Set Design

The Color Purple is a musical based on the novel The Color Purple. It's a captivating story that takes place in 1930s of Georgia. The theme for the musical will center about the structures in the south which are usually spaced out lands, fields, and churches.For Act I of the musical, the setting of the musical will take place inside a small church with rows of benches and a cross at the alter.

For the scenes that take place at the house of Cecil and Mr. will be very simple. I will only focus on the outside of the house, the kitchen, and the bedroom. For the outside view I will use bushes with cotton balls hanging on them to capture the conception that the stage is a cotton field.

The dancing scenes in the musical are another aspect of the musical that I think brings a lot of enlightenment to the audience. For the juke jive and blues scenes, the setting will consist of a dimly light background which will most likely be a navy blue color to give a more realistic effect of the evening time. The setting will also have trees and vines to capture the concept that the juke jive spot takes place in a secluded area in the woods.

For what I think in one of the most important and moving scenes in the musical is the church dinner scene where Cecil tells Mister that she is leaving. For this scene the set design will consist of a dining table with southern cooked meals such as fried chicken, grits, smoked turkey, greens, corn, rice, gravy, cornbread, peach cobbler, and a pitcher of water. This will really help the audience capture the feel that it's Sunday dinner after church. i know many people like myself can relate to this scene because its something that my family use to do too after Sunday church. By being that sense of reality to the viewers they will feel more drawn in into the scene.

Stage Lighting

The Lion King is a beautiful musical that truly captures the African culture and takes it to new heights. Many of the scenes in the Lion King are different from one another; from serious tribal scenes to relaxed dancing scenes. For the tribal scenes that consist of vigorous dancing with a lot emotion, I would use Fresnel lanterns at the top and for backlight. By using Fresnel lanterns for these scenes I will be able to capture the actors body movements by creating silhouettes. I will also use sidelighting from the Fresnel lanterns to highlight the dancers' legs. To grasp the emotion of the scenes I will use gel to create saturated colors to bring the scenes to life. I want my audience to feel like they themselves are apart of the production.

I would also use Ellipsoidal Lighting to allow me to change the softness of the light reflected by the unit by changing the amount of distance between the reflector and the lens. I will also be able to change the pattern of the light with the use of gels. The beam of light that can be projected onto a specific character is great for signaling individual parts in the musical. For example, the use of Ellipsoidal lighting would be perfect for the part when Nala tells Simba about the condition of the destroyed Pride Lands. It will grasp the audience's undivided attention onto the two characters as it captures the emotions and the seriousness of the moment.

I would use PAR Lamps (parabolic aluminated reflectors) for special effects light from different angles when I'm trying to make color washes. By using PAR Lamps it will make certain scenes in the musical such as the standing men more appealing to the eye. The effects that will be projected will leave the audience in total awe. The use of PAR lamps would be great for the scene when Simba climbs onto Pride Rock and looks out to his kingdom as the new King of Pride Rock, while the animals in the kingdom welcome Simba, Nala, and their newborn cub.

Costume Designs

Dairy of a Mad Black Woman

Madea is a strong willed sassy grandmother who does not allow people to walk over her or the people she loves. For Madea’s costume design, I would go for a more conservative look which will consist of a loose fitting patterned blouse with a cardigan or vest to wear over it and a knee length skirt that shapes Madea’s figure without being tight. The colors that I would use for her custom would be neutral colors because most elderly people don’t like flashy or outrageously bright colors.

Charles is a wealthy businessman who likes to dress in nothing but the finest materials. His elegant business style is always sharp and one that demands the attention of others. To construct Charles’ elegant sense of style, I would make a wool bend custom suit consisting on a jacket and flat-front trousers. The jacket will have two interior pockets, a chest pocket, and two flap pockets. The trousers will have a zip fly and slant pockets. I would finish the look with a settle color tie such as a purple or chambray pinstripe tie.

Helen is a beautiful housewife who goes from riches to rags over night. I would design a skirt suit for Helen to represent her when she was wealthy and had the finer things in life. Her skirt suit will be a neutral color such as tan or cream that can be layered with a pink, white, or light blue button down shirt. To capture her appearance of a woman who has been forced to change her style dramatically, I would design a navy blue or black trousers that flared at the bottom and topped off with a beautiful cream/white laced ruffled blouse.

Orland is the new guy in Helen’s life. Even though Orland doesn’t come from a wealthy background he does what he can to get by. For Orlando’s style I would go for the jeans and t-shirt look. I would also design some khaki pants for Orlando for when he goes on his date with Helen to show his dressy side. His look is more causal like but more form fitting.  Orland's look is very simple but sexy. The materials that I will use to make Orland's clothes will mostly be cotton and some polyester.

Myrtle is a sweet caring lady who always has words of wisdom to offer. She is a very church orientated woman who believes that if you believe in Jesus anything is possible.Since Myrtle is very church orientated she doesn't really believe in tight clothing that shows off one's body parts. To capture Myrtle sweet personality I would design a loose fitting skirt, a blazer like jacket, and a fancy church hat with lace designs.