Ruined

After reading "Ruined" a theatrical staging of the play took shape in my head. Throughout the reading of this play the components of this production began taking shape, giving me the substance to create my unified directors vision. My production of this play will capture the essence of "Ruined" as a struggle through corruption and perseverance. This will be accomplished through the use of set and costume design to show an impoverish situation, sound that is sullen yet still uplifting, character created mood of tension and stress. In contrast to the muted and dull color scheme of the set, vibrant colors will be explored to show the perseverance and presence of beauty in a downtrodden world. This will be a production trying to seek a ultra realistic environment to help envelop the audience into the struggles of the characters.



When I think of this play I conjured images of strife and minimalistic living in a devastated world. for these reasons I chose to stage my production in Haiti. Haiti is a country that has be plagued with conflict of a political and racial nature through most of its history, and has frequently been decimated by horrific forces of nature. The inpoverd country makes due with very little and yet still seems to soldier on through the corruption and degradation that spreads through the pursuit of power. I feel that this community can relate to the themes of this play and that it will reach them on both a emotional and spiritual level.



A run down bar in Haiti.

This is an image of a bar that is typical of many establishments in Haiti, parts of the Caribbean, Central and South America. As you can see it has been made with whatever materials that were at hand in a rough fashion, and has been destroyed and disheveled by at least one fire. Even though it is set against a lush Green backdrop and tropical sky, and has some bright colored signs on the wall, it still appears to be muted and drab. This will make a perfect setting for Mama Nadi's place, downtrodden but with sings of brilliance and hope.

For this production the scenic design and theatrical space are partly intertwined. The audience will sit in the bar at tables, like a dinner theater. the performers will walk amongst the crowd at certain times creating a sense of full immersion into the play. Also girls/waitresses will serve food, drinks, and dance to make the audience  feel that they are just one of Mama Nadi's customers. The stage will be broken into three main sections, all viewable from the audience seats. The largest section will be the bar, for this is where the majority of the action occurs. To the right of the bar will be the back rooms where the girls sleep and supplies are kept. To the left of the bar will be the porch and outside, giving an entrance to the bar.





An example of a wood floored bar made from natural materials.

The set itself will be made mainly of natural materials that come together to make a quaint but somewhat dirty setting. Little to no electric appliances but with some seemingly out of place  comforts such as a pool table will be present. Dirty wooden floors and faded natural color tones will give a feel of a worn and tired world. The overall idea of the set design is to create a very poor and diminished quality of living, showing that there are very few resourcees available, and what is available is used as best it can.

Government soldiers

The costume design is ment to show that the soldiers and government that are corrupting the area will be dressed dirty and mutted, while those that are trying to resist corruption like the girls, Mama Nadi, and Christian will be dreesed in bright colors or white. This bright color on the outside will contrast the hurt and pain they have suffered on the inside. The government soldiers will dressed in identical tradtional camoflage uniforms, dirty but fairly completely dressed. The Rebels will have uniforms of  solid drab colors made from more traditional African feild working garments, verried and mix matched. The girls and Mama Nadi will wear bright colorful traditional dresses that are only slightly faded, slowly fading more throughout the play, but get brilliant and bright again at the end. Christian and Mr Harari wear faded suits, Christian more so, signifing ther evevated moral status. The texture of all the clothing will be of a rough nature, natural cloth and jute, showing an unrefined world.

Rebel soldiers

Traditional African dresses worn by Women

The lighting of this play greatly affects the mood conveied. The set will be lit from above with a dull pale yellow wash. Accent lights of bare light bulbs decending from wires from the celing will be used to keep focas to the main parts of the stage containing action and convey the sence of a low economic enviornment; One bulb on the porch, 2 by the bar, one between a few tables, and one in the back room. Shifting light illumineting from outside the building through the windows and cracks will give the sence of a change in time between day and night. A light haze will be present to donote the dust of the enviornment, with a thicker haze apperring when soldiers are smoking.

The sounds of an african rainforest will give the backdrop noise for this play; crickets, frogs, jaguares, and monkeys. Ocassionaly whenever soldiers are present, in the distance, random gunfire will burst for a second then cease, this will be intertwined occasionaly with the sound of cries and screams.In between scene changes quiet music will be heard, melodic and full, sorrowful and sad. When Sophie and Mama Nadi sing their voices will be thin, almost broken, and the music will be tinny and a little off key, all creating a feeling of internal uneasines and unsettling mood.

In this video there are some examples of some types of sound design that will be incorporated into  this production. At the begining is an example of distant gunfire and cries of pain. About 4 min 20 seconds in is an example of something similar to the music heard between scean changes and at the end of the play.

Works Cited

"Africa Travelogue." Web. 08 May 2011. <http://www.robertpeterson.org/Africa.htm>.

"BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Costume Gallery." BBC - Homepage. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/drama/galleries/costumerev_print.shtml>.

"Download Picture Haitian-signs10." Travel Pictures and Stories | Travel Adventures Around the World in 80 Clicks. Web. 08 May 2011. <http://www.traveladventures.org/scripts/copyright.php?Image_id=5982>.

Forum, Roobdoon. Biyokulule Online. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.biyokulule.com/view_content.php?articleid=1891>.

"REQ: African Militaries." Military Photos . Net. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?121693-REQ-African-militaries/page6>.

"YouTube - Tears of the Sun - Clearing the Village HD." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70JtkLt2UIk>.