URINETOWN: ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL

Transcription

URINETOWN: ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL
URINETOWN: ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL
_______________
A Thesis
Presented to the
Faculty of
San Diego State University
_______________
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts
with a Concentration in
Design and Technical Theatre
_______________
by
Maureen Theresa Hanratty
Fall 2011
iii
Copyright © 2011
by
Maureen Theresa Hanratty
All Rights Reserved
iv
DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my family. To my father Thomas Hanratty and my mother
Susan Hanratty. Thank you for your support and unconditional love. Thank you for
encouraging me to always follow my dreams and believing in the road less traveled. To my
brothers and sisters for being constant supporters and friends.
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ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS
Urinetown: Entertaining and Educational
by
Maureen Theresa Hanratty
Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Artswith a Concentration in Design and Technical Theatre
San Diego State University, 2011
A musical’s primary purpose, many assume, is merely to entertain. However, the
musical Urinetown is a satire that touches on the important issues of social and political
revolution, capitalist greed, and how environmental catastrophes may affect an entire society.
The musical’s purpose in this production was to challenge the spectators thinking about these
issues. Designing the lighting for the production proved challenging because of the stunning
visual imagery the script provided, the movement through several locales, and the absurd
blocking challenges the script presented; such as ghosts having to appear instantaneously
onstage. The design aesthetic was explored and inspired by Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre,
which emphasizes that theatre is both entertaining and educational. German Expressionism
and Film Noir inspired the shadowy, geometric, and textural design. The mood of human
anxiety and the power of capitalism drove the design to a fantastical, dark, and sinister world.
The haunted town became the primary character and the characters were symbols of social
and political issues. Within the model of Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre, Urinetown was
successful to the spectators; who were forced to detach from being entertained in order to
realize the real and relevant issues the musical presented.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................v
LIST OF PLATES .................................................................................................................. vii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... viii
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1
2
SCRIPT ANALYSIS .....................................................................................................4
3
INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH .............................................................................12
Inspiration of Art and Film ................................................................................... 12
Influence of Past Musicals .................................................................................... 16
4
OVERCOMING PRODUCTION CHALLENGES ....................................................30
5
REALIZED PRODUCTION .......................................................................................35
6
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................56
WORKS CITED ......................................................................................................................57
APPENDIX
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS ...........................................................................59
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LIST OF PLATES
PAGE
Plate 1. Urinetown, Musical Number: What is Urinetown, Image A ......................................26
Plate 2. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image A ............................................28
Plate 3. Urinetown, Musical Number: Act One Finale, Image A ............................................29
Plate 4. Urinetown, Scene Locale: Amenity # 9, Image A ......................................................36
Plate 5. Urinetown, Scene Locale: Urine Good Company, Image A ......................................37
Plate 6. Urinetown, Scene Locale: Secret Hideout, Image A ..................................................38
Plate 7. Urinetown, Musical Number: Mr.Cladwell, Image A ................................................39
Plate 8. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image B ............................................40
Plate 9. Urinetown, Musical Number: What is Urinetown, Image B ......................................41
Plate 10. Urinetown, Musical Number: I See a River, Image A ..............................................42
Plate 11. Urinetown, Musical Number: Cop Song, Image A...................................................43
Plate 12. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image C ..........................................44
Plate 13. Urinetown, Musical Number: Prelude, Image A ......................................................45
Plate 14. Urinetown, Act I Scene 6, Image A ..........................................................................46
Plate 15. Urinetown, Act II Scene 1, Image A.........................................................................47
Plate 16. Urinetown, Musical Number: Cop Song, Image B ...................................................48
Plate 17. Urinetown, Musical Number: I See a River, Image B ..............................................49
Plate 18. Urinetown, Musical Number: Prelude, Image B ......................................................50
Plate 19. Urinetown, Act II Scene 1, Image B .........................................................................51
Plate 20. Urinetown, Act I Scene 2, Image A ..........................................................................52
Plate 21. Urinetown, Musical Number: Act One Finale, Image B ..........................................53
Plate 22. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image D ..........................................54
Plate 23. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image E ..........................................55
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LIST OF FIGURES
PAGE
Figure 1. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still A. .......................................................................13
Figure 2. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still B.. ......................................................................14
Figure 3. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still C.. ......................................................................15
Figure 4. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still D.. ......................................................................16
Figure 5. The Big Combo.. .......................................................................................................17
Figure 6. The Third Man. .........................................................................................................18
Figure 7. You Only Live Once.. ................................................................................................19
Figure 8. Hangmen Also Die! ..................................................................................................20
Figure 9. Capricious.. ..............................................................................................................21
Figure 10. Twilight. ..................................................................................................................22
Figure 11. Old Gables in Luneburg. ........................................................................................23
Figure 12. Zirchow VII. ............................................................................................................24
Figure 13. Fiddler on the Roof.................................................................................................25
Figure 14. Chicago...................................................................................................................27
Figure 15. Les Miserables. .......................................................................................................29
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Urinetown the musical, book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, was performed at The Don
Powell Theatre at San Diego State University from April 25, 2008 through May 5, 2008.
Designing the lighting for the production proved to be a challenging process with a
rewarding outcome.
Urinetown is a satire. According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary a satire is
1. a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn
2. trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly
The musical Urinetown uses satire by creating a world that cannot hide behind the
convention of traditional musical theatre. By continually exploiting itself as such, the
spectators are forced to deal with the fact that they are indeed watching a musical. Satire
allows the musical to make fun of itself and comment on the major underlying themes. This
form allows the spectator to be educated about the themes of revolutionary uprising, hope
and fear, capitalist greed, political corruption, and Malthusian catastrophes. The spectator is
forced to then face these issues and to not be just entertained.
In this production of Urinetown the director and design team chose to reinforce these
themes and further the notion that good intention and idealism will not prevail. By treating
the production with a Brecthian approach all of the designers had a responsibility, through
their design, to comment on the fact that the spectator was indeed watching a musical. This
approach does not allow the spectator to become cathartic about a character or characters.
