Thank you for such kind words! I'm truly thrilled to be working on this project.

 out of  found this valuable. Do you find this valuable?    

Hey Jordan,

I hope you don't mind, but I was thinking of your colour idea and came up with some personal thoughts. I started thinking about the relationships between the characters in relation to the colour spectrum - complementary colours, colours that naturally clash, and similar colours etc.

What really strikes me is the importance of Ferdinand and the Duchess' relationship as twins. I love your idea of putting the Duchess in violet. I also feel that the colour violet would help portray her as a noble and truthful figure. I am also intrigued by the spiritual qualities of violet as the dialogue of her death is very much portrayed as a martyrdom. At the same time, violet has a very sensual, rich nature and would also show the feminine and romantic side of the Duchess.

I believe that Ferdinand, as her twin, and having such a close connection with the Duchess that he personally cannot kill her, should be side-by-side in the colour spectrum. To me, Ferdinand is blue because he is the plotter. He is very intelligent and thinks up many different schemes to find his sister out. I believe that after her murder, Ferdinand is broken by the loss of his twin and that is why he loses his sanity and enters a violent mental state. Also, dark shades of blue seem to be associated with the nighttime and the moon. This ties into Ferdinand's change into the wolf-like character.

The Cardinal I would personally associate with red. Not only is it the typical colour of the position of a Cardinal, but I believe that he is the most responsible for the deaths that take place in the play. He is personally responsible for Julia's death and is also responsible for the death of the Duchess. I think out of all the villains, his hands are covered with the most blood. The Cardinal also lusts for power and sex and is a master puppeteer.

I really like your other colour choices. These are just my thoughts.

 out of  found this valuable. Do you find this valuable?    

Show Last Reply

Hey Jordon - you asked for thoughts - so here are mine (worth the proverbial 2 cents I imagine ;-)

I agree with your thoughts on Bosola, Cariola, Delio and the Duchess. I have differing thoughts on others. I would put Antonio into neutral colours such as a tan colour. He is neither indistinguishable, nor does he outshine the people around him - principally the Duchess. I would see the Cardinal in Black, Crimson and White - which represent his darker side - his bloodlust/sadism and his 'position' as a 'man of the church. Ferdinand - would be muted versions of the Cardinal and the Duchess' colours - greys, less rich reds/ purples. He is, the weaker foil, and by using their colours - but dulled reveals his permanent station as 'less' then his siblings. Julia, my favourite character here as well, I would perhaps see in very dark rich greens and reds and/or blues. I can't see Julia in pinks/ white, her character has become predatory in a sense - colours of innocence do not feel right .

 out of  found this valuable. Do you find this valuable?    

Show Last Reply

This particular production is classified as an "amateur production". In regards to amateur theatre, or regional theatre, or community theatre, generally speaking monetary gain is pretty elusive. It's rare to get paid and when we do, it's often far from even minimum wage considering the hours invested. Without a way to "make a living" and knowing that so much of these productions almost evaporate completely without a trace after the performances are done, why on earth would ANYONE put so much time, effort and emotional investment into what many would describe as a "hobby"?

 out of  found this valuable. Do you find this valuable?    

Show Last Reply

Many people today will treat a production of Shakespeare's work (or our Author John Webster) like a script written in a foreign language. Subtitled films are considered box-office poison in North America, and Live Theatre Productions written in this type of text are often treated similarly. Is this knee-jerk reaction to the material simply a sign of dulling intellects? Is it a fear of looking ignorant and being "lost" during a performance? What would you say to people who are resistant to attending this type of production and why is it still important to perform this material in the modern age? Also, how can we convince the younger audiences to come out and give it a chance?

 out of  found this valuable. Do you find this valuable?    

Show Last Reply