Frankenstein
Pre-production Meeting # 2
Thursday, May 26th
11:00am
In attendance:
Nicki, Alan, Chris, Charlotte, Sam, & Ricardo
Next meeting:
Thursday, June 9th at 9:30am.
GENERAL
- New script – Not terribly different; there’s some additional literary quotes from the 3 books of the creatures.
- Challenges of the show:
1. How do we create the creature? It’s scope and size, how it moves….
Ricardo is inclined to use the stilt idea from the last production. Going to study Alan’s 3-headed picture. The ability to assemble and disassemble into 3 is key!
Alpha – decisive leader
Beta – intellect/reason – in someways the most dangerous
Gamma – innocence – The purpose of the Alpha/Beta is to protect the Gamma.
Once the gamma turns, you have a complete monster.
“Grotesque” - Creature was beautiful. Grotesque-ness comes from society… the creature buys into the expectations.
- Modern example – Barack Obama: Ultimate outsider – tall and handsome, but can be dangerous/decisive
- Creature wants the American dream – When he’s denied those things, he becomes the monster.
- Wants the audience to struggle at the beginning – why does Victor want to destroy this creature??
- Steampunk idea – Ricardo finds it intriguing… combination of multiple time periods – time-less. Open to choose what we need to tell the story without being limited by time period.
- Borg idea from Star Trek – a single entity that is part of a collective. The collective is stronger. Their pursuit of “perfection” has turned them into a form we find grotesque.
- What did the creature and Victor take from previous ships they’ve encountered or time periods? This could incorporate multiple time periods, and cultures and ethnicities, etc…
- Wants this to be a collaborative process.
- Ricardo doesn’t think we need to be dark and brooding… our world can use color.
- We need to figure out the creature first to move forward with design choices
- Possibly one (beta) on stilts… others shorter? Attached by mechanical umbilical chords? Need a visual where the audience knows when they’re connected and when they’re not. The creature should be “steroids on steroids”
- “CR” in the script – means unison speaking from all 3 actors.
- Nicki will work on putting a contact sheet together for the cast.
- Ricardo is planning to get the show on its feet on the first week. Need to solve mechanical/staging issues first and then work on acting issues.
- Designer Run tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 15th at 7:30pm
- Challenges of the show:
1. How do we create the creature? It’s scope and size, how it moves….
Ricardo is inclined to use the stilt idea from the last production. Going to study Alan’s 3-headed picture. The ability to assemble and disassemble into 3 is key!
Alpha – decisive leader
Beta – intellect/reason – in someways the most dangerous
Gamma – innocence – The purpose of the Alpha/Beta is to protect the Gamma.
Once the gamma turns, you have a complete monster.
“Grotesque” - Creature was beautiful. Grotesque-ness comes from society… the creature buys into the expectations.
- Modern example – Barack Obama: Ultimate outsider – tall and handsome, but can be dangerous/decisive
- Creature wants the American dream – When he’s denied those things, he becomes the monster.
- Wants the audience to struggle at the beginning – why does Victor want to destroy this creature??
- Steampunk idea – Ricardo finds it intriguing… combination of multiple time periods – time-less. Open to choose what we need to tell the story without being limited by time period.
- Borg idea from Star Trek – a single entity that is part of a collective. The collective is stronger. Their pursuit of “perfection” has turned them into a form we find grotesque.
- What did the creature and Victor take from previous ships they’ve encountered or time periods? This could incorporate multiple time periods, and cultures and ethnicities, etc…
- Wants this to be a collaborative process.
- Ricardo doesn’t think we need to be dark and brooding… our world can use color.
- We need to figure out the creature first to move forward with design choices
- Possibly one (beta) on stilts… others shorter? Attached by mechanical umbilical chords? Need a visual where the audience knows when they’re connected and when they’re not. The creature should be “steroids on steroids”
- “CR” in the script – means unison speaking from all 3 actors.
- Nicki will work on putting a contact sheet together for the cast.
- Ricardo is planning to get the show on its feet on the first week. Need to solve mechanical/staging issues first and then work on acting issues.
- Designer Run tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 15th at 7:30pm
SET
- Will need to accommodate the creature’s movement. The beta
will always stay on the floor, the other two can change and go up to higher
levels.
COSTUMES
- Ricardo envisions the creature with really long hair – all 3 parts.
- Ricardo envisions the creature with really long hair – all 3 parts.
- He loves the look of the northerner costumes on Game of
Thrones. Ideas for what Victor could be wearing to survive on the ice.
- Makeup – Without going clockwork orange completely,
Ricardo wants to be pretty extreme with makeup as it matches what their
wearing. Makeup can help students act from behind a mask and lose themselves.
- Blonde hair for Victor & Elizabeth. Raven hair for
Justine – She is the basis for the creature’s mate. There is sexual tension in
the play between Justine and Victor that is not ignored in this version.
- Ricardo is going to contact Joe and ask him to grow his
hair out.
LIGHTING
- n/a
SOUND / MUSIC
- Ricardo would prefer live music – similar feel to the
Benedict Cumberbatch PBS production. Feel the prescence of the creature, even
if we don’t see it. Victor knows somehow the creature is near.
- Music can have a no time feel… Open to choose what we need
to tell the story without being limited by time period.
- Sam had to leave early, but he’ll read the new version of
the script and will keep in touch.
- Alan gave Ricardo a Cell Dweller CD to listen to – 19
minute ambient track. Sam has heard it as well.
