Anowa
is the central character in this play set in 19th century Ghana.
Its told in three phases, the first set in Anowa's village and
home, the second "on the road" and the third in the
home of she and her husband, some years later.
In photos of Ghana, I found elements that repeated themselves
and made strong use of vertical line – thatched roofs, walls
created by bundling reeds. There is strength in a vertical line,
the same strength we see in Anowa. Some of these “natural”
elements make their way into the scenic design.
They also appear stylized in the adinkra pattern that surrounds
the space. The design team was struck by the beauty and meaning
of this traditional art form. I found through research a beautiful
sample of a black adinkra cloth with light symbols. Brightly colored
kente ran through the dark background which made the colors of
the kente very vibrant. Knowing that the costumes would be a primary
source of color, I chose to paint the surround of the set in the
style of this black adinkra, hoping to give an extra boost to
Megan Szloboda’s jewel-toned color palette. The sankofa
symbol was used most, as it was the symbol the director most associated
with the show.
Location changes also had to be accomplished simply as there is
just not a lot of physical space in Studio 88 to store scenery.
The biggest change (into Phase Three) also needed to show that
the characters have been affected by European influence. Again,
the introduction of a few small elements (a painting of Queen
Victoria, a European mantelpiece, decorative procelain on display)
accomplishes this.
©
2003 by Gion DeFrancesco
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