2013 Education Resources Sunday in the Park With George Theatre Studies Resource

8/9/2019 2013 Education Resources Sunday in the Park With George Theatre Studies Resource

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Sunday in the Park with George Education Resources Theatre Studies Victorian Opera

A masterpiece comes to life

In 1884, a twenty-five year old French Impressionist named Georges Seurat began work on A Sunday on LaGrande Jatte , an idyllic park scene that would eventually become an icon of late 19th century painting.

Sunday in the Park with George is a joyous musical theatre retelling of a visionary artists creative process.Seurats much -loved painting comes to life, revealing thelives and loves of its subjects, and exploring the artof making art across generations, from 19th century Paris to 20th century Chicago.

Following its Broadway opening, legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein declared it brilliant. A year laterSunday in the Park with George won the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Sunday in the Park with George | Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine20 27 July Playhouse, Arts Centre MelbourneMusic and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.Book by James Lapine.

Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine. Originally Produced on Broadway by The Shubert Organisation and Emanu Azenberg.

By arrangement with Playwrights Horizon, Inc. New York City which produced the original production ofSunday In The Park withGeorge in 1983.

By arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd Exclusive agent for Music Theatre International (NY).

To gain the most of your opera experience it is highly recommended to study the work, discoveinspiration, learn about the composers and explore the main themes. The following educational resourwill provide you with information about the work, what to expect during your opera experience andopera reflection. Most of the information is included here in the pre-visit exploration section can be re-vduring and after the opera experience. Visit our interactive Wall online for historical facts, behind-the-scenes,photographs and more!
http://www.victorianopera.com.au/sundayhttp://www.victorianopera.com.au/sundayhttp://www.victorianopera.com.au/sundayhttp://www.victorianopera.com.au/sunday


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White. A blank page or canvas. The challenge. Bring order to the whole through designcompositionbalancelightorderand harmony.

Sunday in the Park with GeorgeIn the opening to the show, the main character Georges Seurat speaks these words and magically a blastage is populated with the characters of his painting. In many ways the experience you will have seSunday in the Park with George will be similar to these words. The audience can only fill the blank canvathat is the stage when they actually experience the production; their presence ensures the theatres reality. Asstudents of Theatre Studies you will also need to consider how design and composition work, discussbalance, light, and order of characterisation and stagecraft, and find a point of harmony in yourdecisions about the intended meaning of the performance. These opening words have great resonance.

Sunday in the Park with George is a musical. Importantly, it is a Stephen Sondheim musical. This means thait offers both challenges and opportunities to the performers and the audience, but particularly to those ware studying it for Theatre Studies Unit 4. In musicals, it is the music and the songs that drive the narrand express the motivations of the main characters. In analysing and evaluating the production, trealisation of characters and the characters journeys, the type and the position ing of songs, and the musicyou hear is all very important.

These education notes serve to act as anintroduction the Victorian Operas production ofSunday in the Park with George . They provide abackground to the artist who inspired the musical,Georges Seurat and the world which inspired hisartistic style. They provide insight into the musicals

creator, Stephen Sondheim, and his librettist, JamesLapin. Finally, the notes offer a way to focus yourstudy according to the Key Knowledge and the KeySkills of the Outcome. Not the wayjust one way.You are encouraged to find your own meaning.

CreativesConductor Phoebe BriggsDirector Stuart MaunderSet & Costume Designer Anna CordingleyLighting DesignerNiklas PajantiSound DesignerJim Atkins

Orchestra Victoria

CastGeorge Alexander Lewis Dot/MarieChristina O'Neill an Old Lady/Blair DanielsNancye Hayes Nurse/Mrs. an Americancouple/Harriet PawlingDimity Shepherd Jules/Bob GreenbergDavid Rogers-Smith Yvonne/Naomi Eisen Antoinette Halloran Boatman/Charles RedmanJohn Brunato Celeste 1/WaitressOlivia Cranwell Celeste 2/ElaineCarrie Barr

Louise/BoyMonique Heath/Emily Chessum Franz/Mr. - an Americancouple/DennisLyall Brooks Frieda/BettyNoni McCallum Soilder/AlexMatthew McFarlane Trumpeter/Lee RandolphJeremy KleemanLouis/Billy WebsterNathan LayYoung Man/PhotographerKirilie BlythmanMan lying on bank/MuseumAssistantDaniel Todd

Figure 1: Christina O'Neill (Dot) Martin Philbey


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CharactersInSunday in the Park with George the performers play one character in Act 1 and another in Act 2. This iscalled doubling. The following list of characters indicates the fifteen roles required in both acts of the show.This is a large cast and as a class,you may like to allocate the study of particular characters to differentpeople.

