Sueno is a piece about one woman's struggle for intellectual freedom in a time of oppressive patriarchal church rule.
Powerless in her confinement, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz attempted to overcome her physical limitations by means of her obsession with writing. This first production of Sueno attempts to communicate the disparate notions of truth and reason held by the establishment and Sor Juana through a dream-like narrative documenting her work, her character and her fate. Transcending the boundaries of space and time, her published words reveal both her poetic and scientific brilliance as well as the agony of abused, misunderstood genius.
The exploration of these and other powerful themes within Sueno can hopefully be enhanced through the use of lighting. The design should compliment the mood of the individual scenes, help establish a sense of place (real or imagined), evoke elements of the character's mind-space, and provide visually appealing imagery.
The placement of the Sueno deviates between two polarized locations. The first is the convent cell in which Sor Juana is confined: a barren and drab enclosure from which her only releases are her imagination and her literature. The representation of her imprisonment will be accomplished with muted brown/yellow colors, dim but adequate illumination, and small encapsulating pools of light. The realm of her mind is in contrast depicted with saturated, vibrant colors, dominating textures, and an unearthly, abstract quality. The locutorio and the library scenes symbolically include elements of both. Her father confessor could grant her independence, but does not: she can see the way out, and that it will not be granted to her. Abstract textured grating in contrast with bright stark white pools denotes the power struggle between the two. The library, on the other hand reveals a cross breakup comprised of different parts, building in intensity as the scene establishes. This place represents everything Sor Juana holds sacred: her books, scientific instruments, and her mind.
The harsh angles of the isolated Kliegl spotlights will contrast with the warm but dim area light to help provide a surreal quality of imagery. In addition, the white light symbolizes purity, chastity, and ascension. The color scrollers will be used mostly in the off-white, open and tinted frames, reserving the saturated colors for action at the aquarium, in Sor Juana's mind, and after her belongings have been confiscated by the church authority. The nautilus gobo will function as an overarching metaphor for the piece, and will solidify the end sequence, until Sor Juana compulsively debates whether she has achieved immortality through her literature, at which point the pattern will be replaced by an abstract galaxy pattern focused directly on the book.
The cue structure of Sueno will be fluid; transitions occurring with a degree of fluidity as the character moves around the space. Light should seem to emanate from Sor Juana and the objects she encounters, rather than the source itself. As much as is possible within the limits of the inventory with respect to her blocking, the area lights will ebb and flow in coordination with her movement throughout the space, and areas outside her immediate influence will remain dark or only ambiently lit.
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