Rimers of Eldritch reveals through its carefully fragmented visions a community in the process of spiritual and physical decay. Crumbling facades, flaking paint and rusting metal serve as powerful metaphors for an even more devastating and pervasive moral corruption engendered by false righteousness, widespread hypocrisy and formidable apathy. The bleak picture painted above is gracefully softened however, by individuals who escape the desperate milieu of cruelty and harsh judgment by means of waking dreams and inspired fantasies. This substantial disparity: whereby dreams stand in stark contrast to reality, mirrors several similar dialectical tensions in Eldrich. By briefly highlighting the most outstanding and consequential of these struggles: good vs. evil, empathy vs. apathy, and judgment vs. justice, it becomes clear that Rimers tackles many of the most fundamental, universal dichotomies of human societies.
This production will rely predominantly on the use of dramatic lighting for the establishment of environment and location. A multitude of locales must be created and maintained throughout the composition and provide the viewer with a sense of both individual places and overall continuity. Each of these must be accomplished without sacrificing the intense moods and tones presented by the script. Additionally, Rimers incorporates a unique and fluid rhythm bearing strong resemblance to the medium of film, therefore a very deliberate but delicate attention to the weaving movements and flowing pace is of the utmost necessity to the success of this design.
The color and texture palettes for Rimers will not deviate considerably from perceived reality, particularly with respect to interiors and sunlit atmospheres. The majority of these locales will be represented in concord with natural and theatrical expectations. When the blocking and distribution of stage space permit it, areas will be lit in relative isolation, as if a glimpse into one particular facet of the larger worldview. The surrounding areas may be treated with one of several textured and more saturate washes: illustrative of rime and the flaking and rusting imagery reiterated in the dialogue. This same technique may also be applied to the presentation of "natural" spaces: fields, forest clearings, and walking paths, for example. These same design elements will appear in the predominant acting areas as well, but with less intensity. Coraâ"s cafe, the Johnson and Windred family rooms, the more loosely defined interiors will be treated with the same hues in much less saturated colors, mere tints and hints of texture relative to the overall composition. The general atmosphere is bleak but not oppressive, frequently cold but not sterile, and realistic but hopefully not to the point of being aesthetically boring. The dreaming scenes will thereby stand in high contrast to this reality by embodying warmer and more imaginative colors in a "fuzzier frame ".
The use of the painted scrim upstage center may serve as a sort of mood-ring for the actions of Eldritch. The backdrop can reveal the passages of time and changes of season while also giving insight into the emotional climate of the community. The area behind it will have some more unusual angles, in part due to necessity, and in part as a dramatic device. This notion will be developed further as Bruce determines how frequently and in what context the area will be used.
Throughout Rimers, there are moments in which chaos erupts suddenly and voices interrupt or call out as though lost in a haze of confusion. These moments give great insight into the worldview, almost as if a radio was tuning through the thoughts and judgments of the community. It is difficult to envision these outbursts without a sense of actor placement, but they speak strongly to a sense of commotion and darkness. Additional considerations along this path include the fragments of jury commentary, and the climactic shooting of Skelly.
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