Act I (1884)George, an artistDot, the mistress of George, and his modelJules, another artistYvonne, his wifeOld Lady, George's motherNurse, the nurse of the Old LadyCeleste #1, a shop girlCeleste #2, another shop girl A Soldier A BoatmanFranz, coachman to Jules and YvonneFrieda, cook for Jules and Yvonne and wife to FranzLouise, the little daughter of Jules and YvonneMr &Mrs, an American couple (NB: in the Broadway, the Nurse doubled as Mrs) Louis, a baker and Dot's husband-to-be

Act II (1984) Doubling (original production)George, an artist (George)Dot, the mistress of George, appearing as a vision (Dot)

Marie, George's grandmother (Dot)Bob Greenberg, the museum director (Jules)Dennis, a technician (Franz)Naomi Eisen, a composer (Yvonne)Elaine, George's former wife (Celeste #2)Harriet Pawling, a board member of the museum (Nurse/Mrs)Billy Webster, her friend (Louis)Charles Redmond, a visiting curator from Texas (Boatman) Alex, an artist (Soldier)Betty, another artist (Frieda)Lee Randolph, the museum's publicist (Mr)Waitress (Celeste# 1)Blair Daniels, an art critic (Old Lady)

Musical NumbersThe musical includes eighteen different songs that integrate with the dialogue to create the overall narratBelow is a list of the songs in the order they are sung. However, unlike other musicals, Sondheim structuhis musicals quite differently. Some songs begin and then are interrupted with dialogue, the appearance oanother character, or a character creating an aside. The very first musical number is a good example, andthere are others throughout. It is a good example of how integral the music and song work as part of thenarrative structure.


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Musical Numbers (Cont.)Act I"Sunday in the Park with George" Georges & Dot"No Life" Jules, Yvonne"Colour and Light" Dot, Georges"Gossip" Celeste #1, Celeste #2, Boatman, Nurse, Old Lady, Jules, Yvonne"The Day Off" Company"Everybody Loves Louis" Dot"The One on the Left" Soldier, Celeste #1, Celeste #2, Georges"Finishing the Hat" Georges"We Do Not Belong Together" Dot, Georges"Beautiful" Old Lady, Georges"Sunday" Company

Act IIIts Hot up Here Company Chromolume #7 OrchestraPutting it together CompanyChildren and Art MarieLesson #8 GeorgeMove On George, DotSunday (reprise) Company

Songs in musical theatre

In musical theatre the key to successful songs is how well lyrics and music work together. Songfunction dramatically in several ways, a primary one being to define character. Within the genre ofmusical theatre such character songs serve a number of functions.

Character songs am songs Because musicals are by nature presentational characters may introduce themselves directly to theaudience through I am songs. I am songs can also allow characters to express feely how they arefeeling at that moment, for example Marias I feel Pretty in West Side Story , and sometimescharacters discover something about themselves in an I am song. Besides defining oneself and

providing moments of self-revelation through these types of songs, characters may also asthemselves against a challenge.

want songs Where I am songs describe a present state, I want songs suggest a course of action for thefuture. Characters often express their goals and dreams through these types of songs. For examin Fiddler on the Roof , Tevye dreams of wealth in If I were a rich man. Some characters may alsouse these songs to say what they dont want.

Reprises Often a song will occur again in the musical as a reprise which can be used effectively to revealhow a character has developed during the story. An effective reprise which functions dramatireveals the development of character since thelast time it was sung. The lyrics may reflect a changein the characters attitude or self -awareness, or they may indicate a change in situation.


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Reprises (cont.)InWest Side Story Tony and Maria reprise their romantic ballad Tonight but now it is the night ofthe gangs street fight and it takes on a new meaning.

