Seven Deadly Sins
Graduate Thesis
Spring 2013
I designed a production of Brecht-Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins that played with the ideas of generation alienation, gender roles, and alienation of self. I chose this play because it really intrigued me, and I chose these themes because they not only had relevance in my life at the time, but were also relevant to the work's creators when they wrote it. I planned to stage my vision by incorporating
social media, current events, and projections into a quickly moving setting with present-day features. In my design choices, I wanted to create a current Amerika, using the intentions, if not the details, of the original production.
One of the tools I used to create my immersive world were projections. I had a Flag-shaped back drop displaying a series of projections depicting the girls' progress. The backdrop screen was the only immovable set piece, while the others were all rearranged for each city, and consisted of highly stylized benches, lamps, tables, etc. These scenic units transitioned from sharp and shiny to blunt and grungy as the weight of the real world was felt upon Anna II, and were evocative of each sin without being realistically representative of any city – Amerikan, not American. The family had their own sphere, similar to Anna I’s, that they never emerged from, but their social media comments were projected while they sung them, interloping into Anna II's constructed world in that way.
The family was also segregated by their costume. As members of a different generation, they were costumed in the stereotypical Amerikan regalia of a lower class family. However, once the Annas began to send money home, in act II they appeared as an upper middle class (bourgeoisie) family. Their color palette in act I is drab, monochromatic, and completely removed from that of Anna II and her world. Anna I was the bridge between the two. Her wardrobe was stylistically similar to the family's, and her palette was similarly muted, but she progressed to a multi-chromatic place. Unlike the family, who only changed clothing between acts, both Annas changed in each city. In act I, Anna I wore a simple, bland, outfit in muted tones, as a pale imitation of her sister, while Anna II wore a bright, flashy, piece from the front of the gossip rags. As Act II introduced the wealth of the family, Anna I began to dominate Anna II more, and her costumes become just as flashy and colorful as her sister's.
Anna II's world was also intricately lit, with jeweled tones, rich textures and shadows, and highly saturated colors. Anna I's space was a pale imitation of her sister's, but still colored by the brilliant Amerika she had constructed. The family, on the other hand, were completely detached from their daughters' worlds. Their world was stark, and simply lit without color or texture. As they begin to become moneyed, a gold light enveloped them, but it was still stark and monochromatic. I think with these distinctions in color, texture, lighting, costume, and scenery, I created a distinct Amerika that was evocative to my current audience.
Spring 2013
I designed a production of Brecht-Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins that played with the ideas of generation alienation, gender roles, and alienation of self. I chose this play because it really intrigued me, and I chose these themes because they not only had relevance in my life at the time, but were also relevant to the work's creators when they wrote it. I planned to stage my vision by incorporating
social media, current events, and projections into a quickly moving setting with present-day features. In my design choices, I wanted to create a current Amerika, using the intentions, if not the details, of the original production.
One of the tools I used to create my immersive world were projections. I had a Flag-shaped back drop displaying a series of projections depicting the girls' progress. The backdrop screen was the only immovable set piece, while the others were all rearranged for each city, and consisted of highly stylized benches, lamps, tables, etc. These scenic units transitioned from sharp and shiny to blunt and grungy as the weight of the real world was felt upon Anna II, and were evocative of each sin without being realistically representative of any city – Amerikan, not American. The family had their own sphere, similar to Anna I’s, that they never emerged from, but their social media comments were projected while they sung them, interloping into Anna II's constructed world in that way.
The family was also segregated by their costume. As members of a different generation, they were costumed in the stereotypical Amerikan regalia of a lower class family. However, once the Annas began to send money home, in act II they appeared as an upper middle class (bourgeoisie) family. Their color palette in act I is drab, monochromatic, and completely removed from that of Anna II and her world. Anna I was the bridge between the two. Her wardrobe was stylistically similar to the family's, and her palette was similarly muted, but she progressed to a multi-chromatic place. Unlike the family, who only changed clothing between acts, both Annas changed in each city. In act I, Anna I wore a simple, bland, outfit in muted tones, as a pale imitation of her sister, while Anna II wore a bright, flashy, piece from the front of the gossip rags. As Act II introduced the wealth of the family, Anna I began to dominate Anna II more, and her costumes become just as flashy and colorful as her sister's.
Anna II's world was also intricately lit, with jeweled tones, rich textures and shadows, and highly saturated colors. Anna I's space was a pale imitation of her sister's, but still colored by the brilliant Amerika she had constructed. The family, on the other hand, were completely detached from their daughters' worlds. Their world was stark, and simply lit without color or texture. As they begin to become moneyed, a gold light enveloped them, but it was still stark and monochromatic. I think with these distinctions in color, texture, lighting, costume, and scenery, I created a distinct Amerika that was evocative to my current audience.
Scenic Design
Rough Scenic/Projection Thumbnails
Paperwork
Costume Design
Paperwork
Renderings
Lighting Design