Constance Hoffman is a costume designer who, as she says, tells stories. “My medium just happens to be costume.” The medium, however, requires a lot of research, especially for a Biblical epic, which could easily devolve into Cecil B. DeMille territory or stylization, which, in Hoffman’s view, wouldn’t fit this story.
Fortunately for the opera Mary Magdalene, Hoffman has a prodigious appetite for research and the particular challenges of the opera’s period focused those energies. Here, in these videos, the highly regarded and accomplished designer, talks about the fruits of her research, and her take on the opera’s story.
Costuming Mary Magdalene: An Overview
Costuming Mary Magdalene: An Overview on YouTube, video by Beth Hondl
Costuming Mary Magdalene: Themes and Approach
Costuming Mary Magdalene: Themes and Approach on YouTube, video by Beth Hondl
Costuming Mary Magdalene: Research (Part 1)
Costuming Mary Magdalene: Research (Part 1) on YouTube, video by Beth Hondl