Ok I am preforming a scene in an acting class and Im playing a woman who just found out she is getting divored

Question

So my question is, what should I wear. We have to provide our own costumes. My character has just got home and just found out that her husband has taken most of their belongings and while she is looking around she gets a knock at the door and is served with divorce papers. So she goes to her friend to vent and get advice. How can I look depressed? The first lines of this scene are "you look awful!" PLEASE HELP!

Answer 1

The first piece of advice I would give is to remember that this is just one part of this woman's day. She woke up and started doing things and then this happened. Come up with a back story and work from there.

Say you woke up late that day and had missed your bus, which meant that you would have to take the train which meant you would be 20 minutes late to work. You quickly get dressed and put on makeup. Not even enough time for a shower. Your hair is obviously having a day of its own. Work is horrible (lets say you are an office manager) and you have a migraine that is jackhammering away at your forhead. The heater was stuck at 85 degrees and you missed lunch because a stupid boss walked in at 11:50 and demanded a nonsensical report. On top of that, you are covering for two people who called in sick and one who is on vacation. On the trip back, you get groped on the bus and drop your purse on the sidewalk and scatter its contents. Your only consolation is home. Get there and everything will be ok. Just walk in the door and all the worries and stress will go away. Then whammo, your story begins.

Ok, now look in your mind and see what image we built. I can see a woman in a business dress that is wrinkled and battle damaged from a day at the office. Perhaps a coffee stain. Hair is a fright. Imagine washing your hair, putting on a baseball cap until it dries and then trying to comb that into something presentable. Makeup is a fright as well. Slightly uneven and thick. Thick because you did not have time to do it right, but instead just cover up any thing that does not look right. Your posture will be that of a tired person. Shoulders dropping, hands trying not to do much (although, you might have a burst of energy from the shock and be wringing your hands or something).

This person will be in shock. I added the stuff about having a bad day beforehand to let you try to live this person a bit. Come up with your own story and grow this character out a bit and you will start to see some of the details better. You know the scene better than me, so create the story of her day leading up to this slice of life you are about to perform.

Answer 2

From your description it appears that she has been at work. If she looks awful coming home from work, perhaps her job is physically demanding. Think waitress, nurse, construction worker (yes, even women have these jobs), warehouse worker. Your hair could be pulled back, maybe a ponytail, then pull out strands and poof it out in areas like it's messed up from a work hat. If you had an outdoor job and your costume implies it you could have a bit of dirt on your face.
Remember that your body language has to match your tired appearance. It is possible to pull off tired and awful looking even if you were dressed in business attire. Work on those expressions and movements!
Good luck!!

Answer 3

What does this woman do for a living, If you do not know improvise. If she just got home from a long day at work, make her a waitress, a nurse, someone in sometype of uniform. This is a working woman who has finished a long days work which needs to be physically demanding, found her belongings and marriage gone, which would be emotionally devastating. Do not wear makeup. Plain hair. The clothes should be inexpensive and ill fitting.

Answer 4

when i saw your question and scene description, I pictured the woman in work out clothes. A white t-shirt and athletic pants, or maybe a work out suit with your hair really messy as if you just got home from the gym. Little to no make up, messed hair, clothes you would wear when you don't care how you look.

Answer 5

if you want to look depressed you should have a sad/tired look on your face ie a combination of both...you make your state of depression more believable, i suggest you wear a black out fit, probably a black gown and also your make up should not be too much, that should hit the nail on the head.

hope i helped and good luck at your school play

=)

Answer 6

I don't htink it matters what you wear, I think it matters what your reaction will be to the person ont he other side of the door. But if it looks like you just got home from work that would be good.

Answer 7

Your clothes should reflect where you just came from. But you could run your fingers through your hair to muss it a little & wet your hands & smears your mascara a little.

Answer 8

I think that wearing sweats that don't fit would make you look "awful" and "depressed".