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By not being able to relate to a character the spectator is then forced to look at the underlying
themes of the musical.
In the initial design meeting the designers and director discussed the script and its
challenges. The script provides an unlikely outcome to a musical in which good intentions
and idealism do not prevail, but the evil corporation does. The script was written in a clear
“epic theatre” style. This style, developed by Bertolt Brecht, makes spectators aware that
they are constantly watching a musical. This structure does not allow the audience to get
wrapped up in the story, yet forces them to analyze the issues being presented to them.
Throughout the musical the characters interrupt a scene to talk to the audience and use signs
to clue the audience into things as well.
This structure of “epic theatre” imposes certain responsibilities on the lighting
designer. First of all the lighting design must exploit theatricality in some way to reinforce
the idea that one is watching a musical. The design must enhance the theatricality and not
adhere to common lighting conventions used by designers to create a world into which the
spectators cannot be swept. To do this, things such as exposed instrumentation, blatant use
of followspots, signs that light up, and linesets that fly-in with strips of lights were all used to
further this effect.
While using the structure of “epic theatre” the director and design team also decided
to use German Expressionism as inspiration. This was decided upon primarily because of the
eerie quality of that artistic movement which fit the eerie quality of the play. It was also
chosen because that was the time in which “epic theatre” was created. German
Expressionism was popular in the early twentieth century, and emphasized harsh geometry
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and high contrast. These qualities interested all of the designers and posed exciting
challenges about how one might incorporate them into a design.
After embracing this approach a significant amount of research and script analysis
was explored. The visual research for the lighting design grew from German Expressionist
art to Expressionist art from numerous countries, to Film Noir, then to Expressionism in film.
Parodies of other musicals were presented to the design team by the director to be used as a
device. This in turn created another facet of research that needed to be explored, that of other
musicals.
While analyzing the script many of the challenges this production might encounter
were exposed: challenges such as the difficulty of creating the fantastical imagery the script
demanded; the challenge of creating a cohesive design while also creating one that enhanced
the parodies the script presented; and blocking challenges which became apparent during the
design process.
With the use of thorough visual research, the lighting developed into a complex
design. Using shadow, sharp angles, texture, and stark and saturated colors the design was
inspired by Expressionism and Film Noir. Although extensive and challenging, the final
outcome of the design proved successful. The design was cohesive, while still commenting
on the fact the spectator was watching a musical. The use of several lighting devices and the
use of parodies of other musicals forced the spectator to face the issues and to not be just
entertained.
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CHAPTER 2
SCRIPT ANALYSIS *
The musical Urinetown was written by Greg Kotis, and made its debut at the New
York International Fringe Festival in 1999. The musical uses a satirical form that offers the
spectator more than just entertainment. It explores themes such as revolutionary uprising,
hope and fear, capitalist greed, political corruption, and Malthusian catastrophes: all of which
are issues of present day.
Urinetown is a musical that exploits its theatrical form throughout. Over and over
again the characters remind the spectator that they are watching a musical. By exploiting the
musical in this way the spectator is forced to step away and really think about the meaning
and purpose of this musical. By using Bertholt Brecht’s Epic theatre as a guide this
production will be non-realistic, use music for comic effect, and break the “fourth wall” with
the use of signage and symbolism. The production poses several problems: the difficulty of
creating fantastical imagery, the complexity of creating a cohesive design, musical numbers
designed to parody numbers from past musicals, and blocking challenges. Film Noir,
Expressionist film, German Expressionist art, and Expressionist art from other nations will
all serve as inspiration and research for the lighting design of this production. Surrealism,
fantastical imagery, geometric styles, and symbolism will also help to inspire the lighting
design.
*
This chapter was written previous to the actual design process as per the requirements for the Master of
Fine Arts thesis for the school of Theatre, Television, and Film.
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The story of Urinetown is told through the narrator, Officer Lockstock. The
characters within the musical reside in a town in which they have to pay to use the urinal.
Caldwell B. Cladwell, the CEO of Urine Good Company, has bestowed this capitalist venture
upon the city due to the town’s longstanding water crisis. If anyone breaks the law and is
caught urinating in the bushes or somewhere else they are hauled off to Urinetown; a place
nobody ever comes back from. The citizens of the town do not know what or where
Urinetown is, but they believe it is such a terrifying places that they will not cross the law to
find out. The town’s uprising begins when Bobby Strong, the assistant custodian of the
urinal Amenity # 9, revolts and lets his customers use the urinal for free. He has just seen his
own father hauled off to Urinetown and will not take it anymore. The town’s citizens revolt
with Bobby, but in the end Bobby ultimately gets hauled off to Urinetown as well. Soon
after, it is revealed to the spectator that Urinetown is not a place, but is death by being thrown
off the top of a building by the police.
The musical tells the story of the human condition and human character in a
disturbing environmental, social, and economic situation. In the end idealism does not
prevail; corporate power wins the battle. This is an issue that is all too present in societies
today; where corporations have all of the power and the individual has very little. The idea
of living in a society where you have to pay to use the urinal may seem absurd, but it is in
fact something we may deal with in our future as we too have been currently dealing with
water shortages. The themes of revolutionary uprising, capitalist greed, political corruption,
and Malthusian catastrophes all have the potential to speak to the concerns of viewers today.
If our society ends up facing an environmental catastrophe such as this one there is the
potential for an uprising that would be overpowered by our politicians and capitalists. By
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forcing the spectators to see the greater issues being presented this musical has the potential
to draw compassion and empathy from its viewers through a range of emotions explored
throughout
The playwright uses the characters as symbols of societal and political issues that
create a larger message as well as an educational one. The characters in this musical have the
ability to be relatable to many viewers. Caldwell B. Cladwell symbolizes the megacorporation that has a powerful hold over all of society. His daughter Hope is just that, a
symbol of hope that the mega-corporation will not prevail. Bobby Strong is the hero of the
musical, and represents a greater good in humans. The musical explores the lives of
characters of varying ages and personalities with each one having his or her own issues
which sets him or her apart from the others. All of the characters share the common struggle
of the drought and having to deal with the struggle of a poor economic situation.
