Chapter 6 and The Foreigner

Subject: The Designers

Since we are writing about the play in our reviews, I would like to focus on the items related to chapter 6 and the designs of The Foreigner. I enjoyed how the stage was set up this time around, compared to Suburbia. I find it interesting that the way the stage is set up can change the whole effect of the performance. The book compares a proscenium theatre and thrust, arena and black box stages. I enjoyed how Suburbia was put into a thrust, but don't think that would've worked for The Foreigner. I think The Foreigner took great advantage of its three dimensional space. I think because of the type of play it was, a farce, it was better to be placed in front of the play, almost as though we were watching a Thursday night sitcom. Surrounding the stage, in a thrust, would not have allowed us to view every part of the production. It was important for us not to be able to see certain angles of the stage, to keep the "realism."

Speaking of the realism of the play, chapter six talks about the stage design realism vs. Abstraction. I believe that The Foreigner's stage design, or chose to go with a realism design was key in the performance. I don't think an abstract design would've given us a since of feeling. I compare the abstract to Chicago where you really have to imagine the setting of the scene. I think in this play, it was better for us to see a fully furnished stage, with a backdrop of a small mountain house. It made things much easier to enjoy. The stage was set up in such a way, that when someone went up the stairs, I could then imagine them going into a room with flowered wall paper, quilted bed spreads, and old fashioned bathrooms with old hardware. My favorite part about the the realism set was the windows. I enjoyed how we could see people walking by before they entered the speaking part of the scene. It made me wonder if it was weird for the actors to get into character before entering the main point of the stage. The actors couldn't just walk by the windows as "themselves," but they had to walk by the windows in character. It added to the whole experience of believing this was a old fashioned house in the woods. The one thing I would've liked to have seen was some form of tree in the background, maybe the reflection of water during the daytime scenes, representing the lake. Even know the stage was set in a realism sort of way, I longed for more.

Another aspect of the design was the lighting. I enjoyed at the very beginning when the lights flickered as the thunder crashed in the background, representing lightening. They kept using lights throughout the play as well. Moments when the electricity went off, moments when the actors used candles to light the stage, and lanterns. I thought it helped to put us in the moment of the play. It brought about a feeling of suspense during a suspensful moment in the play. Like a horror flick, I began to wonder what was coming next. When the KKK came around those windows abruptly, I could picture audience members jumping in their seats. I don't think this would've happened without the mood the lights put us in.

The last thing I want to look at is the costume design. I tend to question this aspect in most college plays, just because I suspect the clothing just comes from one of the actor's closets. I felt that the costume designers/actors in this play did a good job of picking out the correct attire for the setting. Each actor picked clothing that amplified their role. Froggy was continuously in his military uniform, Charlie starts in a buttoned up rain coat and eventually is in more revealing clothing, just as his character grows throughout the play. I think clothing can be an extention of the character's movement or growth throughout a play. This play especially used clothing to depict a certain character's personality.

The Foreigner really did a fantastic job of using all the design factors talked about in chapter 6. Using all of these things helped in my enjoyment and belief in the play.