Commentary On The Play Grounded

Grounded was a creatively executed, compelling play about a Pilot and her struggle to keep her identity as a fighter pilot while still being a loving mother and wife. The show was held in the basement of the Longstreet Theatre in a small, dark room. There was one actress on stage, but it was obvious that the production involved several other people to pull it all together back stage. The show was designed so that the audience could see the actress playing the Pilot, a single chair, and a variety of projections on the draped ceiling. The elements of the set, although there were only a few, were cohesive and helped the audience to stay focused on the actress for the majority of the show. The design of the play was well thought out and although …show more content…
The set was minimalistic with only one chair and a few lights, so in order for the show to make since, there had to be a lot of creativity involved. Lighting was used as a tool to fill the empty spaces where other actors would be and to draw the audiences attention toward them. The actress on stage, the Pilot, used certain areas of the stage along with specific motivated lighting to represent her interactions with certain characters. For example, when we meet Eric, the Pilots future husband, she speaks to him on stage left in the middle of the wall and she continues to speak to him here for the remainder of the play. There is a faint spotlight where Eric would be that helps us to realize his presence. Even though the audience cannot see Eric because there are no other actors, there is an understanding that this area of the stage means that Eric is there. The play includes several love scenes between the Pilot and Eric and although the scenes made some people in the audience feel uncomfortable, I think the scenes were executed as best they could be with only one actor. The Pilot gives birth to her baby girl, Sam, who we are introduced to using a light downstage in the corner. Throughout the rest of the production, that same light shines brighter when the Pilot is talking to Sam. There are many obstacles that come with having only one actor on the stage, so using certain areas of the stage to …show more content…
I was particularly amazed by the drapery on the ceiling that showed a variety of projections throughout the play. The drapery itself had an eery, but romantic look to it that helped set the scene for the play, but once the projections were put on it, it became even more helpful. The play opens with the Pilot discussing “the blue” meaning the sky and she is so in love with this idea of “the blue.” Blue sky is projected onto the drapes to help the audience understand the beauty of the sky and give a visual representation to the Pilots monologue. Because the drapes are so fluid and it is difficult to see the beginning and the end of each piece, the sky looks unusually realistic. As the play progresses and the plot line thickens, the projections shown become more dramatic and twisted. By the end of the play there are haunting videos of people who seem to be going crazy and other disturbing images. There are times when the projection moves through the drapes and onto the floor of the stage where the Pilot can see it and incorporate it into the show. Although the drapery is disturbing at times, it does contribute to the overall effect of the production and it adds a unique aspect to the