The musical was first produced in 1999. That production was set within the time
period of the 1990s. This production might be best served if it is not set to represent any time
period. The themes of environmental, political, and social issues are relevant to today’s
audiences, but are also relevant to recent history and may also be a glimpse into what our
future may hold. If the production takes on timelessness, the design elements may then have
the freedom to explore several artistic movements and be influenced by more that just one.
Artistic movements such as Film Noir, Expressionist film, German Expressionist art, and
Expressionist art are all expressive and non-realistic. These all evoke intense emotion and
may serve to evoke emotion in the spectators. Furthermore, the fact that the musical presents
itself as a musical, and does not allow the spectator to forget what they are watching offers
the possibility of a Brechtian approach.
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Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre of the twentieth-century emphasizes that theatre be both
entertaining and have an educational purpose; Urinetown offers both of these through its
imagery, comedy, and political and social themes. The language often offers stunning visual
imagery, which should be highlighted within the production. The character’s reference to a
blinding sky that is a promise of hope for the people is an example of this imagery. The
script also calls for a gleaming tower on the hill, which represents the Urine Good Company.
The representation of this “gleaming” tower must be larger-than-life. There is also the
imagery of ghosts that float in and out of scenes, and a moment in another scene where the
characters run in slow motion. The lighting may very well be responsible for creating or
enhancing all of this imagery.
Epic Theatre usually consists of non-realistic settings and often uses music for comic
effect. Signage is prevalent and is used to make announcements to the audience or to
interrupt the action to comment on it. This breaking of the “fourth wall” forces the spectator
to not get carried away with the action or in relating to the characters, but to think about the
larger social or political issues within the performance (Gerould 449-450). Urinetown
incorporates all of these elements of Epic Theatre. The musical calls for a non-realistic set
design, primarily because of some of the absurd actions: throwing people off of roofs and use
of signage throughout. Whether the production uses real signs to comment on the action or if
it is the characters commenting to the audience verbally, this convention breaks away from
the possibility that the production be realistic. The spectator should not get caught up in the
action, but always be reminded they are watching a musical. The appropriate way in which
to do this may be to make the settings as fake as the characters themselves are. The
characters never let you forget you are in a musical; therefore neither should the setting. At
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the beginning of the script the characters Lockstock and Little Sally comment that the
musical has a poor name, which is filled with symbolism and the central conceit of the show
(Kotis 9-10). Little Sally even says in reference to the audience, “I guess you don’t want to
overload them with too much exposition, huh (Kotis 10)?”
There are three central challenges in the musical and the production. One is that the
musical demands a fantastical visual aesthetic; a comical, but non-realistic setting that has
meaning and is symbolic just as the characters and language are. The second is that the
musical parodies other musicals and the lighting design should comment on this, but in doing
so, the design must still have a cohesive look when it is not within these musical numbers.
The third is that the play has blocking challenges that the whole design team must take on;
such as Bobby being thrown off a rooftop and splattered onto the street.
The musical calls for a strong visual aesthetic. One challenge will be creating this
absurd and visually stunning aesthetic. Throughout the musical, ghosts float in and out of
scenes. There are several ways this can be dealt with: actors could simply be costumed to
portray ghosts, with possible lighting effects such as sparkling lights on their costumes and
the use of fog; another is that they be more symbolic, possibly by being a faint image that
flies across the stage with the use of automation. The ghosts may also be represented by a
bolt of light shooting across the stage or a small pinpoint of light that moves around the stage
with sound effects furthering this illusion. There is also the issue of the gleaming sky that
symbolizes hope. Bobby describes the sky as “gleaming and radiant.” This sky, whether it is
created by color on a cyclorama, the general environment, or both, might become a sky that
is blinding to the spectator or just absurd in intensity and color to further the comical effect.
The use of scenery may also help with this blinding sky. If the light comes from behind one
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piece of scenery the contrast and shadow it will create may further the perceived intensity of
it.
Another design challenge is that many of the musical numbers must be designed to
parody musical numbers from other musicals. West Side Story, Threepenny Opera, and Les
Miserables are a few of the referenced musicals that this production of Urinetown will
parody. All of these musical numbers are done in different styles: some are flashy, some are
more romantic; but the world the actors step back into after each of these numbers must be a
cohesive, recognizable place. This cohesiveness can be difficult to create. Often things like
a common color on a cyclorama can further the cohesiveness of a design. The use of a
textured wash of light can help with this cohesiveness as well. Face lighting for the nonmusical scenes may also be drastically different from that of the musical scenes. Since we
are not to forgot we are in a musical, conventions such as lights that fly-in on a lineset during
a number, blinking lights, light boxes, and exposed lighting fixtures should all be
incorporated into the production to further enhance these musical parodies.
The third design challenge is that absurd things have to happen onstage, such as the
scene when Bobby is thrown off a rooftop. This may be created by scenic tricks, lighting,
and costumes. This is a very important part of the musical in which we see the hero in
trouble. The action should be right in front of the spectators’ faces. The use of a trap door or
high levels along with isolated lighting and expressive costumes may further this effect.
