Blog #7

I would absolutely love to stage a production of 'August: Osage County' inside an actual house. In the house, I would have the various scenes take place in the different rooms needed, while the audience is placed in those rooms...for example- the couch, on a bed, on blankets in the front yard. Of course this would have to be a fairly smaller audience than the usual,  but I believe that it would only add the necessary intimacy of the show that I wish to convey with the audience. By putting the viewers actually in the house, I'm giving the actors freedom to act around them. I want the actors to act almost as if the audience is not there and maintain the most natural movement and sense of space. 

With this production, there would be a few technological obstacles to tackle. I really wouldn't want this to be a particularly technologically heavy show, but still would want a few elements present. There is only so much you can and should do when your show is taking place in an actual house. As for lighting, I would stick to soley natural lighting. I would have constant open blinds, curtains, and possibly a window opened here and there to bring some of the Oklahoma feels and sounds to the viewers. As for sound, I would have very simple and instrumental music playing in between the transitions from scene to scene, when both the actors and audience move from room to room. In general, I would want a very intimate feel to come with my production of 'August: Osage County', something I feel a show of this caliber deserves. 

I absolutely do not believe that it is inappropriate or unsuccesful to stage present day theatre in a traditional setting. Although I totally support the new spontaneity of sort of 'wherever' locations that theatre is taking, I also support and will always stand behind the traditional space. I believe that the traditional 'theatre' actually has the power to put the audience into whatever world they intend to and have them focus on soley what they want them to. In the traditional theatre, the audience is at your fingertips, fully ready to view your magic.