Clybourne Park is a uniquely written play for both past and modern audiences, it not only literally deals with the past and present, but subconsciously brings up issues in society that some seemingly over-look. The play starts off in 1959 Chicago, Illinois, where a white family is packing and getting ready to move across town for a fresh start after their son, Kenneth, committed suicide in that house. While getting everything in order neighbors stop by to say goodbye but also to inform the family that the family they sold their house to are black. This causes a feud in the middle of the play because the family’s black housekeeper and her husband are caught up in the conversation and it soon becomes obvious that at least one of the people there do not want this family moving in. The play then shifts completely, jumping ahead 50 years to 2009 Chicago, where the neighborhood has become predominantly black, and a white couple with a child on the way wants to buy the house. There seems as if there could be no problem, however misunderstandings occur and several arguments ensue. The primary jumping off point for the arguments were that the white couple, Steve and Lindsey, want to restructure the house but Lena, a black woman from the neighborhood committee, has a lot of history in that house and does not think they should change the house. This play deals with a lot of miscommunication and misunderstandings, although nobody actually appears to be racist, racism is an undeniable force in this play.
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| The house from the television series, Family Matters. |
For the scenic design I can not get the image of the house from, Family Matters, out of my head, when I read this play or just simply think about it, all I see is that house. The reason why I see this being a very effective place is because it takes place in Chicago, just like the script. The house is seemingly perfect in every way for this play, it has the door from the left, the upstairs staircase just off to the left of the doorway so in clear view. Then the best part is that the living room is connected to the kitchen which would make for an effortless transition. In Act 1, the house is set in 1959, so there needs to be according designs and the colors most important for that time period seem to be green, gold and brown. I see the house being set in these color schemes with a lot of wood walls and shag carpeting. Act 2, would be modernized but with a cheap feel, as if no money has been put into the house and it is falling apart. Updated furniture but not new, more of a black and white color scheme, with some blues and reds to add some color. All the furniture on stage will be real, and facing the audience as the outside world looking in.
The costumes in Act 1 will resemble fashion from the 50s, including long dresses with really wide bottoms, and a lot of color, usually green, yellow or red. The men will all be dressed differently but accordingly, Mr. Linder will be wearing a suit, and with a top hat like they use to in the old days, Russ will be wearing a flannel shirt with khakis, Jim in his clerical wear and Kevin in an old fashioned button down t-shirt with jeans. In Act 2, I imagine everyone in modern clothing, the guys just in either t-shirts and jeans or shorts, while the girls vary from dresses to jeans and a t-shirt. The lighting will effect both acts differently, in Act 1 I want the light to appear less natural more with lamps, causing shadows but not in a dark way, as if it is hopeful and good things are coming, as the act goes on, the light slowly dims to give the effect that things are taking a bad turn. In Act 2, I want it to start off the same way but get dark and chilly fast, to give the effect that something bad has happened even if we have not heard it. The lighting needs to be more natural like, as if it is appearing through windows, giving this production a real feel.
The play will take place in The Chicago Theatre, on N State Street Chicago, IL 60601 . I chose this theatre not only because it is in Chicago where the story takes place but also because it has a rich history as does the house in the play. The Chicago Theatre has been around since 1921, and has seen all of the greatest performances broadway has had to offer. Doing the play in Chicago I thought would be a great idea because it would give the people living there a chance to see their community’s past firsthand, and see how it correlates to todays society. The target audience for this play was simply close-minded people who do not understand the we need to revisit the past from time to time, because it is still relevant and can teach us valuable lessons.
(song playing on record player at the beginning of Act 1
Ray Charles - Drown in my own tears 1955)
