Production Designs
Page by Ceili Hesselgrave
April 15th, 2019
The America Play's setting is described as: A great hole. In the middle of nowhere. The hole is an exact replica of The Great Hole of History.
The America Play at Yale Repertory Theatre
The America Play premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT in January of 1994. While this original production only ran for a month, later that year the production was moved to the Public Theatre in New York City for the New York Shakespeare Festival.
The scenery for this production is stylistically symbolic. There is an implication of a map in the background, as well as the realistic use of properties and tactile elements from the script.
The costumes are stylistically ambiguous, however The Founding Father is dressed to resemble Lincoln, and Brazil is dressed in what would be street clothing during the mid-1800s when Lincoln was alive.
The lighting is simple, and aims to reflect the stark atmosphere of the scenery and the voyeuristic nature of The Founding Father's attraction.
The above images, from Act I of Theater@Boston Court's production of The America Play, showcase more realistic design scheme than that of the original production. The scenic, costume, and lighting designers all used elements that created an atmosphere that the audience would anticipate from the dialogue. Compared to the original production, this design places the piece in a more definitive time-and-place setting.
April 15th, 2019
The America Play's setting is described as: A great hole. In the middle of nowhere. The hole is an exact replica of The Great Hole of History.
The America Play at Yale Repertory Theatre
January 1994
Directed by Liz Diamond
Scenic Design: Riccardo Hernández
Costume Design: Angelina Avallone
Lighting Design: Jeremy V. Stein
Sound Design: John Gromada
Production Stage Manager: Karen Carpenter
The scenery for this production is stylistically symbolic. There is an implication of a map in the background, as well as the realistic use of properties and tactile elements from the script.
The costumes are stylistically ambiguous, however The Founding Father is dressed to resemble Lincoln, and Brazil is dressed in what would be street clothing during the mid-1800s when Lincoln was alive.
The lighting is simple, and aims to reflect the stark atmosphere of the scenery and the voyeuristic nature of The Founding Father's attraction.
The America Play at the Public Theatre (New York Shakespeare Festival)
February - March 1994
Directed by Liz Diamond
Scenic Design: Riccardo Hernández
Costume Design: Angelina Avallone
Lighting Design: Jeremy V. Stein
Sound Design: John Gromada
Production Stage Manager: Gwendolyn M. Gillian
After the original production at Yale Rep, the show moved to the Public Theatre in New York with the original cast and production team, save the PSM. While the photographic evidence of these tow original productions is scare, because of the nature of similar cases of production moving from a regional theatre to a Broadway/Off-Broadway house, the setting, lighting, costumes, and sound designs were most likely the same from the original production. This production also marked the beginning of a long and successful (and ongoing) relationship between Suzan Lori-Parks and The Public Theatre.
After the original production at Yale Rep, the show moved to the Public Theatre in New York with the original cast and production team, save the PSM. While the photographic evidence of these tow original productions is scare, because of the nature of similar cases of production moving from a regional theatre to a Broadway/Off-Broadway house, the setting, lighting, costumes, and sound designs were most likely the same from the original production. This production also marked the beginning of a long and successful (and ongoing) relationship between Suzan Lori-Parks and The Public Theatre.
The America Play at Pasadena's Theater@Boston Court
October - November 2006
Directed by Nancy Keystone
Scenic Design: Nancy Keystone
Costume Design: Jeannique Prospere
Lighting Design: Justin Townsend
Original Music and Sound Design: Randy Tico
Production Stage Manager: John Freeland Jr.
Nancy Keystone's take on The America Play was marked as the west coast premiere of the piece, and triumphed on the Los Angeles stage in 2006, over 10 years after it's original premiere.
Nancy Keystone's take on The America Play was marked as the west coast premiere of the piece, and triumphed on the Los Angeles stage in 2006, over 10 years after it's original premiere.
The above images, from Act I of Theater@Boston Court's production of The America Play, showcase more realistic design scheme than that of the original production. The scenic, costume, and lighting designers all used elements that created an atmosphere that the audience would anticipate from the dialogue. Compared to the original production, this design places the piece in a more definitive time-and-place setting.
All photos courtesy of Nancy Keystone
The setting for Act II of this production is wildly different from Act I, mostly in the areas of lighting and scenic. The costumes remain relatively the same, with the added characters entering the fold.
The scenery actually creates a hole onstage, and is reminiscent of a great, black sandbox.
The lighting includes dramatic sidelight from actor entrances and exits, as well as footlights and a more dramatic color scheme than that of the original production.
The scenery actually creates a hole onstage, and is reminiscent of a great, black sandbox.
The lighting includes dramatic sidelight from actor entrances and exits, as well as footlights and a more dramatic color scheme than that of the original production.
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