No Exit -
Design Paper Project
Designed by Pearl Modine
For this project we chose our own play, did an imaginary casting, created designs for the whole cast, and a full digital bible.
This was a dream project for me as I previously did an unrealized scenic design for No Exit (also pictured). I worked off the same design concept, so the two designs would fit together.
Below are my finals renderings with design inspiration and some of the costume pieces I "bought" for the actors.
I also linked my paperwork~
Costume Design Goals/Plans
- set strictly in the 1940’s (World War II era)
- highlight socioeconomic and status differences
- reflect the setting (hell) through the costuming
- color pallet of hot coals and flames: turquoise, oranges, reds, greys,
and blacks
- clothing should be realistic and look like clothes one would wear to keep up a certain persona or appearance, mildly uncomfortable
- characters can dress themselves down and become even less polished looking (Cradeau & Estelle)
Cradeau - journalist
Cradeau was an outspoken political journalist and writer and worked in a copy house in
Paris up until he was drafted for the war. He had written “militant” anti-war pieces and decided
that rather go to war he would desert as a protest. He hopped on a train to Geneva and was
stopped halfway and shot 12 times, executed as a traitor. He also proclaims that he believes he is
in hell for torturing his wife. He cheated on her right in front of her face and generally was a
poor husband but claims that she couldn’t leave because he “took her out of the gutter to marry
her”. Cradeau is afraid of being a coward and states that he always wanted to be a tough man he
seeks validation from Inez.
Estelle - trophy wife
Estelle was an orphan who had no money and a little brother to take care of. She married
an old friend of her fathers for his money, and they were married for 6 years before she met “the
man she was really meant for”. She is the cagiest about her backstory but through speculation
and prying from the other two, she reveals that her lover was poor and wanted to start a family
with her. She had his baby in Mexico and then threw it off a balcony into the ocean which led to
her lover killing himself. She later returned to her husband in New York and died of pneumonia.
Estelle is an extremely vain person and while in the room she constantly asks for a mirror to
check her appearance. She is also described physically as a blonde with brown eyes, wearing a
turquoise dress. She seeks validation from Cradeau, specifically because he is a man.
Inez - secretary
Inez reveals the least about her past. She is quite matter of fact and states that she knew
she was damned to hell because she's “one of those women”, meaning a lesbian. She worked as a
secretary, possibly in New York, but it’s unclear. She seems to be the smartest of the three and is
also truly quite sadistic stating, “I need to see other people suffer to exist at all”. She stole her
lover, Florence, from her cousin, and agrees that she slowly poisoned Florences mind against
him. He died in a trolly car accident, and afterwards Florence got up one night and turned on the
gas in their apartment, killing them both. Inez seeks validation from Estelle, she wants to turn her
against Cradeau.
Bellboy - demon?
As far as the bellboy character goes, I want his costume to be a simple 40’s bellboy
uniform. He is not human since he is from hell, but as a character his main purpose is to bring the
others together in hell. I want him to look like he clearly fits within the set and his appearance
should lean slightly towards the uncanny, somewhat like a doll or animatronic.
Scenic Design
Scenic design final render with white model and previous iterations on left.
