Molly Ranson on How to Have a Bloody Good Halloween, Dressed to Kill as Carrie White

If you've already donned a dinner jacket and skinny tie as a Jersey Boy or showed off your six-pack as Spider-Man, it's time to consider a hot new Broadway-themed costume! This year, Broadway.com decided to go straight to the stars of some of your favorite shows for detailed guidance in creating the eye-catching outfits they’ve worn on stage. Next up, Molly Ranson explains why Carrie White, the role she played in the recent MCC Theater revival of Stephen King’s Carrie, is an “amazing” Halloween costume choice. (To see Ranson on stage in a very different role, get tickets to the Roundabout Underground production of Bad Jews, which opens on October 30, and re-live her Carrie performance on the show's cast recording, newly released by Ghostlight Records.)

Why would Carrie White make a good Halloween costume?
The image of Carrie in her bloody prom dress is very iconic and appropriately creepy for Halloween. She was actually on my list of costume possibilities long before I played her in the musical.

Please list three essential elements to create the costume, and tell us why each of the three things is important.
Pink prom dress: Although Carrie’s dress in the book is actually red, a pink dress is what most people would recognize. The contrast between the pale pink fabric and blood is pretty striking too. It might be fun to do some thrift store shopping to find the perfect pink gown—or if you want to be super true to the character, buy some fabric and make it yourself!
Fake blood: This is obviously the key element. The more, the better. On our production, we had a blood expert who created the perfect concoction, but fake blood from a makeup/costume store like Ricky’s should do the trick. Again, if you want to be true to the story, slaughter a pig! (Kidding. Please don’t do that.)
Tiara: This will complete your look as the nightmare prom queen that is Carrie White.

What’s the key behavior or attitude needed to be believable as this character?
Being telekinetic. Obviously.

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a child?
My favorite Halloween costume was Morticia Addams, when I was eight. I loved the goth look and especially enjoyed wearing a long black wig—so much so, in fact, that I repeated the costume when I was nine.

What’s your best or worst Halloween memory?
I grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and every year the residents of West 69th Street have an awesome Halloween block party. All of the brownstones were amazingly decorated, and some were even turned into haunted houses. I have lots of great memories of trick-or-treating and walking through haunted brownstones on this block with my childhood best friend.

What will your costume be this year?
Some of my friends and I are thinking of all being Britney Spears at different stages in her life. I’m still undecided though.