16 The Costume Designer Spring 2021
by Alexandra Welker
THE SKETCHBOOK
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
For the Netflix adaptation of August Wilson's Tony-nominated play about the "Mother of the Blues," costume designer Ann
Roth infused the renowned singer's sexuality and showmanship into her lavish costumes. Prosthetic padding—including the
titular "behind"—helped transform Viola Davis into the blues legend. Ma Rainey was audacious and fiery, on stage and off. She
was open about her sexuality, strong in her wish to control her own music, and dressed to show her success, with a showbiz
flair. While much of the story takes place in a recording studio on a swelteringly hot day in Chicago in 1927, Davis makes an
indelible first appearance in the film performing for a captivated audience at a tent concert in rural Georgia. For the perfor-
mance, Roth created this show-stopping dress in rich berry tones, lavishly embellished with sequins and intricate beading.
Illustration by Ann Roth
