Lights
For the most part, lighting would be fairly dim. Bright enough so that you can see things clearly, but not as bright as it would be if you were outside during the afternoon. The scenes inside the bar would be fairly dark, also reflecting the sad mood of the play and the nighttime scenes would be the darkest. Scenes inside the bedroom would be brighter, because I always imagined the bedroom having an open window to allow for air circulation. Scenes that take place outside during the day or inside the bar once it has been attacked would be the brightest because of the "natural light". Most of the light would come from the stage left since that is where the entrance/exit to the "outside" is for the bar scenes. My reasoning for all this is because I want to portray everything onstage realistically to a point. There would also be specific lights- for instance, if a scene starts or ends with Sophie or someone else singing, there will be a spotlight on the platform. If its at the beginning of a scene, the rest of the stage will light up as the action begins; if at the end, everything will fade to that spotlight until it too fades out. Different colored lights will also be used to reflect various moods during certain events. For example, as Salima is telling her backstory, the spotlight on her will become red with anger and fear as her story intensifies, then suddenly goes to blue as she breaks down. The scene where the bar is attacked will also be cast in a red light to symbolize the danger and fear that the women are feeling and the anger that the soldiers are feeling. Night scenes and rainy scenes will have a blue light and outdoor scenes that are not rainy will have a slightly green cast to them, seeing as they are in a rainforest area.
Sounds
Any music that is in the play would be pulled from either the script or Congolese music. The music would be generated from the band that is sitting to one side of the stage and would play when mentioned in the script and between scenes to keep the audience entertained as set pieces are moved on and offstage. Music between the scenes would correlate to what is going on in the scene before it, whether it be a regular day(happy music) or a bad day(sad music).
Sound effects would be precorded sounds. When house opens and audience is coming in to take their seats, they would hear the sounds of the rainforest that are mentioned at some parts in the script along with a gentle mix of traditional Congolese music with perhaps a slight mournful tone to it to help set the mood. From time to time, the audience would hear gunshots mixed with men shouting angrily in Swahili and women screaming. I feel as if many of the sound effects are pretty self-explanatory; right before soldiers come in, there's going to be the sound of a truck pulling up, parking, and unloading people and after they exit, hear them get in the truck, pull out, and drive away. For scenes where the fighting is getting closer to the building, gunshots are heard from around the theatre. For scenes that take place in the rain, sounds of heavy rain and thunder would be heard.
And I'm still trying to figure out the deal with the parrot.......
For the rest of the staging, just keep scrolling down. It's all there~
Monday, May 10, 2010
"Ruined" Costume Design
With the exception of Mr. Harari and the government officers, all the clothing will be dirty and worn to one degree or another. With that, here is the breakdown of what each character would wear:
Osembenga, Kisembe, and their Soldiers
Each military character would wear what their side dictates they would wear. Their uniforms would also vary with rank. Soldiers' uniforms will be dirty and worn, and in the case of some characters such as Fortune, ill-fitting, being either too big or too small.
Government soldiers:
Christian
He wears an old-fahsioned gray suit, maybe from the 1960s. It would be worn and faded, but not very dirty and in relatively good condition. For the last scene in the play, he is seen wearing a new one, maybe a darker gray and more modern. He might also have a matching fedora to go with his usual gray suit. It would probably look something like this, but in gray:
Mr. Harari
Mr. Harari on the other hand, would wear a very new and modern white suit that shows his wealth and status as the owner of a diamond mine. Like Christian, he may also have a matching fedora. His hair would be neatly combed and as for shoes, they would be white like his suit when he is wearing them.
Mama Nadi
Since Mama is a little bit older, I pictured her as being a little bit heavier, also because she eats a bit better than the rest of the girls. She would wear low-cut V-neck shirts and tank tops that allow her to show off her cleavage. She would also wear traditional wrap skirts, tied so that she can show some leg and traditional Congolese head wraps. Shoes would most likely be sandals. Her main colors in her clothing would be yellow, green, and red which are also the colors of the Congo's flag because in a way, Mama and her bar represent the Congo itself. She and her place want to remain neutral and peaceful, yet it houses people from both sides who wish to fight over it.
