Movement Qualities of Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow

From a Laban Movement Analysis perspective the Scracrow's effort qualities are free flow, in-direct attention to space,

History & Symbolism of the Scarecrow

A scarecrow is such an autumnal figure. I became curious about the meaning and symbolism of the scarecrow historically. Some resources claimed the scarecrow signified falseness. I think that in my son's case the Scarecrow is somewhere between the trickster and the shadow.

Instructions for Making the Scarecrow Costume

1. Buy an oversized top at a thrift store.



2. Buy some raffia and florist/decorative straw at a fabric store



3. Find some loose, comfortable pants that match the top.



4. I made the hat out of thin flexible black foam, also from fabric store



5. I bought a yard of muslin, sewed it into a bag, put it over my son's head and cut out a hole for his face, then fringed the edges.



6. I duct taped the raffia into the cuffs of his shirt, gloves and boots.



7. I sewed the straw on to his chest and leg so that it looked like it was leaking out, and put felt patches around the straw.



8. I tied rope (not too tight!) around his waist, neck, wrists and ankles.



9. We used balck nylon socks for the 'boots', just pulled them over his shoes.



10. We used washable grease paint to draw on the face, I followed Bolger's make-up from the film.

The costume was warm and durable!

The Costume

My son was the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz for Halloween this year.

Last year he was a hot dog.

Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz

Ray Bolger was the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. He was a vaudville performer. His movement and dancing as the Scarecrow is unparalled and infamous. His song, If I Only Had a Brain is beloved by many. The Scarecrow is the first character that Dorothy meets on her journey to Oz.