THE FINAL PROJECT ESSAY:
Systemic racism is cyclical and ongoing until society decides to break the cycle. This concept provide s the backbone for our production of Dutchman. For this reason, the show has been updated to a more contemporary 1990’s setting. This design choice implies that systemic racism is an ongoing and continuous issue that will continue to claim more victims until the cycle is broken. To communicate this idea, setting, costumes, audio, and surrealist elements will be incorporated to create this production of the show.
To create an immersive setting for this production, an actual subway car would serve as the staging area for the actors as well as a seating area for the audience. The viewers would sit on the subway as though they are passengers and …show more content…
The surrealism comes from Lula’s mysterious character and her frequently bizarrely assumptive dialogue. Another element of surrealism to be incorporated would be that of the lights nearest to Clay and Lula would flicker at a consistent pace throughout the beginning of the show to make a repetitive pattern which could also put the audience on edge. During the crisis and climax of the show, the light would stay on until Clay is killed, when it would cut out. The interior of the subway car would have the typical fluorescent lighting of an R32 to establish a mostly realistic setting within a surreal story. Afterwards, the flickering would recommence. Again, this is demonstrative of the cycle of oppression that precedes and follows the plot of Dutchman. Another concept that will establish surrealism would be the constantly moving projections that will be seen outside the subway windows. The projections would shift between cityscapes and dark subway tunnels throughout the show. However, these projections will be very cyclical and repetitive, creating an unreal feel for the
Systemic racism is cyclical and ongoing until society decides to break the cycle. This concept provide s the backbone for our production of Dutchman. For this reason, the show has been updated to a more contemporary 1990’s setting. This design choice implies that systemic racism is an ongoing and continuous issue that will continue to claim more victims until the cycle is broken. To communicate this idea, setting, costumes, audio, and surrealist elements will be incorporated to create this production of the show.
To create an immersive setting for this production, an actual subway car would serve as the staging area for the actors as well as a seating area for the audience. The viewers would sit on the subway as though they are passengers and …show more content…
The surrealism comes from Lula’s mysterious character and her frequently bizarrely assumptive dialogue. Another element of surrealism to be incorporated would be that of the lights nearest to Clay and Lula would flicker at a consistent pace throughout the beginning of the show to make a repetitive pattern which could also put the audience on edge. During the crisis and climax of the show, the light would stay on until Clay is killed, when it would cut out. The interior of the subway car would have the typical fluorescent lighting of an R32 to establish a mostly realistic setting within a surreal story. Afterwards, the flickering would recommence. Again, this is demonstrative of the cycle of oppression that precedes and follows the plot of Dutchman. Another concept that will establish surrealism would be the constantly moving projections that will be seen outside the subway windows. The projections would shift between cityscapes and dark subway tunnels throughout the show. However, these projections will be very cyclical and repetitive, creating an unreal feel for the