My research on Sicilian women in the late 1800s - early 1900s

My never ending research on Sicilian costumes

Here is the method to my madness. Hopefully the madness makes sense.

 

Magdalena is the lead actress in the play. Magdalena is played by Wendy Parker. She is the narrator of the play and she plays a wife who watches her husband Rafael, defend his family and his land. Rafael chooses revenge to defend his family but against their wishes. Magdalena allows him to do so. She's a romantic but stands by her husband's decision. 

So when I initially saw this picture I thought it was perfect. If we over clothe her she will look overweight, she is quite busty. I love the details in the neckline and the sleeves. I believe it makes her look like a pure flower instead of a temptress in the play. I would like her skirt to be red. From what I read, red is not a good color to use because it indicates warning, danger, adultery, and temptation. I feel that if we use a playful red and add a white mantelline it will express her endearing and gentle role in the play. 

** Allison is Wendy's Understudy **

Allison's Picture

 

I wanted a more sophisticated look for Lucia. Lucia is played by Dylan Diehl. She is the fiery, snooty wife. She comes from northern Italy, northern Italians tend to look down on Sicilians but she happened to fall in love with Nunzio. She has a hold over Nunzio but they are madly in love. Dylan is very tall and thin. I would like her to be conversatively dressed. I thought the undershirt extending to the cut of the wrist and the second layer of the sleeve would be great. Notice the apron.. I plan to do this with the sisters; all having aprons that are multi functional. It creates a beautiful draped look. The wives will have a lot of jewelry worn. The Sicilian women at that time layered a lot of necklaces. They were also wore hats, head wraps, and mantellines.

 

See the functionality of the apron. I also like the fact that the straps are tied onto the rest of the bodice. For Mona's character which is played by Cassadie, she is a lively and overly expressive. She can have a printed skirt and shorter sleeves. She is a writer so she will always have a notebook and a pencil in her apron. 

  

I am also gushing over the ribbons on the straps of the bodice. I choose to use this for Mona's costume. I'm glad we also have the option of using some sort of plaid or quilt patterns. Not thrilled about it because the family aren't paupers. I like the gathers at the bottom of the skirt. 

I love the print on the skirt. We should find a print like this for the mother that is killed in the beginning of the play. To show she is older because of her dressing more traditionally than the others. She will have a pearl necklace to wear. I have other images of traditional outfits. 

The character Benedetta is Rafael's mother who is killed in the first scene. This character is played by Estrella who is also playing Genevieve (New York, 1920s) at the end of the play. We need to cover Benedetta's face with a large mantelline for example this picture. I love the cut of the neckline in this picture. I may have to consider this look for Benedetta.

Here are more traditional dressed pics..

 

*beautiful mantelline for Magdalena*

The 5th female character who has a Sicilian costume is Bella. Bella is played by Roberta Sparta. This is the newly added character in the play. She is the temptress. She is in deep wine red. She will have a silky, low cut, red undershirt and a black corset with a deeper red skirt. She will have no apron as she is the wife of a Don. I want her to have a fur trimmed cloak at the end of the play. 

This is pretty much the gist of it. I'll put another posting of the male costumes.