Greetings, all--
I know about half of you still have to create blog sites, and many of you haven't yet gotten around to posting on Overtones yet. You still have time; the posts aren't due until Tuesday night.
Nevertheless, since we're scheduled to read Trifles for this Friday (9/6), I wanted to get the prompt for that play up as well.
So: for this posting, imagine that someone in the department was proposing a production of Trifles
for the Lab season. No problem there, right? The thing is, the proposal
specifies that the production be ultra minimalist in design. That is,
the production would not create a naturalistic stage full of props and
having the actors dress in historically appropriate costumes. Instead,
he production will use only blank, black blocks and simple black chairs
for furniture. Props will be abstract, neutrally colored versions (e.g.,
a blank white sheet for Mrs. Wright's quilt, a simple white box for the
sewing box, etc.). The actors would dress only in simple black clothes.
The ideal design here isn't "sloppy" or "cheap" but just "blank" and
"abstract."
Says the director: "I want to focus on the
words and emotions in this production. I want the audience and the
actors to focus on the people, not on things."
Now, to be clear: the production wouldn't be altering the dialogue or plot at all.
My
questions for you to write about: What do you think of this proposal?
What would such a production gain? What would it lose? Try to answer
mainly from the perspective of the script. That is, can you imagine an
ultra stripped-down production of Trifles (i.e., a theatricalized rather than naturalistic production) that nevertheless doesn't lose something significant?
Make your post for Trifles
by the evening of Thursday 9/5. Hopefully by then I'll be able to
start putting you all into blog reading circles, and you can respond to
each other's ideas. (Until then, if you want to comment on someone's posting, go ahead and do so!).
As always, contact me if you have questions or concerns.
Be well,
JF
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