COLLABORATION PROJECT Group 84

Brittany Premer Chien VuMarsha ChristHeidi Ramos

Dollhouse summaryNora lives in Chicago with her husband Terry and three kids, Skyler, Macey, and Max. She borrowed a large amount of money from Raj Patel to save her husbands life from an addiction to Vicodin. She borrowed the money without Terry knowing and is re paying it back secretly. Terry is on the verge of getting a promotion at his job at the bank. When Raj returns to ask Terry for a loan from the bank and he refuses, he turns to Nora and blackmails her into helping him, if she refuses he will Terry the truth. Nora tries to change Terry‘s mind but is unsuccessful. On new years Terry discovers the truth and becomes very angry. He and Nora argue and she threatens to leave. He convinces her to stay and they toast to new beginnings.

CHARACTERS Nora HelmerTerry HelmerPeteKristine LindeRaj Patel MartaIrisSkylerMaxMacey

Set Design for Dollhouse

Setting the scene

Proscenium Stage Condo in West Lincoln Park in December

2004 Contemporary Suburban American family While sounds can be heard off-stage,

indicating other rooms in the home and in the upstairs condo, all scenes take place in the open floor plan of Nora and Terry Helmer’s living room/dining area

Realistic scenery

Proscenium Stage

Condo

•Flats are used to create walls

Realistic

scenery

Props used in the play

Pregnancy portrait

Working fireplace

Christmas tree

Other props used

Pile of clothes Cigars Books Telephone Computer Groceries Candles CD case Box of truffles Tea bags Champagne

Elements of Design

Lines- straight lines are used for a clean look Mass and composition- mass is used to fill up

the house and give it a “lived in” look Texture- The design is a slim look with the lines

and colors chosen Color- bright colors are used to reflect Nora’s

sense of materialism Movement-There is not much need for

movement between scenes as all acts take place in the same room. Movement within scenes is mainly when an actor enters or exits the stage

COSTUME DESIGNER: A DOLL’S HOUSEChien vu

SETTING

• Time: December 2004

• Location: A condo in West Lincoln Park, Chicago

SEASONAL CLOTHING (OUTSIDE)

• The play took place in Chicago during the middle of Winter. As a result, most characters have to put on winter clothing before exiting the house. Winter clothing in this play includes:

• Mittens• Scarfs• Hats• Coats• Turtle necks/ sweaters• Boots

SEASONAL CLOTHING (INSIDE)

• With the advance in central heating, characters were allow to put on normal clothing inside the house with an addition of a sweater.

• Christmas sweaters• Pajamas • Slippers

ACT 1: SATURDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS

• Nora (32): Wears a fancy long coat, boots, a hat, scarfs, and a purse as she enters. As the act proceeds, she’ll be wearing a pair of khakis, slippers, sweatshirt, cream color hoodie, along with a fancy necklace.

• Iris (30): wears house maid uniform and a pair of slippers.

• Terry (33) : wears a turtle neck, a pair of jeans, glasses, and white socks.

• Pete (33): Enters wearing long coat, scarf, suit, pair of gray slacks, and some fancy dress shoes. Inside, he wears long sleeves shirt and a fancy watch.

• Kristine (34): wears an old jacket, some poor boots, and a scarf as she enters. Inside, she wears a sweat shirt, gray hoodie, jeans and glasses.

• Raj (34): wears an old leather jacket, gloves, torn tennis shoes, hat, and a scarf.

• Marta (30): Enters wearing a thick coat, slacks, boots, mittens, and scarf.

• Kids ( Max, Macey, and Skyler): Enters wearing layers of winter clothes, jackets, mittens, boots, beanies, and earmuffs.

ACT 2: DECEMBER 30 AFTER CHRISTMAS

• Nora: Wears a pair of long pants a long with some short sleeves shirt in her cream hoodie. She later tried on a new uniform she bought for the news year party.

• Marta: wears jeans and a sweater.

• Kristine: enters wearing a brown long coat, cream slacks, and some old boots.

• Terry: Enters after work wearing his long coat, suit, black tie, white long sleeve under a cream sweater. He also have on gray slacks with brown dress shoes. He later shows up in some jeans and his gamer Tee-shirts.

• Pete: Enters wearing long coat, sweater, and a pair of brown khakis with some tennis shoes.