Film Noir, Expressionist film, German Expressionist art, and Expressionist art will
serve as sources of inspiration and research. Film Noir was developed after WWII and was a
phase of cinematic and literary style (Hare 1). It was named Film Noir by the French and
translates to “black film.” It is characterized by a gritty style, an often-dark cynical
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atmosphere, and is a crime drama (Silver & Ursini 73). Much like in Urinetown the
characters of Film Noir often die an unjust death in a world of uncertainty and darkness. The
city is often seen as a character itself and comments on a moody and dark world where
morals are compromised by obsession (Dickos xi). The style is always in an urban setting
which attempts to produce an anxiety in the viewer and is often about social unrest (Cameron
34). “These films had a dark style of visual presentation that combined gothic chiaroscuro
lighting effects with an ambiguous and dislocated sense of space borrowed from the technical
achievements of German Expressionism (Silver & Ursini 73).” Film Noir films all share a
definitive style that attempts to evoke a feeling of tension within the spectator (Conrad 10).
Expressionist film developed in the early 1900s. These films were often rich in
contrast and shadow. This use of contrast and shadow will be explored as a source of
inspiration for Urinetown. The films often used distorted sets and geometric spaces that had
a heavy amount of contrast between color, and also high contrast between brilliant lights
versus shadow (Barron & Wolf-Dieter 93). Urinetown calls for a blinding sky and, in
contrast, a dark underground hideout in the sewer system. Expressionist film also used the
setting as a tool to create light and shadow. These conventions will be explored as
inspiration and visual research.
German Expressionist art and Expressionist art will also serve as a source of research.
Expressionism is a non-realistic and geometrically absurd artistic movement that developed
around 1900. Expressionist paintings emphasized the communication of intense emotion
(Sabarsky 15). The paintings often depict symbolic images, bold colors, and distortion.
Musicals call for an abundant amount of intense color and these paintings will be a useful
form of research for the exploration of the lighting color palette of Urinetown. Vassily
11
Kandinsky and Lyonel Feininger’s paintings will be examined for content of form, texture,
contrast, and color.
The lighting design for Urinetown will be an exploration of texture, movement,
isolation, contrast, color, and shadow. The mood of the musical changes from dismay, to
hope, to fear, and then to loss of faith. These moods will need to be enhanced by the
lighting. There is a quality to the musical in the beginning that is gloomier and more
disturbing. Soon after, the musical introduces the upbeat and promising Urine Good
Company. There should be a fresh quality to this: rich colors and an element of rich sunlight.
The underground hideout will of course have a cooler and gloomier quality to it, while the
tower on the hill will be vibrant and sunny.
Overall Urinetown has the potential to be a good production. Using Film Noir,
Expressionist film, German Expressionist art, and Expressionist art as sources for research
and inspiration is exciting. These art forms are dynamic, visually stunning, and provoke
emotion in the viewer. This production of Urinetown has the potential to leave the spectator
with a unique and thought provoking experience: an experience that is not only funny and
fun to watch but presents important and relevant social and political messages.
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CHAPTER 3
INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH
INSPIRATION OF ART AND FILM
The design process for the lighting began with reading the script and listening to the
score. The creepy and eerie quality of the musical inspired the design, as did the themes of
environmental catastrophe and corporate greed. In the first production meeting the design
team decided upon a German Expressionist motif as inspiration for the design elements. Ian
Cameron writes: “Expressionism serves as a convenient shorthand for the notion of the outer
world expressing the innerworld of the characters, and it occurs across the arts (Cameron
26).” The research quickly grew from German Expressionism, to Expressionist film, to Film
Noir, to Expressionist art in general. Though this research was primarily visual, another
layer of research, that of past musicals, had to be done for this production in order to
efficiently parody other productions. This research will be explored in part two of this
chapter.
The geometric styles of the Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari
influenced the texture and shadow of the overall lighting design for Urinetown. The scenery
in this film was done in an expressionistic style (Barron & Wolf-Dieter 91). Oddly shaped
practical lighting fixtures (Figure 1) were an intriguing element that inspired the use of
various types of on-set lighting. Strong geometric shafts of lights on the walls and floor
(Figures 1 & 2) also served as an important influence to the lighting design. This clear
Expressionist element would serve as an eerie and contrastable quality for the production.
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Figure 1. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still A. Source: The
Cabinet of Dr. Calagari. Dir. Robert Wiene. DeclaBioscop, 1921. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.
<http://usesoapfilm.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/black-andwhite-film-a-thon/>.
The strong geometric and textural quality of the film (Figures 3 & 4) also contained an
intriguing visual esthetic that inspired the lighting design.
In the world of Urinetown the characters associated with the corporation and the
crooked cops represent the evil force in the production. Much like in Urinetown the essence
of Film Noir is the persistence of the criminal. These highly stylized crime films depict eerie
scenes, dark streets, and shadowy landscapes. Developing just twenty or so years after the
beginning of German Expressionism, Film Noir had similar geometric, shadowy, and creepy
qualities. Its roots were in German Expressionist film, but Film Noir depicted a distorted
world. In a scene from the film The Big Combo (Figure 5) silhouettes and a dense fog appear
on a dark street. In the musical Urinetown characters were often lurking around the set; the
idea of presenting images that were mysterious became important to the production. In a
scene from The Third Man (Figure 6) shafts of light and large shadows are prominent.
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Figure 2. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still B.
Source: The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari. Dir.
Robert Wiene. Decla-Bioscop, 1921. Web. 9
Feb.2010.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topi
c-art/206993/67403/Robert-Wienes-TheCabinet-of-Dr>.
These geometric images were a driving force behind many lighting choices that created the
design for Urinetown.
Fritz Lang was a successful European director of Film Noir (Conrad 157). Lang’s
use of linear line (Figure 7) in his films, and his use of shadow (Figure 8) were explored and
served as inspiration. Interestingly enough Hangmen Also Die! (Figure 8) serves as an
example of film collaboration between Lang and Bertolt Brecht. Brecht’s dramatic theory
and the way in which Brecht’s work explored social reality influenced Lang (Cameron 152).
Not only did film influence the lighting design, some visual art did as well. The paintings of
Vasily Kandinsky and Lyonel Feininger served as influences for color palette, line, and form.
15
Figure 3. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still C. Source: The Cabinet of Dr.