Type of head wrap she would have:
Type of skirt she would have:
Sophie
Sophie seems to come from a slightly better background than some of the other characters, so I pictured her clothing to be a little newer, in slightly better condition than everyone else's. She would wear simple and modest, yet attractive dresses that probably go down to a little bit above the knees. Hair would be pulled back into a small, tight ponytail or bun, maybe pigtails and shoes would be either flip-flops or flats. Main colors would be pastel tones of pink and blue to reflect her peaceful, quiet, and soft personality.
Salima
Coming from a farming, and most likely more traditional background, Salima's clothing would have a more traditional feel to it. She would wear the traditional wrap skirts and head wraps, although probably a bit simpler than those of Mama's and would be barefoot(probably couldn't afford good shoes in her past). As for her tops, she would wear halter tops and loose scoop-necked shirts. Her main colors would be gray, which is associated with spiritual and physical blemish, purple because it is feminine, yet is strong, maroon, and green, both of which are associated with the earth(farming).
Her type of head wrap:
Josephine
For me, Josephine came across a little bit more egotistical than the other girls. She has probably been a prostitute for quite a few years and has gotten used to the attention from the guys, and in turn, probably liks to be noticed. Josephine would wear short, flirty skirts that show off lots of leg, halter and tube tops that also show quite a bit of skin. Because Josephine likes to be noticed, her main colors would be a bit louder than the other girls' and they would be red, bright pink, purple, and gold/yellow.
Other characters
The Aid Worker would wear his Aid Worker uniform and miners would wear pants and boots, with shirts(usually wifebeaters) and would be especially dirty from working in the mines.
Osembenga, Kisembe, and their Soldiers
Each military character would wear what their side dictates they would wear. Their uniforms would also vary with rank. Soldiers' uniforms will be dirty and worn, and in the case of some characters such as Fortune, ill-fitting, being either too big or too small.
Government soldiers:
Christian
He wears an old-fahsioned gray suit, maybe from the 1960s. It would be worn and faded, but not very dirty and in relatively good condition. For the last scene in the play, he is seen wearing a new one, maybe a darker gray and more modern. He might also have a matching fedora to go with his usual gray suit. It would probably look something like this, but in gray:
Mr. Harari
Mr. Harari on the other hand, would wear a very new and modern white suit that shows his wealth and status as the owner of a diamond mine. Like Christian, he may also have a matching fedora. His hair would be neatly combed and as for shoes, they would be white like his suit when he is wearing them.
Mama Nadi
Since Mama is a little bit older, I pictured her as being a little bit heavier, also because she eats a bit better than the rest of the girls. She would wear low-cut V-neck shirts and tank tops that allow her to show off her cleavage. She would also wear traditional wrap skirts, tied so that she can show some leg and traditional Congolese head wraps. Shoes would most likely be sandals. Her main colors in her clothing would be yellow, green, and red which are also the colors of the Congo's flag because in a way, Mama and her bar represent the Congo itself. She and her place want to remain neutral and peaceful, yet it houses people from both sides who wish to fight over it.
Type of head wrap she would have:
Type of skirt she would have:
Sophie
Sophie seems to come from a slightly better background than some of the other characters, so I pictured her clothing to be a little newer, in slightly better condition than everyone else's. She would wear simple and modest, yet attractive dresses that probably go down to a little bit above the knees. Hair would be pulled back into a small, tight ponytail or bun, maybe pigtails and shoes would be either flip-flops or flats. Main colors would be pastel tones of pink and blue to reflect her peaceful, quiet, and soft personality.
Salima
Coming from a farming, and most likely more traditional background, Salima's clothing would have a more traditional feel to it. She would wear the traditional wrap skirts and head wraps, although probably a bit simpler than those of Mama's and would be barefoot(probably couldn't afford good shoes in her past). As for her tops, she would wear halter tops and loose scoop-necked shirts. Her main colors would be gray, which is associated with spiritual and physical blemish, purple because it is feminine, yet is strong, maroon, and green, both of which are associated with the earth(farming).
