I took this photo when I was driving back from DC on Sunday. I noticed this “intersection” and overlapping of roads on my way into the city and made a mental note to document them when I left. They immediately reminded me of the set for Ragtime. How can you NOT see the resemblance?! Steal and concrete, different levels, helping the flow of traffic… This sight made me think back to one of our first classes when we sat in a circle and really talked about WHY Ragtime. We discussed the issues presented in the show and the radical topics expressed. We also talked about the successful revivals of the show and how the target audience could relate to what was going on. One thing that caught my attention was the thought put into choosing this musical for Duke. I was happy to find that more thought went into its selection other than “it’s a well known and famous musical”. There is a cross over of events that are reflected throughout history, and as a human race we are supposed to learn from our mistakes.
Going back to the set, I think it does a great job of having an industrial feel to it. One of the things that first came to my mind when I saw it was the Industrial Revolution, although it happened after the time of the show, there is still a feeling of revolution present in the musical. I think that when we finally got into the space, our characters really started to come to life. We were finally in our “home” and we could see the stage direction come to life on our play ground. I also had the opportunity to work on painting the panels that eventually became the steal beams and it was interesting to hear the thought that went into the set to reflect the message of the play. I am also taking a set design course with Torry this semester and I’ve loved learning about what goes into building a successful set. Not only do you have to keep the movement of the actors in mind, but the vision of the director, confines of the space, really everything… I have continued to be impressed with what this show is giving back to everyone involved. With the addition of costumes on Monday night, I really felt like everything was coming together.
Hi Ryan,
I am commenting on your first post first. I was interested in your reactions to study abroad. Like the immigrants, you longed for the parts of home that gave you comfort. For you, all of what home meant seemed to be a comfort to you, but for the immigrants, much was miserable enough to persuade them to leave. Also, you left knowing you had home to return to. How to find the courage to leave everything for a hope of making a better life. Experiences like yours abroad can allow you to tap into at least some part of the immigrants’ journey. Was it helpful to you in that way?
I agree that your photo has many resonances of the musical and of the set. I envy you your set design course. I was staggered at the levels of consideration Torry was using as she created the design. I know she was very sorry to have lost the arching effect of those large beams that was in the original design. I thought it was a beautiful aspect of the design.
Just a note about the industrial revolution – it actually took place in the latter half of the 19th century. It was called a revolution because of the resultant change on a number of fronts – work for women other than the roles of wife, domestic servant or prostitute; urbanization; child labor on a much greater scale; rise of consumerism, etc.
Loved your work on stage.
Best,
Barbara