Calagari. Dir. Robert Wiene. Decla-Bioscop, 1921. Web. 09 Feb.2010.
<http://www.imdb.com/media/rm239507456/tt0010323>.
Vasily Kandinsky was a Russian born, French Expressionist artist (Messer 10-12). The
warm ambers and yellows in Kandinsky’s piece Capricious (Figure 9) influenced the color
palette used in the scenes at the Amenity # 9. The cool blue tones in Twilight (Figure 10)
influenced the cool color palette used for scenes in which the cops were the main focus, as in
the number “Cop Song.”
Another visual artist that influenced the lighting design was Lyonel Feininger.
Feininger was an American born painter; who grew up in New York City with parents of
German descent (Luckhardt 172). In Lyonel Feininger’s piece Old Gables in Luneburg
(Figure 11) the linear and geographic quality to the piece influenced the line and form of the
design as well as the contrast of light and shadow. In Feininger’s piece Zirchow VII
16
Figure 4. The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari, Still D. Source: The Cabinet of Dr.
Calagari. Dir. Robert Wiene. Decla-Bioscop, 1921. Web. 09 Feb.2010.
<http://thequietus.com/articles/01003-caligari>.
(Figure 12) green and blue tonalities influenced the color palette chosen for the scenes in the
sewer, also known as The Secret Hideout.
INFLUENCE OF PAST MUSICALS
Musical numbers in Urinetown often parody other musicals. Because this musical
parodies a significant amount of other musicals, research had to be done on the visual
aesthetic of past musicals as well. This was an important aspect the director wanted each
designer to explore. Not only did the director want the design elements to comment on these
parodies, but also the director added choreography and blocking that replicated parts of these
musicals. For instance, the musical number What is Urinetown is a direct parody from the
musical Fiddler on the Roof. Another example of this is the number Snuff That Girl, in
which the music is a parody of that in the musical Chicago. The director replicated the
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Figure 5. The Big Combo. Source: The Big Combo. Dir. Joseph H. Lewis.
Allied Artists, 1955. Web. 09 Feb.2010.
<http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/the-big-combo-1955-quintessentialnoir.html>.
choreography from moments in those classic musicals and used that choreography in
Urinetown to directly comment on the musical itself as being a musical. This posed another
layer of research that needed to be done for this production.
It was essential to know these musicals and their messages as well. Fiddler on the
Roof, Chicago, Pippin, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Shenandoah, Sweeney Todd,
Carousel, and 42nd Street were all parodied in this production of Urinetown. Research
involved exploring the overall feeling, color palette, and the texture past productions of these
musicals exhibited. For example, in the musical number What is Urinetown the director
choreographed a dance number that took some of the movement from the original Fiddler on
the Roof. The research (Figure 13) is of a production of Fiddler on the Roof and is
representative of the warm color palette that is often used in the production. The number
18
Figure 6. The Third Man. Source: The Third Man. Dir. Carol Reed. British
Lion Film Corporation, 1949. Web. 09 Feb.2010.
<http://misterneil.blogspot.com/2009/11/british-also-made-film-noir.html>.
What is Urinetown takes place in Act II Scene 1 of Urinetown (Plate 1). The scene begins in
The Secret Hideout, a sewer. The lighting design was a dark and wet-looking atmosphere
with saturate blues, greens, and a cool blue face light until the musical number began. With a
series of cues the lighting design warmed to create a warm amber world similar to that which
is often seen in productions of Fiddler on the Roof.
An example in which Urinetown parodied another musical number can be seen by
looking at the research from Chicago (Figure 14). Although this research was taken from the
movie and not a stage production, the aesthetic was similar to that of most stage productions
and the movie was considered more familiar to the current audience. In Urinetown the
musical number Snuff That Girl had a choreographed dance break that replicated some of the
choreography in Chicago (Plate 2). The lighting design became flashy, saturate in color, and
19
Figure 7. You Only Live Once. Source: You Only Live Once. Dir. Fritz
Lang. United Artists Corp., 1937. Web. 09 Feb.2010.
<http://melbournecinematheque.org/2008/screenings_2008.html>.
textured as often seen in the musical numbers in Chicago. A lineset also flew in with
textured as often seen in the musical numbers in Chicago. A lineset also flew in with
striplights on it and flashed saturate colored lights with the rhythm. Chicago often used onset lights for a similar effect.
A final example is shown with the musical Les Miserables. During the musical
number One More Day (Figure15) many productions have the characters waving the French
flag and the lighting often has strip lights flown in to serve as backlight. The stage is usually
immersed with fog and the scene is often quite dramatic. In Urinetown during the musical
number Act One Finale (Plate 3) this number was parodied. As the characters marched
around the stage with the Urinetown flag, white strip lights flew in upstage blinding the
20
Figure 8. Hangmen Also Die! Source: Hangmen Also Die. Dir. Fritz Lang.
United Artists Corp., 1943. Web. 14 May.2010.
<http://rantsandmusings.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/hangmen-also-die/>.
audience. Fog began to intrusively spill out onto the stage in comic effect and the lighting
became dramatic and colorful.
These parodies reinforced the idea that Urinetown was in fact a musical. This was a
device used to poke fun at the idea of the musical and to not allow the spectators to have a
cathartic experience. The research for these parodies, proved to be as important to the
success of the lighting design as did the art and film research.
21
Figure 9. Capricious. Source: Kandinsky, Vassily. Capricious. 1930. Oil on
cardboard. Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Web. 14 May.2010.
<http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kandinsky/kandinsky40.html>.
22
Figure 10. Twilight. Source: Kandinsky,
Vassily. Twilight. 1943. The Solomon R.
Guggenheim Museum. Web. 14 May.2010.
<http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kandinsky/
kandinsky82.html>.
23
Figure 11. Old Gables in Luneburg. Source: Feininger, Lyonel. Old
Gables in Luneburg. 1924. The Museum of Modern Art. Web. 14 May
2010.
