DIRECTOR'S CONCEPT

FAS 110CL Final Project The project will be based on Anna in the Tropics (pages 450-480 in your textbook.) You will choose one of the following jobs to fulfill: director, actor, designer, or administrator. Below are complete guidelines for each job. Remember, choose something that plays to your skill set or to skills that you wish to improve upon. If you have absolutely no ability to draw, you may still be able to design a costume through a collage rendering. Do not let your inexperience discourage you from trying something new! Director Your job is to write a director’s concept for Anna in the Tropics addressing the following questions:

 What themes are present in Anna and the Tropics? How do you plan to highlight those themes?

 What is the mood/atmosphere of this piece? How do you plan to create that mood/atmosphere?

 What artifacts in the characters’ lives might be part of the physical environment? In what ways is the environment personalized? Is one character’s point of view more important than another’s in determining the details of the physical environment? Does someone seem to own or dominate the space?

 What are the basic actions of the characters in the play? What are the necessary entrances and exits and the physical actions that the stage space must accommodate and support?

The paper must be:

 Double-spaced

 In 12-point font

 Between 500 and 1000 words Submit this assignment to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 8. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.) Actor You will choose one of the monologues on the next page to memorize and perform. You will record this performance with your digital camera, cell phone, web cam, etc. and place that recording in the Dropbox. Video files tend to be large, so upload times to the Dropbox will vary depending on your Internet connection speed. Before you submit your video, convert it to either a .wmv or .mov file as these file types will be most readily viewable by your instructor. There are many free video conversion software packages available on the Internet. Just search for, select, and download the one you want to use and follow the instructions for converting videos. You may want to compress your video as well. Like conversion software, there are many free compression software packages available on the Internet.

You may choose from the following monologues from Anna in the Tropics:

Cheche’s Monologue, p. 470 This factory. I can’t stand it. Working here is like hitting my head against a wall…I try to make changes, modernize this place. But it’s like facing a wall of concrete every time I try to do something. [Cut Santiago’s line] …then there’s Mildred. Ever since she left me I am not the same. Something is missing. Have you seen the tail of a lizard when it’s been cut off? The tail twists and moves from side to side like a worm that’s been removed from the soil. The thing moves on its own, like a nerve that still has life and it’s looking for the rest of the body that’s been slashed away. That’s how I feel sometimes. I turn from side to side on my bed at night. I wake up in the morning looking for her in the kitchen, thinking that she is making the coffee. I look for her in the garden. And then when I come here, there’s this moron reading the same story every day to remind me of her. And I hate it! I hate him! It’s like there’s no end to it and I just want to…. or Conchita’s Monologue, p. 461 (cut for continuity’s sake) I just want to have a civilized conversation. The same way the characters speak to each other in the novel. I’ve learned many things from this book. [Cut] For Anna’s husband jealousy is base and almost animalistic. And he’s right. He would never want Anna to think that he is capable of such vile and shameful emotions. [Cut] Oh, I could see the husband so clear in the novel. How the thoughts would take shape in his mind, as they have in my own mind. I mean, not the same…No, no…Not the same, because he’s an educated man, surrounded by culture and wealth and I am just a cigar roller in a factory. He is well bred and sophisticated. I barely get by in life. But with this book, I am seeing everything through new eyes. What is happening in the novel has been happening to us. No. Don’t look at me that way. You might not want to admit it, but Anna and her husband remind me of us. Except I’m more like the husband. [Cut] You are the one who has the secret love, not me.

You must also submit a character analysis of your character that addresses the questions provided for character analysis in your textbook on page 447.

NOTE: Sometimes you have to fill in the gaps; the playwright may not give you all of the information.

The analysis must be double-spaced and in 12-point font.

Submit the video and analysis as separate files to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 8. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)

Designer If you choose to play the role of the designer, you may choose between sets or costumes. Whether you choose sets or costumes, you must submit a written design concept for Anna in the Tropics in addition to a rendering that visually communicates your idea.

Set Design Your concept should address the following:

1. How does the playwright describe the setting? How do you see the world of the play? Are there any major differences between what you envision and what the playwright set forth?

2. What seems to be the impact of the factory on the different characters? How important is it in their lives? In what ways does it limit them? What makes it a comfortable environment?

3. What parts of the factory are most important to the play? What parts of the factory need to be seen onstage by the audience? What kind of building is it and what is it’s condition?

Your rendering can either be hand-drawn by you (you will need to scan it if so) or you may create a PowerPoint that incorporates research for your set design. Include exterior and interior pictures of buildings that give the feeling of the factory suggested by the script and that fit your concept. Make sure you list your sources! The design concept must be double-spaced and in 12-point font. Submit the written concept and the rendering or PowerPoint to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 8. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.) Costume Design If you choose to be the costume designer, you must design a costume for either Conchita or Cheche. You will turn in a rendering or PowerPoint and a written design concept that addresses the following:

1. What symbols are associated with the character? 2. What time period do the costumes come from? 3. What color (s) might represent the life of this character? Are specific colors called for in

the script? 4. Do they cover or hide themselves in their clothes or do they dress to impress? How do

think the characters feel about what they wear? Your rendering can either be hand-drawn by you (you will need to scan it if so) or you may create a PowerPoint that incorporates research for your costume design. Include photos of fabric swatches, accessories, and period clothing that you feel would be appropriate for your character. Make sure you list your sources! The design concept must be double-spaced and in 12-point font Submit the written concept and the rendering or PowerPoint to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 8. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)

Administrator If you choose to act as the marketing director (administrator) for the final project, you will be required to create a marketing plan that will require you to: 1. Brand your “production”

 Create a poster design for the show. Must include information about the show and some eye

catching graphics.

 Keep the graphics and fonts consistent from the poster to the program.

 Must turn in a copy on the day of the final.

2. Create a concept for the lobby. Often, productions concoct some sort of lobby display to extend the

environment outside of the theatre. What would suggest that might help set the mood and extend the

environment beyond the theatre?

3. Consider how you would market the event aside from the posters. Any interesting ideas? Would you

include radio spots, social media, public appearances? How might you get the word out to your

target audience?

This must be contained in a written Word document. You may attach the poster separately if you wish.

Poster files may be in Microsoft Publisher or Word; JPEG; or PDF.

The marketing plan must be double-spaced and in 12-point font. Submit the marketing plan to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 8. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)