Fourcast     Productions

George regularly switches between characters, but also speaks in the play through an inner and outer voice. Would it be visually interesting to illustrate the difference between internal and external dialogue through colour? Perhaps a stark stage light only shines on George when he is speaking to himself, but swiftly comes off when he is engaged in dialogue aloud or as other characters.

 

How minimalistic should the set be? Would having one or two pieces of very simple furniture help to differentiate between characters, and also unify the different settings? A chair and a desk can be used very differently by different characters and in different scenes (like when George is interrogated vs. in school).

 

Perhaps we can play scenes out using other bodies while keeping George the focus and narrator by using silhouettes through a lit up curtain at the back (or side) of the stage. This might be effective in depicting acts of violence without needing to use other characters, and without showing any blood.

 

The grapevine telegraph is mentioned many times and it references a method of communication for telling rumours. Perhaps we can incorporate grapevines into the set, having them grow through the natural foliage and extending out to the audience.

 

Rain is an important theme, how can we use audio to make it sound like the whole space is raining? Is there a chance of using real water on stage, or making the stage look shiny when George is escaping?

 

George finds strength in prayer and because God is in the sky and most of the events of the story take place at night, a dark atmosphere with small, illuminated lights on the ceiling could mimic stars. If these extended from the stage to the audience, it would feel like everyone is under the same sky.

 

We should take advantage of the personal nature of the venue and stage by using atmospheric elements in both physical spaces and encouraging our main actor to use all the space given.

 

It might be nice to have one big tree on the side of the stage like the mango tree George talks about, and the roots could drape down the side extending to the audience, including them in the immersion of George’s story.