Costume, Make-up, Stage Craft and Presentation
Costume, Make-up, Stage Craft and Presentation tests whether you can prepare a performance that is culturally specific, safe and visually coherent. Marks are lost when costume is treated as decoration rather than as Aharya abhinaya.
Core rules
- Sattriya female costume commonly uses mekhela chadar, often in pat or muga silk, with appropriate blouse and Assamese ornaments; male costume uses dhoti, chadar and pagri.
- Make-up should define the eyes and face without obscuring expression; heavy jewellery must not restrict head or arm movement.
- Stage craft includes entrance, exit, focus, spacing, wing discipline, lighting and sound cues.
- Presentation requires a clear beginning, sustained tala control, visible face and a settled ending.
Worked example
A candidate plans a seven-minute Sattriya solo. Reasoning: the mekhela chadar is pinned for safety; jewellery is tested in rehearsal; the entrance begins downstage-centre in a still pose; lighting is checked so the face is visible; the exit resolves on sam rather than walking off mid-phrase. The plan links costume, space and rhythm instead of treating them separately.
Traps
Do not wear loose ornaments that can strike the face. Do not turn upstage while expressing bhava. Do not let costume changes eat into stage time. Do not assume all silk or all jewellery is authentic; context and practicality matter.