production of Guys and Dolls. This classic Broadway musical, based on the stories of Damon Runyon, tells the stories of New York crapshooters and the dolls who love them. In particular, it focuses on Nathan Detroit, who runs an undercover crap game, and his long-suffering fiancee Adelaide, the lead dancer at the Hot Box Club. The show also follows the major gambler Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown, the Mission Girl who wins his heart.

We chose to set this production in the 1930's, so a major focus of the costume design was establishing the period while creating a wide variety of costumes for a large cast on an extremely limited budget. I chose to work with a very tight color palette to establish a sense of visual cohesion and consistency throughout the work. In addition to designing the costumes, I was responsible for leading the costume crew in creating and sourcing all necessary pieces. I also was a member of the show's cast, playing General Cartwright and a crapshooter dancer.

Click on any image for a larger version.

Nathan Detroit and Adelaide

The Save-A-Soul Mission.

"Luck Be a Lady"

The end of the Crapshooters' Ballet.

Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box Girls perform a farm-themed number, "Bushel and a Peck"

Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box Girls in a burlesque version of "Take Back Your Mink"

Sarah Brown and Adelaide lament the shortcomings of their men.

All production photographs by Jax Kirtley.

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