"Fiddler on the Roof" Trivia:

Updated on February 22, 2007
K.D. asks from West Haven, CT
6 answers

does anyone know what time period the play "Fiddler on the ROof" would have or did take place? My 2 year old girl and baby girl are going to be utilized in a high school production of Fiddler, as the grandchildren of the main character Tevya. I want to sew some period costumes for my baby and toddler, but I really don't know costume thoughts other than a sort of peasant type idea I have in my head. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on styles that might work for this play?

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So What Happened?

I've watched the movie umpteen times, as it's one of my favorites :) I did see what they had on in the movie, but I thought, if I'm going to sew something, I want to go "above and beyond" and try to duplicate authentic garb. My thought was to try to find outfits customary to the time period for those peoples, if that was possible. I guess just so I could know I did my very best. Since the director is a friend of my husband's, and she's seen the work I can do with a sewing machine, she's left it up to me, trusting my judgement. Though I could copy something from the movie, I thought, why copy someone else's idea, someone else's rendition of attire from that time period? Thank you all for your help. With the many pictures I've seen that are authentic to that time and place, combined with the pictures of various other productions of Fiddler, I've come up with some outfits I know I can definitely bang out in 2 good days at the sewing machine at the most :) I'm using a medium brown for both, and for the apron part for my toddler, I'm using an off white fabric, which I'm going to dye with tea for a kind of dirty rustic look to it. The baby will be mostly covered up in a blanket, but I'm going to make her a plain long gown and also dye it in the tea for a dirty rustic look. Only part of this gown will be visible protruding out the bottom of the blanket, but it'll look at least the right "color" :) And I also have to make the blanket, since they apparently didn't have cute pastel prints back then! :) Thank you again, everyone!

More Answers

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K.T.

answers from Binghamton on

ok so around Russia and around WWII they all leave in the end except the one that gets married to the christian because their Jews. (I dont want that to sound mean its the premise of the movie). they all lose their land and can only take what they can carry.

that also why rab tavier disowns the 3or4 daughter (the younger 3 have no names btw) that becomes christian.

Just go for peasant early 1900's make it look poor and dirtyish-and dont forget the head kercheif.

have fun with costumes,
K.

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N.K.

answers from New York on

According to, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_on_the_Roof

The play is set in the small Jewish shtetl (town) of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia in 1905.

You can search the website for costumes from that period.

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E.L.

answers from Rochester on

I'd have to look it up, but I believe this musical would have taken place during the Russian Pogroms probably (and I am so bad at dates, so I'll guess, but you can probably google it) around the middle and/or late 1800. I know that my mother's family fled to the US before
1900 or around there and my mother was born early in the 1900's. I've been in that musical a couple time. I'd suggest you rent the dvd/video which will give you some idea of what the dress was at the time. The people of that time, if I remember, wore simple clothing as money was a problem and the probably made much of their own clothes.

we have cats and a dog as well. Used to have more hobbies, but I've been rather busy lately and lets face it, as I get older, I slow down quite a bit. My five kids are now (for now) out of the house, but their five animals are not!!

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B.P.

answers from New York on

I am not sure, but I think the 1930's?????

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D.

answers from New York on

Rent the movie. Talk to the director and find out what he's looking for and what kind of ideas he has. He may have specific things in mind and sewing takes a lot of time. I'd hate for you to have to make these costumes more then once.

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A.H.

answers from Hartford on

"Fiddler" is set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. All the productions I've seen have used relatively simple costuming (as would have been appropriate for the family in this class at that time in history. This link will give you some general info on the play -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_on_the_Roof

Also, if you do a Google Image search (go to www.google.com type in "Fiddler on the Roof" and click the Image link) you will see various pictures of different productions to give you an idea for costuming.

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