Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup: Centaur Costume

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Centaur Costume

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
Forum Discription: For how-to's and where-can-I-find
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3192
Printed Date: 6/15/25 at 12:49pm
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Topic: Centaur Costume

Posted By: stagechild
Subject: Centaur Costume
Date Posted: 5/22/08 at 11:58pm

This next season I plan to do 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.' One of the characters is a centaur (half-man, half-horse). Now I considered just dressing up the actor's legs to look like they were hairy but then I realized that the costume would look a lot like a faun like Mr.Tumnus. So I started to lean towards the puppet-like effect that The Lion King used. But I have no idea about how to go about creating such a thing. Also, if anyone else has done TL,TW+TW or even a show which required a centaur and had a different idea, I'd be glad to hear it!

Stagechild

Replies:

Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 5/23/08 at 8:49am

You should check out some of the halloween costume shops. They have lots of cowboy and jockey costumes where it looks like the person is riding a horse. One of these could be easily touched up to be a centaur.

http://www.buycostumes.com/Category/0/Product/31975/ProductDetail.aspx - http://www.buycostumes.com/Category/0/Product/31975/ProductDetail.aspx

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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 5/23/08 at 10:51am

Another option is to use the old vaudeville "dancing cow" technique and simply have a Second Actor, bent over at the waist, behind your Main Centaur Actor.

You could use your original furry-leg idea for them both and drape the second actor with a horse costume that fit around the hips of your main actor. They could rehearse together to coordinate their movements.

I'm not sure exactly how you would bill the second actor in the program, though. "Centaur's butt?" "Half a Centaur?" "Good Sport?"

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

Posted By: stagechild
Date Posted: 5/23/08 at 11:07pm

Thanks for the link pdavis! Those are actually really cool, I've never seen them before... I'll conisder it but I don't think I can alter an inflatable to be a centaur. And Topper, from past experiences, I know that is a decent solution, but I would like to do something a bit more artistic. If worse comes to worse I will do that. And to credit the second actor I would just go 'Centaur and then list both actors.' If you guys have any more ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 5/24/08 at 6:30pm

Thsi is not my strong suit, but could you build a fake rear end and put it on wheels? Attach it to the actor by means of a belt. Granted the back legs wouldn't move, but it would be light and give the illusion.

Charlie

Posted By: stagechild
Date Posted: 5/29/08 at 12:57am

Good Idea! I think we will either use the wheels or the 2 people if the scene shop doesn't troubleshoot the moving legs and have the idea work.

Posted By: JeffVV
Date Posted: 5/29/08 at 11:00pm

I just worked on a production of Mary Zimmermann's Argonautica and they had a puppeteer who built a VERY stylized Centaur 'rear end' that the actor attached with a belt (think weightlifting belt or tool belt...something substancial). The overall look of the puppet was very 'simplistic' as if conjured from a childs imagination. He (and I forget the puppet designer) used bailing wire as an armature and covered it with gauze and strips of fabric. I imagine you could do a light paper mache if you want a more realistic approach. The coolest part was that the back legs pivoted (using elastic and springs) and they were attached to the actors ankles (using velcro cuffs) so that as he walked, the back legs moved back and forth. To give the actor 'hooves' they created a pair of platform boots to achieve the effect. If you are lucky there may be some production photos online somewhere.

Good luck.