The weird sisters are a unique design challenge. They present a need to create an “other” for the audience to compare with all other characters in Macbeth. The sisters also call for magic, a supernatural form the audience can relate to. Lastly, my director’s cut of the script has the sisters performing more roles throughout the play elaborating on both a need for character recognition and disguise.

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 My research first brought me to Pictish tattooing as illustrated by artist De Bry. I have supplemented it with imagery of American Traditional tattoos for color and line and Contemporary tattoos for design and meaning. I have translated these into bodysuits as a theater practical solution. These would be worn as a base layer under all characters.

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As stated earlier, the sisters are associated with other characters through the play of Macbeth. Early conversations with the director led us to the idea of each sister representing a “death” of their other roles. The first sister doubles with the character of Seyton and the assumed cause of death was an overdose. The second sister doubles with the porter and dies of alcohol poisoning. The third sister doubles with the doctor and dies from suffocation.

Lastly, to define moments of "magic", I collaborated with the lighting designer to design aspects of the costumes that would be UV reactive. This representation resonates with the role the sisters play at the heart of Macbeth. They are the neon signs and advertisements influencing and tempting the characters around them