Ruined

My Unifying Vision:  This play is in the Congo during a civil war.  The play states how some people had to live their live to survive and not be killed for just being on the wrong side of the street.  This play will bring reality of war and choices people have to choose to live or die. The feeling will be dark and depressing.  The reality of how people view war will see the truth not what they want to believe. Struggle of love, honor, and betrayal will be the underlining theme of this production.  Dreams of the past and future are just dreams. Each character will have to be strong and have the want to live. Some have to make sure they stand their ground.  My actors will show their strength and weakness. There will be the sound of war and sound rain and the sound hope throughout this play.

Theater of Choice:

My theater choice would be "Circle in the Square" theater in New York city.  The reasoning behind this pick is I saw Sweenty Todd there when I was in HS and it made you feel that you where right there in the shop with Sweenty.  This play the audience needs to be close and personal with this play to understand what is really going on. This theater place is small and close. Just to get into the front row you have to step on stage. (so yes i can say i have been on a broadway stage once in my life time). My Target audience is the upper class people that never had to seen war or even hard time.  I want them to see choices they would never have to make make, feel the pain theses characters are going through, and most of all make them see that their perfect little world is not real for everyone and they need to realize how lucky they are.

Scenic Design:
Well this play is from the Cogo, so it will be placed in that world.  It will feel like you are in the rain forest.  it will be dark not only due to the Cogo but we are in War.  Background will have Trees, smog, Fires from villages being burned, musty smelling and also cheap perfume smelling due to we are in a Madame house.  As the Audience comes in and feel of the Rainforest is upon them.  The smog, will be there and moisture in the air.  the stage will be Mama's House. It will be run down and nothing fancy.  A basic shack in vision.  Dirty wood floors, old bar and old furniture.  It will not be high class but enough to know you are out of the world of war.  Even the china will be warn and chip to show hard times. 

Costume design:
Well this is the easiest part.  One the ladies will be wearing Red worn dresses.  Red has always been a sign of prositution in the days so it would be the theme for the ladies of the house.  Now Mama would have the best outfit out of all the girls because she is the Master of the game.  she would look like the boss and one you know you have to go through to get anything.  The girls their outfits are ruined. Red but ripped due to they have been abused by all these men.  money is tight and not one of the ladies are good with the sewing so they can't be perfect.  they will be coverred enough for public view but you know they will be easy to come off.  the soldiers that are government will have the uniforms that have no holes, they may be dirty with blood and mud but they are not falling apart.  the rebells are not in real uniforms they are in plain dirty and bloody clothes of common people.  they will have a wrap on the arms that states they are with the rebels but they are not good enough to afford real uniforms.  In a way we are looking like we did back in the civil war.  The Union is the governement uniforms and the Conferates are the rebels.  All costumes except for mama (to a degree) will be rough and ruin.  You want to see that these are not good times and blood and evil is there.

Lighting: 
we are looking at war and prostitution so the lighting is simple. Dark and gloomy throughtout most of the play.  Spot lights on the characters during their section but not so bright and cheery.  Now we know the ending is a part of hope so the ending light will be brighter then the rest.  There are times in the play where hope comes into play and you will see some sunshine but as you know it will be short live until the end.  The lighting will help set the mood that this is not a happy play and this play is about war and pain.  The death of innocencents in may ways.  If you ever been to the Holocaust Musuem this is the feeling I am going with the lighting.  As you enter that elevator in the museum the lighting in there made you feel death. Well you will feel death as you see this play.  It may not be physical death of the villiagers but death of what some people call their souls and values.

Sounds:
As sound is very important in all plays and movies.  It sets the mood.  You will hear the rain falling in the distances, you will hear people crying and dying, you will also here the voices of Sophia trying to bring calm and hope to the people as she sings.  Just because you are in Mama's house of neutral area you can not forget what is going on behind those doors.  You also need to know that she isn't safe in her places as the play goes on so the sounds must be there to remind you that you are just minutes not from harm way. so the Burning of the villages in the background and hearing of the crying of pain will be a reminder that this is a place pain and death. 


scences from the Real PLAY

 (scene from the real play)
(Sounds of the rainforest)