<http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3A
AD%3AE%3A1832&page_number=159&template_id=1&sort_order=
1>.
24
Figure 12. Zirchow VII. Source: Feininger, Lyonel. Zirchow VII.
1918. National Gallery of Art. Web. 14 May 2010.
<http://www.nga.gov/fcgibin/timage_f?object=50664&image=11522&c=>.
25
Figure 13. Fiddler on the Roof. Source: Fiddler on the
Roof. By Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Dir. Anthony
Salatino. SU Drama Department. Web. 14 May 2010.
<http://www.moviesintofilm.com/chicago.htm>.
26
Plate 1. Urinetown, Musical Number: What is Urinetown, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
27
Figure 14. Chicago. Source: Chicago. Dir. Rob Marshall. Miramax Films, 2002. Web. 09
Feb 2010. <http://www.moviesintofilm.com/chicago.htm>.
28
Plate 2. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
29
Plate 3. Urinetown, Musical Number: Act One Finale,
Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir.
Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin.
San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San
Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by
Zwink Photography.
Figure 15. Les Miserables. Source: Les
Miserables. By Alain Boubil. Dir. John
Caird and Trevor Nunn. Perf. Alfie Boe
and Hadley Fraser. Queens Theatre,
London. Web. 09 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/theatrebreaks/les-miserables-music.html>.
30
CHAPTER 4
OVERCOMING PRODUCTION CHALLENGES
In the following production meetings several production challenges were discussed.
The fantastical visual imagery the musical often called for was a primary concern:
ghosts, a gleaming tower, a blinding sky, and a moment of slow-motion action were all
imagery that needed to be created. Parodying other musicals without replicating them was
also a production challenge that needed much thought. Blocking challenges also proved
difficult for the production; creating a rooftop from which characters had to be thrown off
proved to be challenging as was creating different locales with a unit set that had no moving
parts.
The first major production challenge was the script’s use of fantastical visual
imagery. Farcical elements of the musical such as the ghosts had to be funny yet effective.
Ghosts show up five separate times in the script. The original discussion was based around
whether or not the ghosts were just heard and not seen. The possibility of a voice-over or a
sound effect was quickly dismissed when the director decided to have the characters show up
onstage. Ideas were bounced back and forth between the lighting designer and the costume
designer. The idea of using flashbulbs was brought to the table. This was problematic
because, although flashbulbs have an exciting visual aesthetic, they were not cost effective as
they can only be used once and then they do not work again. At least five bulbs would have
to be used for every production, not to mention all of the bulbs used to test the effect. The
costume designer discussed the idea of turning the costumes white and powdery. This
concept along with a lighting cued “power surge” might have been effective. Again the
31
effect had to happen five times in the production, which many thought might become
redundant. Another idea was to backlight them until they were in full silhouette, but this
would become difficult to do considering there were so many other things happening onstage
around them. A strobe was also discussed, as was uplight on the ghosts. Uplight would have
been an interesting effect primarily because when a person is uplit the light produces a
shadowy and eerie quality on their face. The problem with this was that the ghosts would be
in motion and were in several places on the stage and it just was not an option to have
uplights in all of those places. To place them in all of those places would create tripping
hazards and there was also not ample budget to make this happen. The idea finally agreed
upon was worked out between the director and the lighting designer. The director agreed to
have the ghosts stop in a specific place on the stage for each scene and then proceed with
their lines. Stark non-colored hard-edged down specials were used on the ghosts. This effect
only used up five circuits and five lights. It was cost and power-effective, yet still created a
distinctive and effective look.
The Urine Good Company is described as “the gleaming tower on the hill” in the
script. This was also visual imagery that had to be considered. Originally the idea of
projecting bright variations of light or a projected image of Urine Good Company onto a
cyclorama was explored. As the finalization of the set came this idea was quickly deemed
unattainable because the set designer did not include a cyclorama in his design, but instead a
blackout drop upstage. After seeing the first run-through of the production it became
apparent that nothing was needed, except for the characters to point offstage.
In the musical number Look at the Sky Penny refers to the sky as blinding light. Once
again the idea of creating something on the cyclorama was explored. The original idea was
32
to project an extreme amount of light on the cyclorama to create a very bright look and to
project several bright lights at the audience. When the cyclorama was not an option, the idea
of projecting bright light at the audience alone did not seem like enough. The solution was to
focus several bright lights at Penny as she said the line “It’s… it’s blinding me!” The lights
turned on and made her look radiantly lit; she then reacted by covering her eyes.
Another fantastical visual aesthetic that needed to be created was for the slow motion
moment at the end of Act I. It was important that the moment be in slow motion because a
lot of people needed to be seen running around on a small stage for a significant amount of
time. Without lighting the moment would not look interesting. The idea to use strobes was
discussed. The lighting inventory did not include strobe lights, but the MAC Profile and
MAC Performance moving lights that were in the inventory had a strobe option that was used
for this moment.
The second major production challenge was the use of musical parodies in this
production. Urinetown’s script blatantly parodied musicals such as West Side Story and Les
Miserables, but this production took it even further. The director choreographed moments in
the numbers that parodied Chicago and 42nd Street, just to name a few. There were constant
references and jabs at other musicals. This posed a challenge for the lighting designer for
several reasons. First of all, musicals are known for their variety of looks; this production
not only needed a light plot that could provide enough variety for the majority of the looks,
but now it also had to add in tricks from other musicals and have the variety of color for an
extravagant number of musical looks. In addition, the design needed to represent these
musicals without directly copying them, primarily because a parody is a satirical imitation
meant to ridicule and not to directly copy.
