In-Class Quiz 0426

5. Select a passage from a novel you have chosen to study which provides an effective introduction of an important character or characters. How would you use staging, design and acting to ensure that this introduction would have dramatic importance for the audience?

• I will stage the introduction of Gabriel, Daniel's father. In chapter 5, page 50, he appeared in the story for the first time. 
• Sound of the helicopter appears first, indicating his unusual transportation type, contrasting with the car sound that Ti Moune dream of hearing. 
• Coming on stage with some securities following him, and a crowd of villagers further away. The villagers are curiously observing him but afraid to come closer. (Showing the segregation between different social classes.) 
• Discussed by the environment, (duty, smelly, dark.), hesitated to keep on walking. (Showing not only the difficulty fitting in to the environment but also the impoliteness towards the villagers. 
• Looking around, amazed, disgusted, and not putting his eye on anyone's face more than one second. (Again, rude, not fitting in, showing a big contrast)
• Runs a bit to Daniel (show his care to Daniel)
• Crying out "what had those peasants done to you" (The fact that he identified the villagers by instinct and called them peasants shows how much he keeps the different levels in his mind. He assumes his son was harmed by the villagers as well, showing his unpleasant impression on the villagers, or more precisely, peasants. )
• Asking the securities to pick up Daniel and walks back towards the Helicopter really quickly. (Eager to leave such a place, not thankful of the people who took care of Daniel.)
• Let the securities wipe his shoes before stepping on the helicopter. 
• On his last step to the helicopter, he turns back, looking down to Mama Euralie, saying " I thank your man, I'll eave this to him" and throws the money to Mama Euralie. (Higher position physically and emotionally. His action was only to show some sympathy to those poor peasants. It was not really a "thank you" action.)

6. Select a passage from a novel you have chosen to study which contains a scene of pivotal

importance to a theme in the narrative. Outline how you would stage the scene paying particular

attention to how the theme might be effectively dramatized for an audience.

• Chapter 8, page 80. Ti Moune ran away from the village after the Gods talked to her. She run into the woods, not knowing which direction she's going. 
• I think this is a pivotal moment because it was not only the first time that she actually hear the Gods speaking to her and telling her what they might do to Daniel and her. Before this encounter, the Gods only lived in Ti Moune's beliefs but was never this close. This is the moment that she actually saw them and hear them talking and also feel their power. She's scared. 
• After she runs away from the village, she not only abandoned her homeland, but also her mama and tonton. Life is totally different now. There's no one to give her love without reasons and no place for her to settle any more.. She had to learn to be independent.
• This is also the moment Ti Moune decided that she has to go to Daniel and there is no turning back. Now, she's truly sent by Gods. She's more desperate and more determined.
• Staging: setting changed from in the village to in the woods. 
• If there is a LED screen in the back, make the image move so that it looks like Ti Moune is constantly walking forward. There can be some grass in front of her feet to make it more realistic to the audience. Some trees by the sides as well(set pieces)
• Acting differently by constantly showing the desire of meeting Daniel and heal him. (Contrasting with before she ran away. Before: butterflies, car sounds, Agwe loves me. After: Daniel, Daniel, Daniel)
• Custom: Dress being ripped by the trees, hair getting messy.
• Lighting: Bright light and dark light switches, indicating day and night has past. She's further and further away from her hometown. 
• Reaction to thunders are different too. (Before: Agwe please don't harm the villagers. They raised me. Now: Agwe don't be angry, I will meet Daniel soon. He loves me. I will stay with him to see him recover.)

1. Select a passage from a novel you have chosen to study where a change of atmosphere impacts on the characters and/or the course of events. By paying due attention to the context of the passage, show how such a passage might be dramatized for an audience.

• When the Gods' start to enter the villagers' bodies and talk to each other during the gathering in the village. 
• The atmosphere of the scene changed at the moment when the Gods started to talk in front of the villagers. The fact that they actually "invaded" into the villager's bodies in stead of having their own appearance made their God identity clear to the villagers. The villagers now realized, the God is right there. Moreover, in the novel, the people whose bodies were used by the Gods actually died. This made people very fearful. Not only by the power of the Gods but also by not knowing whose body the Gods will take next. 
• Therefore, the atmosphere changed from happy gathering to a serious, or probably even deadly decision making moment of the Gods. 
• Beginning: people dancing , chanting. 
• After Mama and Ti Moune entered: people curious, probably laughing at the foolish girl's daydream.
• After the First person's body was taken: people slowly stopped dancing and chanting as the person talks. 
• After the First person dead: some screamed, all chanting and dancing stopped, people form a circle around Ti Moune and Mama. (No one in front of them so that the audience can still see what's happening in the circle. 
• As more and more people's bodies were taken and "used up" the whole stage gets more and more quieter. In the gaps of God's voices, were the heavy breath of the villagers. 
• Lighting; 
• Beginning: warm tone light. Bright.
• As the scene move on, the light gets more and more concentrated towards the middle of the "circle" and the light turns to a deep-colored tone as well.