Directors Note by Delaney McLaughlin
Everyone has something they believe in, a cause that lights a fire under them and forces them to think about their values. At times, this fire will even drive them to take action. This story is about that fire burning within these nuns. They stood up for what they believed was right. They took matters into their own hands and took action against injustice. Yes, they are going to serve time and yes, they got charged with a crime, but that did not stop them, instead it continued to burn the fire.
Through this beautiful piece we see these brave women wrestle with the consequences of their actions and their “need” for mercy, but we never see them falter or regret because sometimes the fire needs to be bigger and stronger despite the repercussions on individuals. Though the badass women ask for mercy in the beginning, they soon realize that they do not require mercy from the judge and rather seek validation for their actions from something greater. Their fear of punishment is valid, human, and raw but so is the need for justice. In the words of playwright Robin Rice, “In that place where mercy and justice meet, there isn’t always a handshake.”
Scenic Design Notes by Patrick Redden
This set was designed on 3 principles. How do I keep the actors socially distant? How do I combine the minimalistic elements of those spaces? And how can I make this minimalistic set more engrained in the story? Combining the architecture of church and court came rather easily considering America’s history of using churches as courts. The architecture was already based around it and the coloration can be similar. I then took the architecture of both and sculpted it down to what was necessary for the show: the chairs, the floor, and one large area for speaking. In this step, I made the connection between stained glass windows and the court seal. Each of these symbolize something “more than”; a story, a system, some higher power. Its something interesting or different that always catches your eye in the space. After much discussion, the seal ended up looming over the set, as if watching the events occur. Enjoy the show!
Costume Design Notes for Blood Sisters by Lisa Martin-Stuart
Harmony, Variety, & Unity of design composition has been the topic of discussion in my Costume Design class this week. The design process for Blood Sisters offers a perfect example of how a designer thinks about these principles of design when approaching the costume design process for a production.
While discussing the visual aspect of the characters for Blood Sisters, Delaney and I felt it was important to portray these women as a strong trio unified in their passion, determination, and beliefs. We also felt it was equally important to illustrate the differences and individuality of character in each of the sisters. For each character I choose subtle variations in line, color, and texture to create harmony and variety in the overall unified theme of the design.
I wanted the costumes to convey a visually unity in Line– strong vertical direction supported by modest and conservative shape, in Color– the drab and muted tones of greys and blacks, and in Textures– plain, natural fabrics that suggests a sense of religious garb. I used variations of tones of grey, slight differences in line silhouette, and subtle changes of fabric textures to give each character an individual look within the overall design composition.
For Jane’s costume, I wanted to design a look to emphasize her vulnerability and inexperience. Her dress is the palest of the grey tones, very simple and modest in line, and very smooth in texture. Her headscarf is reminiscent of a schoolgirl’s uniform.
In Mary’s costume, I wanted to present a sharp contrast to Jane, to reinforce Mary’s severity and bluntness of character. Her dress is the darkest of the grey-tones, slightly sharper in line, and introduces slightly more texture. Her headscarf wraps around her head and neck giving her a slightly closed and defensive attitude.
Wilhelmina’s dress is the most complex in line, color, and texture. I wanted to reinforce the sense of command, control, and determination in her character. Her costume has the most variety in grey tones from pale grey to charcoal tones. The textures of her dress are also more complex and varied from the heavy wool texture of her sweater to the smooth linen of the blouse. The line of her dress presents a strong horizontal counterpoint to the vertical lines of Mary and Jane’s dress.
Overall I tried to create a unified composition in the costume design that supports the themes of the play and provides a visual harmony and variety in the character’s motivations and actions.
Lighting Design Notes by Dylan Gray
During one of our first production meetings, Delaney mentioned something that made me realize exactly how I needed to light this show. She compared the show to a fire, sparking and breaking but never going out, growing hotter but never too out of control. Everytime that I got lost on what my next move was, I would think, “Where is the fire now?” In some moments, the fire is a pure blue flame, as hot and intense as it can get; In another, it’s a warm amber, offering comfort in times of crisis.
This show to me is the story of a tiny spark. These women found the strength to do what was right through their religion. Immediately I thought of two major women in the Bible: Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary. Both were women whose strength came from their devotion to their religion, and both faced adversity for it. The women in this show are steel-sharp and tunnel visioned.
I tried to bring this all to life with my lights. I wanted this show to constantly remind the audience of the two forces looking down on these women: the injustice of the law and the freedom of God. In their darkest moments towards the end of the show, there is still a warm glow from above, and in the moment where they are the most free, the most connected to their mission, there is still a faint glow on the seal. The final moments of the show really bring the whole thesis of my design to a nice closure. These women are left in the dark by the system that is supposed to protect them, but find sanctification in their act of spiritual defiance. They left a mark on the world and themselves, and their blood is too strong to wash away.
Sound Design Notes by Jason Sebastian
Well, this is an interesting time to be making collaborative in-person audience-based work, not many people, in this country anyway, are even bothering. There are enough precautions and concerns that most “live” performance creators don’t even know where to start. The whole premise of being “live” is hard to fathom at this point in time. I applaud the Department of Theatre at Miami for even attempting this project, and others on the horizon.
I approached this project much as I would any other theater design I have done, under previous times. There are speakers in the room and the sound design is still built for the space as though the audience could walk in for any performance (except they’d have to sit on the floor). There are two reasons why I decided to treat this as a fairly straight forward design. The one main reason was for the actors, having the sound in the space is more beneficial for performance than one would think. Along those lines, by having the sound in the space, rather than going straight to the live stream, it can take on the quality of the voices as well. I feel like it keeps everything in the same world.
Delaney and I tried to keep the sound fairly simple, the judge is authoritarian and the space changes subtly throughout. I had a lot of help from my assistant, Charlotte, and Tyler, who played the Judge, did a fantastic and speedy job of getting his lines recorded. I appreciate the adjustments that everyone had to make so that this could happen responsibly and artistically; I look forward to exploring more options for performance during these uncertain times.