Synge
sets Playboy in a single room with a door to outside,
a door to the interior of the house, and windows to the outside.
It’s seems like the perfect set-up for a box set. Except
that Synge was a poet who writes a heightened style of language.
There is a poetic realism to his dialogue and his characters.
What’s more, Synge is writing about the land. The traditional
box set excludes us from seeing the environment.
As we approached
this production, we discussed ways to overcome the conventions
of realism. The director encouraged the creative team to pursue
the “fantastic.” So, while there is still a sense
of the box set, I’ve tried not to create the total illusion
that you’re looking into a real place. The walls are covered
in burlap, allowing a little light to spill through when lit
in silhouette. More significantly, you have the advantage of
seeing a bit of the outside.This part of Ireland is not lush
and green. It’s desolate and rocky. It greatly impacts
who these characters are.Martin enjoyed the idea of seenig them
outside, staging the viewing of the race and the awarding of
the prizes outdoors. A playing area DS of the set (extending
over our orchestra pit) was large enough to accommodate this.
Scene design
copywrighted 2003 by Gion DeFrancesco
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