Steampunk Jewelry for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

For my Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, I manufactured Steampunk accessories and jewelry for Titania and Oberon in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, at the Livermore Shakespeare Festival. This project allowed me to explore a creative way to design with metal and leather, learning ways of designing and connecting materials together that are not typically combined. Cathie McClellan, the Costume Designer for the production, established a 1920s aesthetic for the human world of the play. For the world of the fairies, she chose a Steampunk aesthetic as a reflection of their magical ability to transcend time and place. Steampunk is a combination of Victorian/Art Nouveau with Industrial Age technology, inspired by the science fiction writings of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and other writers of the genre.The photos on display picture the crowns and jewelry for these characters, made with found items and purchased materials. Oberon’s colors are red, gold and black. Titania’s colors are blue, white and silver. These color choices illustrate the distinct personality of each character and are complemented by the style and silhouette selections.Oberon’s hyper-masculinity dictates the inclusion of spiky, heavy and large scale elements in his crown, necklaces and belt. Titania’s femininity aligns with flowers and moons, as seen in her main necklace with two half moons, connecting her with Artemis.My research heightened my awareness of the connection between contemporary Steampunk and Victorian fashions. I gained a better understanding of creating costume crafts and increased my construction skills