33
The first step was to develop a scene breakdown of the script and to decide what the
major looks would be (See Appendix). The conclusion was that major scenes took place at
the urinal Amenity # 9, inside the offices of Urine Good Company, and in The Secret
Hideout. The urinal scenes always took place in the morning or during the daytime so it
seemed appropriate to create an early morning amber look with the suggestion of yellow as a
blatant representation of urine. The Urine Good Company needed a stark contrast to this
locale. The idea of cool blue, lavender, and green created the Company’s look. The Secret
Hideout was in the sewer and took on a cool, wet, blue and green quality. The majority of
colors in the lighting were based on these locales.
After that foundation of color was established, ways had to be found to create the
musical number parodies. Research became an integral tool to help create these moments.
The fact that these moments were all within musical numbers allowed for the design to go to
extremes. In several numbers followspots were used for dramatic effect. Fly-in strip lights
were used for numbers parodying Les Miserables and Chicago; two different linesets were
used for this. White lights for Les Miserables and pink, blue, and amber lights for the
Chicago parody were used. Floormounts that lined the stage were used for numbers that
parodied flashy musicals such as 42nd Street. A huge sign with light bulbs that lit up and
blinked was used at the beginning and end of Act 1 and the end of Act 2. The sign read
“Urinetown,” and was poking fun at the sign used in the modern, made for television, High
School Musical. Moving lights were also used to help dramatize some of the parodies. Color
and texture were also researched and were integrated to help further the parodies along.
The third major production challenge faced in doing the lighting for Urinetown was
the blocking challenges. The set was a non-moving unit, which included two high towers
34
and a very high, long bridge upstage. The director used all of the space given to her by the
scenic designer. The platforms on top of the towers were difficult to light. One was
extremely high, so the lighting had to hit the actors at a fairly harsh angle. The bigger
challenge was the bridge upstage that spanned stage left to stage right. Being so high in the
air made lighting from the front a not so esthetically pleasing option. Because there was a
blackout drop just upstage of this bridge, lighting from the front would provide round circles
along the drop. In addition, the lighting beams would most likely run into various other
lights before ever reaching the actor. Using a followspot also would not work, providing
only a “searchlight look.” Ultimately putting tail downs (long pipes that extend down and off
of the electric on which lights can be hung) located as far off the pipes at the end of either
side of the bridge was the best option (See Appendix). This provided for harsh sidelight, but
that worked well with the rest of the Expressionistic design.
This production of Urinetown presented many design challenges. Designing lighting
for theatrical productions would not be interesting if no challenges were presented. A lot of
forethought and communication was involved in overcoming these production issues. After
design and production meetings it was time to move from talking about how to solve these
problems to making the solutions a reality.
35
CHAPTER 5
REALIZED PRODUCTION
After many design meetings, production meetings, and an extensive amount of
research the design needed to move forward. The next step in the process of the design was
to develop a scene breakdown for the cuing process. Next, the specific colors, textures, and
angles needed to be chosen and drafted onto a finalized lighting plot. The preliminary
process was over and paperwork was soon due to the master electrician.
The first step was to develop a scene breakdown (See Appendix). The scene
breakdown enabled me to see exactly what time of day, what locale, and what characters
constituted every scene. A design approach developed based around the idea that there were
several prominent locales that needed to be lit appropriately and distinctly from one another.
Because it was a unit set, establishing distinct locales with the lighting became important.
Amenity # 9, Urine Good Company, and the Secret Hideout were the primary locales.
After a scene breakdown was done, color and angle choices were made for these
primary scenes. Because Amenity # 9 was the urinal and the scenes only took place in the
morning it seemed appropriate to have a yellow urine-like color used for sidelight. Saturate
amber backlight was also used to create a warm morning hue, with rustic texture added to it
(Plate 4). The Urine Good Company was the evil corporation of the musical. A strong
contrast in color and texture was needed for UGC. The costumes for the UGC characters
were pink, purple, and green. To compliment these colors a saturate blue backlight was used
with green sidelight. Crisp white facelight was used, and no texture was used to further
36
Plate 4. Urinetown, Scene Locale: Amenity # 9, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
enhance a clean look (Plate 5). The Secret Hideout needed to look like a sewer. Saturate
green sidelight as well as saturate blue frontlight created a wet and musty world. This
environment was further enhanced by saturate pink light from the front and saturate blue
backlight (Plate 6). These choices created the skeleton of the light plot. These main color
systems were decided upon: pale blue and amber for frontlight, saturate green and saturate
yellow as high sidelight, and saturate amber and saturate blue light as backlight.
There were many other decisions to be made after deciding upon the core colors and
their angles. For instance, the musical numbers needed to enter into another world that was
distinct from the primary locales. Saturated, vibrant colors were to be incorporated into the
design. There were several ways in which this was done. There were two frontal boxboom
37
Plate 5. Urinetown, Scene Locale: Urine Good Company, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
lighting positions. Saturated green was chosen for the house-right position and saturate pink
was chosen for the house-left position. These were used to color the set to help distinguish
locale and to give vibrancy to the musical numbers (Plates 7 and 8). Another way saturate
color was incorporated was through the use of Wybron color scrollers located on the tail
down positions. These taildown positions acted as high booms for sidelight used mostly in
musical numbers. The color scrollers allowed two colors to mix to create numerous color
options. This provided an extensive amount of color choices to be used for sidelight in the
musical numbers. In the musical number What is Urinetown, saturate amber was used to
heighten the effect (Plate 9). There were on-set booms as well that provided saturate colors.
The scenic designer incorporated on-set booms to further the Brechtian concept that the
spectator is indeed watching theatre. These booms incorporated three to four lights each and
38
Plate 6. Urinetown, Scene Locale: Secret Hideout, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
provided a saturate blue wash from stage-left and a saturate pink wash from stage right.
These provided more color variety to many of the musical numbers (Plate 10). Moving lights
were also used for the musical numbers. The moving lights provided movement, color, and
texture for some of the musical numbers (Plates 11 and 12). Three MAC Profiles and two
MAC Performances were used. The use of followspots also enabled the musical numbers to
step into a more saturate and otherworldly place. Five followspots were used: three from the
front of the house and two from tower positions on either side of the stage apron. A hardedged followspot was always used when the narrator, Officer Lockstock, delved into a
musical number (Plate 13). Followspots were also used in many of the musical numbers,
sometimes hard-edged and sometimes with a soft-edge (Plate 14) (See Appendix).
