This blog is dedicated to the Concept Document of the lighting task.
A variety of elements impacted the way I interpreted this play and the way I have chosen to design this play.
“It's the subtlety underneath the obviousness that gives strength to The Threepenny Opera.
This quote sums up my approach towards the design and this assignment. It is to use the techniques of Epic theatre and Brecht to create a design that is both extreme and minimal; to find a middle ground of simple extravagance.
I personally have been inspired by German Expressionism and used this concept and these ideas to impact this design and the overall style of this piece. This is reflected in the set design, lighting and particularly the jail scene.
Bertolt Brecht was like no other in his time or since. He helped to pioneer a style of theatre, Epic Theatre. This style of theatre has often been remounted and re-contextualized, performed in various countries over various time periods. Brecht style theatre is even studied as a base text in the NSW HSC. This demonstrates the importance of his techniques and style.
Within his theatre Brecht’s aim was create situations that had the audience think about the problem presented at hand, not to be swept up in the magic of the theatre. He often interrupted scenes with song, this gives a jolt to the scene and the audience. He used plot twists and the technique of “Alienation” to keep this feeling within the audience. He also kept the theatre in its bare form, showing full stage actions, lighting and rigging. Using completely washed lighting states and very little colour. These are all techniques that are central to Brechtian theatre and are expected in all of his works. This is an expectation that I will employ within this production.
I have chosen to recontextualise the play, by changing the original storyline and context from England to 1940’s America. By changing the location and time period to 1940’s Harlem a further layer can be developed where race and cultural context become a massive factor in the play. The coronation is changed for the 1940 inauguration of Theodor Roosevelt. And there have been minor changes to the script throughout.
This then leads to nationality changes of the cast and there becomes a racial issue as apposed to a moral or monetary divide between the Peachums and Mac. The traditional themes of loyalty, love, family, corruption and brutality remain they are just now underpinned by a cultural sub-text. Mac, Lucy and the police officer brown are now African American. While the Peachums are Italian American, with possible ties to the Mafia. This is a realistic and probable reflection of Harlem in the 1940’s. The plan to disrupt the coronation is now a plan to disrupt the inauguration in Washington. These changes impact the design element for the show. This also makes it relevant in modern times with current issues occurring in American and the “Black Lives Matter” Movement.
This change makes the play a social view on modern social and cultural issues and brings it into the 21st century. Brecht aimed to make the audience focus on issues of the time and by changing the context of the play we are asking current audiences to do the same.
This not only works technically in the script, with dates and events, but works artistically and leads to further creative development in the show.
The colour palette I have generated specifically for the purpose of this show. Working with deep reds, oranges, pinks and a warm wash throughout. I have also included a variety of blues and purples. Brecht rarely employed a large amount of colour in his work so I kept a lot of the design to a wash state and used colour to emphases the set pieces.
The costumes selected are of typical 1940’s fashion, they are modest and true to the time period. They women often wore skirt and blouse combinations with hats while the men dressed in suit and tie. It has been a conscious decision to have limited colour used in the costumes, such as Polly’s dress, Mr Peachums pocket square, Mac’s hat. This are highlighted in the warm light of the stage and will then match the colour used in the set and lighting to make them pop.
Each costume is tailored to the character and matched to their profile, while extra cast and chorus are in simple plain clothes that fit the historical time period. These individual breakdowns of the costume can be seen in the character analysis document.
The design chosen has ladders along the far OP and P sides of the stage, also stretching onto the back wall. These ladders can act as exit and entrance points for the cast and are a large influence on the blocking and lighting. These ladders represent a struggle, a climb, climbing to greater social status, climbing to greater political status, climbing to a better life. A sense of striving to achieve; not unlike the American dream. Although simple a lot can be displayed in the use of these ladders.
There is then a backdrop along the back wall of the space. This backdrop is inspired by the image “Harlem Street With Church” by William H. Johnson circ. 1939/1940.
Having a flat and static backdrop along the rear of the stage was a design feature from the very first set concept designs. This sets a boundary to the almost seamless space. By employing the Brechtian technique of showing all of the staging and extending this by allowing the ladders to stretch off stage a sense of endless space is created. This backdrop brings back the boundary and reminds the audience this is a show they are watching. The style of the backdrop is similar to some styles of German expressionism artwork and finding the William Johnson print that reflected both the context and style allowed this theme to flow through the space.
Additional set pieces will them roll in as trucks onto stage, a flat piece for the brothel, a flat pieces for the shop etc. These will be stylized and the only element to the show that are garishly coloured. The Peachum’s shop is a vibrant orange colour, the stable is pink, the whorehouse is a rich red colour. These are all colours represented in the colour palette.
The lighting design for this show was to employee techniques of Brecht. The use a large warm was from both front, back and side, gives an even wash and also allows for all areas of the stage to be seen as is Brechtian practice. To offset this colour is used exclusively for the set, giving vibrant lighting changes and an overt way to allow the audience to read a situation (Ie Red for the whorehouse)
These states are then broken by the moments of song where follow spots are used and lanterns are brought out to break the tension and create a cabaret feel or mood.
The only time where this over all theme or style is broken is in the final act where jail scenes are created by focusing the moving fixtures onto the ladders to create long, exaggerated shadows, similar to German expressionism.
I have created this work on an exceptionally limited budget with the aim of using as much venue stock as possible. Hiring in only a few items that I need.
Throughout the design I have aimed to emanate a Brechtian style, while also including my own personal flare and elements. This will hopefully create a fusion of ideas and generate an interesting and new piece of theatre. Breathing live into an 88 year old Opera.
