Dec 12, 2016

Design Principle (summary)

The design principle that I have stuck with throughout this production is never having too much, but never having too little. I feel like this reflects the two opposite characters, Berniece and Boy Willie, perfectly. Berniece can never be too small. She wants to accept herself as something that the world doesn’t appreciate. As for Boy Willie, he can never have too much. He always wants more and more. This balance reflects Doaker, the one who is content with his life and lives the best way he can.
I’m also going for a realistic approach for this play. If there is comedy in the script, I don’t see it. The only theatrical, imaginary moments I see are when Sutter’s ghost comes out. Even that I want to take seriously. The atmosphere therefore needs to be dull, serious, gloomy, deteriorating, etc. It can’t have the appearance of hope, except for the piano because it pulls them all together in the end. I want it to be very shiny and a bright color of wood. Everything else fades to greens and yellows. Visually, I'm having too much in the costumes, but I'm having very little in the set.
The details of the set in the script literally say that it is scarcely furnaces and also has the slightest tough of a female hand, which I address with the curtains on each window. I make the floor of wooden panels and tile for the kitchen. I think these hard surfaces help emphasis the hard opinions that will happen in this play.
In costumes, you will actually see bright colors, usually one color per person, not just to draw your attention to them, but to also encourage the idea of life in each of them, no matter how hopeless they appear. As for lighting, it will usually be warm, and backlit through the windows, depending on what time of day it is. Like I said, I want it to be very realistic. I might change the lights to blue when the ghost comes out, but we’ll see. I was thinking about doing some dark gold lights when they are chanting slavery songs they sung when they were in jail. I listen to the soundtrack of the original score from the first director, and it was very serious and solemn. It might help illustrate its importance.

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