39
Plate 7. Urinetown, Musical Number: Mr.Cladwell, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
Lighting the set also had to be considered while designing the lighting for the
production. Because the set was a unit set that was used for many locales, lights focused on
the set provided variation between scenes. Textured sidelight focused on the bridge provided
an expressionist feel and was used in certain scenes throughout the production (Plate 15).
Lights were used under the stage-left platform, the towers, and the bridge to further enhance
the expressionist motif as well (Plate 16)(See Appendix).
Effects were a big part of this production. Ghosts needed to appear, signs needed to
light up, and battens needed to fly-in with lights on them. These things needed to be taken
into consideration and incorporated into the light plot. The ghosts were lit from above with
stark white down pools of light. Five lights were used for these ghosts. The director dictated
40
Plate 8. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image B
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
where the ghosts would be for their various appearances and lights were placed directly
above those places (Plate 17). Signs that illuminated were created for the Show Sign, The
Secret Hideout, and for the Urine Good Company (Plates 18, 19, and 20). Although the
scenic designer drafted these and chose their position, lamp wattage, type, and circuit
allocation had to be dictated on the paperwork. There were two fly-in pipes that were used in
the production as well. One was a bank of non-colored striplights that flew on lineset
thirteen and provided a lighting effect for the musical number Act One Finale (Plate 21).
Striplights also flew in on the fourth electric that provided banks of color for various musical
numbers such as Snuff that Girl Plates 22 and 23). These striplights provided amber, blue,
and pink lights to enhance these numbers. Floor lights were also used on the lip of the stage
for many numbers to create an enhanced musical effect (See Appendix).
41
Plate 9. Urinetown, Musical Number: What is Urinetown, Image B
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
After all of these things were decided upon and put into the light plot the lights were
hung and focused. Focus ended and cueing carried on through the week, then through
technical rehearsals, and then through dress rehearsals. The show was left in the stage
manager’s hands on opening night on April 25, 2008.
42
Plate 10. Urinetown, Musical Number: I See a River, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
43
Plate 11. Urinetown, Musical Number: Cop Song, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
44
Plate 12. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image C
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian.
Perf. Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don
Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by
Zwink Photography.
45
Plate 13. Urinetown, Musical Number:
Prelude, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and
Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San
Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008.
Performance. Photograph by Zwink
Photography.
46
Plate 14. Urinetown, Act I Scene 6, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
47
Plate 15. Urinetown, Act II Scene 1, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
48
Plate 16. Urinetown, Musical Number: Cop Song, Image B
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
49
Plate 17. Urinetown, Musical Number: I See a River, Image B
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
50
Plate 18. Urinetown, Musical Number: Prelude, Image B
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
51
Plate 19. Urinetown, Act II Scene 1, Image B
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf.
Andrew J. Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre,
San Diego. 25 Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
52
Plate 20. Urinetown, Act I Scene 2, Image A
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
53
Plate 21. Urinetown, Musical Number: Act One Finale, Image B
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance Photograph by Zwink Photography..
54
Plate 22. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image D
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
55
Plate 23. Urinetown, Musical Number: Snuff That Girl, Image E
Source: Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J.
Smith and Maeve Martin. San Diego State University Don Powell Theatre, San Diego. 25
Apr. -4 May 2008. Performance. Photograph by Zwink Photography.
56
CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSION
Approaching this production with an Expressionist motif proved effective and
interesting. The lighting designer was able to explore the dark and shadowy quality of Film
Noir and Expressionist art to create a dark and eerie world; juxtaposed by the parodies of
vibrant and colorful musical numbers.
The overall outcome of the production of Urinetown was successful. The lighting
design proved to be an integral and interesting element in the overall production. The
production proved to be challenging in many different ways. The production challenges that
were presented to the production team were all resolved in interesting and successful ways.
Some more successful than others, but the overall production was cohesive and effective.
The lighting design proved dynamic. With the use of color, contrast, shadow, and
isolation it helped to further the message of the production. The spectators were not allowed
to be completely cathartic about the production or its’ characters. With the use of satire,
signage, and the breaking of the “fourth wall” the spectators were ultimately forced to see the
issues the production was presenting. The lighting design helped to further the production’s
political and social messages, not only entertaining, but also educating the audience.
57
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Hangmen Also Die. Screenplay by John Wexley. Dir. Fritz Lang. United Artists Corp., 1943.
Web. 14 May. 2010. <http://rantsandmusings.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/hangmenalso-die/>.
Hare, William. Early Film Noir. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2003. Print.
Kandinsky, Vassily. Capricious. 1930. Oil on cardboard. Museum Boymans-van Beuningen,
Rotterdam, Netherlands. Web. 14 May. 2010.
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Les Miserables. By Alain Boubil. Dir. John Caird and Trevor Nunn. Perf. Alfie Boe and
Hadley Fraser. Queens Theatre, London. Web. 09 Feb. 2010.
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Luckhardt, Ulrich. Lyonel Feininger. Munich, Germany: Prestel-Verlag, 1989. Print.
Messer, Thomas M. Kandinsky. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997. Print.
Sabarsky, Serge. Graphics of the German Expressionists. New York, NY: M. Bell, 1984.
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“Satire.” Merriam Webster. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. <http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/satire>.
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The Third Man. Screenplay by Graham Greene. Dir. Carol Reed. British Lion Film
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Urinetown. By Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. Dir. Paula Kalustian. Perf. Andrew J. Smith
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You Only Live Once. Screenplay by Gene Towne and C. Graham Baker. Dir. Fritz Lang.
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<http://melbournecinematheque.org/2008/screenings_2008.html>.
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APPENDIX
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