Her type of head wrap:
Josephine
For me, Josephine came across a little bit more egotistical than the other girls. She has probably been a prostitute for quite a few years and has gotten used to the attention from the guys, and in turn, probably liks to be noticed. Josephine would wear short, flirty skirts that show off lots of leg, halter and tube tops that also show quite a bit of skin. Because Josephine likes to be noticed, her main colors would be a bit louder than the other girls' and they would be red, bright pink, purple, and gold/yellow.
Other characters
The Aid Worker would wear his Aid Worker uniform and miners would wear pants and boots, with shirts(usually wifebeaters) and would be especially dirty from working in the mines.
Staging Ruined- Location and Scene Design
Location
If I were to stage ruined, I would like to stage it in the Jaeb Theatre at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center(TBPAC). I would stage it there because Tampa is a larger city with a fairly diverse population. There is also a lot of theatre already there. The Jaeb theatre itself is rather small, so it should allow everyone in the audience to see what's going on onstage, from large actions to the small minute details. There are also tables and chairs in the theatre so that the audiece can sit at them and even eat and/or drink as if they really were at Mama's place.
A floor plan of the Jaeb Theatre:
The Scene and Set Design
The play mostly takes place indoors with a few scenes taking place right outside the building, so the set should be made to look like both. The backdrop would be painted to look like it is made of wood and/or bamboo, which is probably what the building was made of. To the stage right part of the stage would be a doorway with either a door or a beaded curtain in it. For the bedroom scenes, this would be the doorway to the hall or stairs, bar scenes- the door to the back, and for outdoor scenes, the door to inside the building. To the far stage right, there would be a raised platform, which is where the band plays and the characters sing. Any music and even some of the sound effects for the play would come from there. Stage left would be the entrance/exit to the bar to and from the outside. On the backdrop itself would be a ledge that would serve as a shelf when they need it, a poster or two(one of an African-American pop star that is mentioned and maybe one dealing with the current events), and some of those cheap plastic colorful lanterns strung along the top.
As for the set pieces, large set pieces such as the bar, pool table, and bed(s) would be rolled on and off stage and would lock into place so that they don't move around when they're not supposed to. Smalled set pieces such as tables and chairs would be carried on and set where they need to be. For the outdoor scenes, all of the set pieces would be removed.
The rest of the theatre will help to set the mood. Fake jungle plants that look like those of the Congo will be placed where they can, carefully placed so that they don't obstruct others' views. The tables will also have colorful tablecloths that reflect traditional designs of the Congo.
If I were to stage ruined, I would like to stage it in the Jaeb Theatre at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center(TBPAC). I would stage it there because Tampa is a larger city with a fairly diverse population. There is also a lot of theatre already there. The Jaeb theatre itself is rather small, so it should allow everyone in the audience to see what's going on onstage, from large actions to the small minute details. There are also tables and chairs in the theatre so that the audiece can sit at them and even eat and/or drink as if they really were at Mama's place.
A floor plan of the Jaeb Theatre:
The Scene and Set Design
The play mostly takes place indoors with a few scenes taking place right outside the building, so the set should be made to look like both. The backdrop would be painted to look like it is made of wood and/or bamboo, which is probably what the building was made of. To the stage right part of the stage would be a doorway with either a door or a beaded curtain in it. For the bedroom scenes, this would be the doorway to the hall or stairs, bar scenes- the door to the back, and for outdoor scenes, the door to inside the building. To the far stage right, there would be a raised platform, which is where the band plays and the characters sing. Any music and even some of the sound effects for the play would come from there. Stage left would be the entrance/exit to the bar to and from the outside. On the backdrop itself would be a ledge that would serve as a shelf when they need it, a poster or two(one of an African-American pop star that is mentioned and maybe one dealing with the current events), and some of those cheap plastic colorful lanterns strung along the top.
As for the set pieces, large set pieces such as the bar, pool table, and bed(s) would be rolled on and off stage and would lock into place so that they don't move around when they're not supposed to. Smalled set pieces such as tables and chairs would be carried on and set where they need to be. For the outdoor scenes, all of the set pieces would be removed.
The rest of the theatre will help to set the mood. Fake jungle plants that look like those of the Congo will be placed where they can, carefully placed so that they don't obstruct others' views. The tables will also have colorful tablecloths that reflect traditional designs of the Congo.
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