• Raj: enters wearing a black pull-over hoodie, black gloves, black leather jacket, sunglasses, and a pair of old tennis shoes.

ACT 3: NEW YEARS EVE

• Kristine: Wearing a brown coat, scarf, and a pair of khakis.

• Raj: Wearing a pair of slacks, long coat, black hat, and a blue scarf.

• Nora: Dressed up as Jennifer Beals in flashdance wearing tight leggings, a wig, and off-the-shoulder sweatshirt.

• Terry: Dressed as Ronald Reagan wearing a Tuxedo and his Ronald Reagan mask.

• Pete: Dressed like pee-wee Hermann, with a scarf, and his long coat.

Dollhouse

By Rebecca Gilman

Soft yellow light illuminates the entire scene, coming from the Christmas tree, fire place, lamps, hallway, windows, lights overhead and in front of actors. Lights reflects off of plains of walls as well as the ground and ceiling to show the actors faces and expressions and create an indirect light.

Act 1

The light is a soft and mellow color to tone down the happy mood of the scene. It is clear to the audience that there is something wrong with the family and everything is not completely joyous. No single beams of lights are used to isolate any one character or detail. The setting and characters can be fully observed.

Act 1

It is Christmas Eve, so there is a semi-bright white light coming in from the windows to show the snow and time of day. However, the prominence of the light is still in the center of the stage where the stage props are located and characters are acting; center stage is holding main focus for the performance. Scene ends promptly with sudden blackening of lights.

Act 1

Act 2

Lights fade in and light the stage in a grey color. A small spotlight is angled to show the worry in Nora’s face over the previous and yet to come events. There is a light coming out of a doorway down the hall where the kids are playing, but the living area is lit mainly from the lights intended to be coming from outdoors (windows); it is daytime and there is bright white light from the fallen snow outside coming in again.

Act 2

Bright light streams in through the door whenever a character enters or exits the house. The bright white light indicates the happiness that’s suppose to be filling the house, but the more present grey shows the true emotion of Nora. Spotlights follow Nora’s movements to keep the attention slightly more on her. Lights fade back to black at end of scene.

Act 3

It is quite dark on stage to show that it is midnight, but as the characters enter and exit throughout the scene there are spotlights on them. There are headlights from a cab as Kristine enters it when she exits the house. Additionally, there is a light from a laptop illuminating Terry’s face when checking an email.

Act 3

When Nora and Terry enter the house the entire house is lit by a dark blue-grey light to emote the gloominess of the scene. It becomes brighter when Pete enters the house and has his rage episode, but dulls back when he exits. The characters continue to be lit by their own spotlights.

Act 3

The end of the play has one single spotlight on Nora that slowly fades. This is to show that Nora should be the lasting visual image for the audience to perceive the theme.

Heidi Ramos

• Spine- Having that desire to be free

• Nora wants to be out of her debt with Raj so she could stop having so many secrets

• She realizes she has never been free from Terry. She has made herself a doll to his disposal. She does everything to keep him happy.

THEME

• Theme- The role of a woman trying to keep her life together and maintaining everything in order. She is trapped in a “dollhouse”, she is being played to be the perfect wife, mother, friend.

DIRECTORIAL CONCEPTS

• Read play and create a script that fits the vision in your head

• Cast roles

• Setting the play in present time, no changes to character roles.

• Give script to actors.

• Go over a reading of script, let the actors get familiar with their roles

• Work with the other roles, set designer, light designer, costume designer, etc.

• Have vision come to life as they create the stages, make sure that was is being created is what you envisioned.

DIRECTIONAL CONCEPTS

• There is a sense of nervousness within the characters, especially Nora. Plenty of secrecy throughout the first two acts.

• The setting will be a condo is Chicago, very modern day like.

• The audience has to leave with the message that secrets keep you from completely being free. Also they must understand and relate to the characters.

• This play is very modern, so create the idea that this could happen to me.

CHARACTERS

• Nora- Natalie Portman

• Terry- Ioan Gruffudd

• Kristine- Cobie Smulders

• Pete- Bradley Cooper

• Raj- Kunal Nayyar

CHARACTERS CONT…

• Iris- Eva Méndez

• Marta-Torrey Devitto

• Skyler- Child Actor

• Max-Child Actor

• Macey-Child Actor