THE SOUNDS OF THE RAIN FOREST
THE SEXY DANCING OF THE CONGOLESE WOMEN
THE OLD BARNS COULD BE AN EXCELLENT STRUCTURE TO RE-USE FOR THIS PRODUCTION
My set for ruined would be outside in an open field setting like an old farm with wheat growing, or corn. The sounds of bullets will be heard periodically, and yet the sounds of insects, birds, and monkeys in the distance will give the feel of being in the jungle. The shack like bar would be open on one side to see the action inside, but would not constrict the view of the front of the bar for when people come in and out, and when certain scenes need to be played in front of the bar. The structure will have a second story to see inside the bedrooms where the girls converse, and shadowy rooms where shadowed figures are having sex and getting dressed, etc. An old barn could potentially be converted into the bar with a few adjustments instead of constructing completely from scratch. Thatch roofs on the structure and netted curtains of leaves hung from trees to increase foliage will help to disguise the barn features and create the feel of a run down shack like house or bar. My play will be in the evening with dusk and moonlight, with the light from candles and oil lamps to create a mood of seclusion. The women will be dressed in slip type dresses of various colors made from silks and lace when entertaining the men or during to dance routines inside the bar, and wrapped cloth dresses draped around them when in scenes in their rooms. Mama will be dressed in a long dress made of tapestry that completely covers her legs, yet has lace overlays to make them more mature and seductive. Mama will wear mostly reds and purple with black lace edging to show how she feels dark and mysterious and later ruined. Mr. Harari will be dressed in an all white suit with white shoes, but will have a black shirt and red tie to indicate something not quite all pure. Christian will have a worn blue suit and brown shoes, which later turns into a brown new suit with black brown shoes and a beige tie and white shirt. Sophie will be dressed in yellow dresses to the knee for the entire play to show innocence, but not virtue. and the soldiers will be dressed in either green fatigue, or black fatigue depending on which side they fight for. The old record player will play music for Sophie to sing with, and the platform will be set back from the open floor where the pool table and tables are set around a small dance floor. The overall decor of the room will be a mixture of old and run down, with a few modern pieces from different cultures to show the many travelers that have visited the bar. The parrot cage sits covered in a corner of the bar. The seating for the audience will be in risers, like bleacher 2 sets separated in the middle for soldiers to run out into the jungle when exiting. The sound crew will have speakers set behind the bleachers to create a surround sound effect to draw the audience into the action they are watching, and more fully experience the feeling of being in a war zone. The sound of bullets flying by, and the sounds of trucks and men yelling will be heard during a few scenes. The lights inside the bar will be on the floor projecting inside and oil lamps that can be dimmed out as action occurs in other parts of the set, they can also project a more menacing appearance to the colonel Osembenga s' features when he is angry as he steps into the light. The scene in which Salima enters with blood on her dress and legs, the wire hanger will be in her hand as she enters, and she will drop it on the floor as she yells her lines, so we know what she has done to herself. The scene where mama Nadi gives Mr. Harari the diamond, and tells him it is for Sophies' new life, mama nadi will be wearing a soft colored yellowish, white dress with a beige sweater to signify a softening of her exterior and her interior being. The Colonel Osembega will wear a black jogging suit and beret and smoke a cigar in many scenes, and will throw down cigar to show disgust or anger. The lighting will change to brighter tones of yellow and pink from behind the bar when Mama Nadi and Christian reunite during the last scenes of the play to foreshadow a peace that is to come.
