Session 3, Oct 30
/In attendance:
David
Meranda
Dale
As usual, if I forgot anything that you think is important, say so in comments.
We spent the session looking at ways we could define the Court space vs. the Forest of Arden space.
To recap the Hero’s Journey structure:
…which for us translates to:
We framed our thinking as “Court vs. Arden” in order to have a clear dichotomy between the two, i.e., not just a list of traits for each.
From there we posited color palettes that would demonstrate the contrasts between the Byzantine, treacherous Court and the open, playful Arden. We also pushed beyond our State B, i.e. Arden, into the final part of the show, the Masque where the god of marriage, Hymen, appears and untangles all the threads.
Thus, mostly in costumes, we would be able to contrast the sterile nature of the Court with the rowdy nature of Arden, and then in the final apotheosis of regeneration—new marriages, restoration of power/status—we throw in colors associated with newness and royalty.
We also talked about how it’s not just color, but texture as well: the white at Court would be heavy brocades, stiff fabrics, while in the Masque it would be chiffons and silks.
David shared a couple of ideas for switching to Arden: literally turning a page on the back wall, from the white/stone backdrop to something greener. He also used a similar idea for the proscenium posts. We talked about how the scenery/lighting had to accommodate the brief switch back to the Court from Arden in Act II.
Next session: Wed, Nov 6, 7:30–9:00
ASSIGNMENTS:
Read through Act II again; we will work on the text next week. (Here’s a link to a Google doc of the entire play.)
Read the 10 Principles of Burning Man (the most famous Autonomous Zone): simple version, fuller version. We will be exploring how the folk in Arden demonstrate (or don’t) these principles.
We will also explore how the dictum “Utopias fail/end” informs the end of the play.
