- Change location in a split second
- People change into different people; hair changes color, face changes, clothing changes instantly in front of the audience
- People have to disappear onstage
- Three worlds must be depicted and clearly delineated: The world of reality (Cara's world); the online world (Erich's world); the world inside the mind (Lee's world).
- Other characters have to be able to enter these worlds and it needs to be clear when they do.
And came up with a unique, never-tried-before-I-think-at-least concept: that we would use screens onstage and digital projection to handle everything. This in itself is not revolutionary; in fact projection is becoming commonplace downtown as it's a "cheap" way to do a set. However, what makes George's approach so unique, really, is that:
- The projections are malleable in their visual language. For example, there's a scene online where a man is unmasked and revealed to be a puppet controlled by a character. When he is unmasked, the script just called for a makeup convention that was previously used for that character to be used to indicate he was a puppet. But George's concept was that, when he is unmasked, the screens flash front & profile shots (like mugshots) of the puppeteer. Friggin brilliant. Says it all.
- Likewise, there's a scene where a character tells a lengthy story and we're not supposed to hear all the details. The designer is created a video sequence where images from the story flash by quickly; as if the information is being "rapidly downloaded."
- Last, not only are the scenic elements designed to "take" projection - the actors are as well. Because the actors' clothing - and even masks - are designed to allow projection right onto the performer as a canvas. We can "rebrand" a performer with a new identity in a flash.
- Etc.
We bet you can't wait to see it?
Good, that's what we were hoping you'd say!
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