Costumes That Speak: Roger Teng’s Theater of Identity

You may have seen his costume designs on stage without realizing they came from the hands of a Taiwanese designer.

Roger Teng, currently based in New York, is an emerging designer in the theater world. A graduate of NYU’s Design for Stage and Film program, he recently contributed to the costume team for Lincoln Center’s production of Floyd Collins.

Broadway is known for its tight production schedules and low tolerance for mistakes since everything is live. Productions often favor seasoned designers and place high expectations on every team member. Professionals in this space must excel in design and character analysis, while also being strong collaborators. Still under 30, Roger is the kind of talent who meets and often exceeds those standards.

Behind his early success lies Roger’s decade-long passion for musical theater and a unique philosophy of costume design that sets him apart.

Wicked: The Moment of Awakening

Roger’s first encounter with theater came not backstage, but from the audience. It was his first-ever Broadway musical: Wicked. That night in the theater, he had an epiphany. The costumes weren’t just beautiful. They were like letters written to the audience, narrating each character’s story. Every detail spoke of a character’s background, personality, and fate, from colors to silhouettes, textures to movements.

That night, he realized: “Costumes don’t just look good. They tell stories.”

From then on, he no longer wanted to just watch from the audience. He wanted to be part of the storytelling. He worked tirelessly and was accepted into NYU’s prestigious graduate program in Costume Design. In a twist of fate, he eventually became a student of the very designer behind Wicked.

But the real challenge began after graduation. Roger quickly discovered that passion and instinct were no longer enough. In the professional world, designs need to be logical, persuasive to directors and creative teams, and capable of solving technical issues on the spot. “It used to be about drawings on paper. Now it’s about fabrication and being able to realize the choices.”

That awakening fueled his passion, while years of training sharpened his skills and helped him form his design philosophy.

To Roger, costumes are never just surface-level decoration; they’re extensions of the character’s soul. “Who are you? Where are you from? What do you believe in?” All of that flows into his designs.

Costumes That Breathe: Storytelling Through Fabric

In Roger’s world, every outfit carries a story.

He once designed a production of The African Company Presents Richard III, a play based on an authentic 19th-century Black theater troupe in New York City that staged Shakespeare as an act of resistance against racial barriers. As an Asian designer, the story was far from his own experience, so he dove deep. He researched the neighborhoods where Black communities lived in 1820s New York and the cultural nuances visible in their clothing. He believes these seemingly minor details are what help audiences truly understand who a character is.

For Roger, historical accuracy isn’t just about replication. It’s about interpretation. Coarse stitching, reused curtain fabric, limited tailoring techniques—these choices speak volumes about a character’s life onstage.

“A good costume shouldn’t just be ‘beautiful,’” Roger explains. “It should help actors embody their characters and give the audience instant insight into who they are.”

Beyond research, collaboration with actors is a crucial part of his process. Once the costumes are built, Roger invites actors to try them on and explore the characters’ habits. “I’ll ask, how does this character sit? Do they touch their skirts or tug at their pants? These tiny gestures can change the direction of the design.”

He believes the way people move, their habits, and quirks should all be reflected in their clothes. “Because in real life, no two people wear the same outfit the same way. That authenticity brings the character to life.”

Chinese Aesthetics: Reimagining Western Classics

What truly sets Roger apart is his distinctive use of Chinese aesthetics.

To him, Chinese culture isn’t just decorative, but an entire worldview, a narrative approach. He’s careful not to insert symbols superficially but to thoughtfully integrate them in a way that speaks to the script and context.

In a design project, Roger reimagined the classic musical Cabaret, originally set in 1930s Berlin, as a story unfolding in 1940s Shanghai, a city caught between war and decadence. “Shanghai at that time was the Berlin of the East,” complete with nightclubs, collapsing social orders, and the looming threat of war.

He aimed to make that era accessible to Western audiences while bringing an Asian narrative style and aesthetic to the stage. “The feeling that ‘joy is just a temporary escape’ connects this project back to the heart of the original show.”

This kind of cultural translation and reinvention isn’t just a one-time experiment. It’s a reflection of Roger’s entire approach to design. He’s not just designing costumes; he’s designing perspectives—a new way to interpret the story.

A Dream for Halloween Night

“Costume design is my emotional response to the script,” Roger says. After reading heavy scripts and untangling the characters’ relationships, his designs become his way of expressing everything he’s felt and understood.

That’s what makes his work so moving. It’s not about showing off but about connection. It’s the voice that says, “I understand this character.”

Toward the end of the interview, I asked if he had any goals. Roger smiled and said, “I have a dream that’s both silly and serious. I want to see a character I designed show up on the streets during Halloween.”

Not commercial success, not an award, but the purest kind of audience response. To Roger, if a character from the stage gets portrayed in real life, it means they truly lived.

He points to Suicide Squad’s Harley Quinn, whose rebellious punk look became the go-to Halloween costume after the movie’s release. “So many people wore her look that year, with her signature particolored outfits.”

If one day the streets were filled with costumed crowds, and one of them were his creation, that would be Roger’s most fulfilling moment.

From that first awakening in the audience seat to becoming a costume designer in New York, Roger has found his voice through clothing. For him, costumes are not just a character’s appearance. They are the character’s soul, a cultural imprint.

Between the fabric and the sketches lies the essence of Chinese aesthetics and Roger’s deep reading of each script. His designs are not just clothing, but living, breathing people, each longing to be remembered.

Article by: Kerwin Teo

Photo by: Jana Schuessler