working on the stage

Use of symbolism in “The Laramie Project”

hot pink: sexuality

red: life

orange: healing

yellow: sunlight

green: nature

turquoise: magic/art

indigo/blue: serenity/harmony

violet: spirit

I’m going to base my use of symbolism on this flags, its colors and its meanings.

A first idea is to create an atmosphere that introduces the play in the Max Bell Lobby. Working with the dramaturges (Derek and Danie), who already have some suggestions about giving some knowledge about the play to the audience, before the play starting. Furthermore, I would also like to introduce the rainbow flag in the lobby, the meanings of its colors (since some of them are then going to be use during the play). This could be done by placing object with a symbolic meaning, of course nothing with a strong impact.

As far as the stage is concerned, I don’t think it should be full of symbolism, since this could create distraction. For example, I think it could be nice to paint the chairs the characters are going to use in:

-          Yellow, sunlight, for the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, because they came out with something brutal that happened in the past in that town;

-          Hot pink, sexuality, for all the gays, lesbians and bisexuals that are going to be interviewed;

-          Red, life, for the two perpetrators, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, because they took Matthew’s life;

-          White or any neutral color for all the other characters.

The characters, who are probably wearing something that reminds them, could also associate this with the colors symbolism.

No more colors should be used in the stage in order not to create too much distraction.

This seems to be confusing and difficult to realize! For sure the Lobby, we can still use symbolism!

STAGE SET: (from the Tectonic Theatre Project)

9 wood chairs: need 7 more wood chairs! Find them in campus

What about the tables? Propose to Libby!

Only the black umbrellas or also the disposition of the chairs? Nice picture




Other images:

My first term

1^st year production:

v  Waiting for Godot: Alzbeta and Amber

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_Godot

Existentialism (why are we here?)

v  Art: Derek and Danie

           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'Art'_(play)

           Naturalistic (epic theatre)

v  La casa de Bernarda Alba: Belen and Hadi

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_Bernarda_Alba

v  Inherit the Wind: Dylan, Abhinav and Lucio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inherit_the_Wind_(play)

v  Amigo’s Blue Guitar: Mauricio and Sara

http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/cmarchive/vol21no4/vidamigo.html

v  My children my Africa: Sidhingo and Amelia

http://www.seeingblack.com/article_293.shtml

Naturalistic style

v  The servant of two master: Gugu, Emily and Laura

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_of_Two_Masters

Commedia dell’arte

Style and methods

v  Stanislavski

v  Brecht

v  Commedia dell’arte

v  Ethnodrama/theatre (My Name is Rachel Corrie), verbatim theatre

v  Documentary theatre, newspaper theatre (Erwin Piscator), Tectonic Theatre Project

v  Playback theatre, drama therapy, Augusto Boal – Theatre of the Oppressed

v  Film: Stage Beauty

v  SECOND YEAR PRODUCTION: The Laramie Project (Set)

Critical evaluation (6): I didn’t talk about the elevated symbolic poetic style. Performance style: written in a different time that it was interpreted in this version of the play! Brechtian style: some brechtian elements were already in the play but he director added others.

Probably the director wanted to represent Victor through Lorca.