Emotional climax songs When characters read a point in the drama where they cant help but explode with feelings or loveor success or simply the joy of live, music serves to amplify these emotions to a level above words. Emotional climax songs are exuberant, celebratory and infectious, allowing the audiencshare the characters passion and excitement.

Songs that tell the storyExposition songs Because songs take up time reserved for dialogue in the play, musicals must move quicklyestablish the dramatic situation, introduce the main characters, and give audiences some reasoncare about them. Exposition songs inform an audience what has happened and what may habrought the characters to this point in the action. They may also preview the themes of the story

Conflict songs At the heart of every drama lies conflict. Some of the most interesting and exciting songs in MuTheatre involve conflict, when characters struggle.

Narration songs Narration songs describe events that we otherwise may not see, what has happened off stage instance.

Summary songs Similar to narration songs, summary songs compress lengthy amounts of time into one song.

Songs with special functionsComment songs A character not in the dramatic scene may step to one side and sing about events on stagStephen Sondheim uses this device in several of his musicals includingCompany and A Little NightMusic.

Musical metaphors These songs take advantage of the unique qualities of musical theatre to portray a situationpresentational, non-literal fashion. Much ofSunday in the Park with George is non-literal and actsmetaphorically.

Cameo songs Cameo songs feature a minor character in a memorable number, someone who otherwise mightforgotten. A good cameo song defines a minor character quickly and effectively as well as giviperformer in a small role time in the spotlight

Parodies : These rely on an audiences familiarity with music that is not in the show t hey arewatching but is used to evoke an appropriate mood. For example, Dots Follies moment in Sundayin the Park with George. Source: Songs in Musical Theatre. 1

1 Spurrier, James. The Integration of Music and Lyrics with the Book in the American Musical . Ph.D. dissertation, Southern Illinois U, 1979.


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Sunday in the Park with GeorgeThe musical is in two acts that span one hundred years. The first act is staged in Paris in 1884. The secact begins in 1891, the year Georges Seurat died, and then flashes forward to Chicago, 1984. Thfollowing synopsis includes the positioning of the songs, as indicated by the inverted commas.

Act I

In 1884, Georges Seurat, known as George in the musical, is sketching studies for his famous painting ASunday on La Grande Jatte . His mistress, Dot, models for him despite her frustrations -Sunday in the Parkwith George . Meanwhile an Old Lady and her Nurse discuss how Paris is changing to accommodate

tower for the International Exposition The Eiffel Tower.The setting then abruptly changes to an art gallery, where Seurat's first painting is on displayBathers at

Asnires. Jules (a more successful artist friend of George's) and his wife Yvonne think George's work hasLife". Back on the island, Jules and Yvonne have a short discussion with George and depart. They take coachman Franz with them, interrupting Franz's rendezvous with the Nurse. In George's studio he worhis painting while Dot prepares for their date at the Follies -"Colour and Light". In the end George choto continue painting instead, which greatly upsets Dot.Back in the park George sketches a grumpy Boatman. Dot enters on the arm of Louis, a baker. Two chatshop girls, both named Celeste, notice Dot with a new man -"Gossip". George sketches two dogs wwhimsically trying to imagine the world from their perspective - "The Day Off". Jules and Yvonne enterthe song and mock the unconventional nature of George's art. They protest an initiative to have his wincluded in the nextgroup show. The two Celestes try to attract the attention of a handsome Soldier and hiscompanion; Franz and his wife Frieda argue with Jules and Yvonne's daughter, Louise; Jules returnfurther lecture George on his shortcomings as an artist; the Boatman reappears to rebuke the condescendattitude of artists. Dot misses George, but feels justified in having chosen Louis instead - "EverybodyLouis". The two Celestes fight over the more handsome of the two so ldiers - "The One on the Left". As the park empties for the evening, George returns. He misses Dot and laments that his art has alienahim from those important to him, but resigns himself to the likelihood that creative fulfilment may alwaprecedence, for him, over personal happiness - "Finishing the Hat". At the studio Dot tells George that she is pregnant by him but that she and the baker, Louis are gettmarried and leaving for America. She asks for a painting George made of her Young Woman PowderingHerself (1888) but he refuses and tells her he has painted over it with a new model. Jules and Yvonne cometo the studio and the conversation is interrupted. Yvonne and Dot talk about the difficulties of tryinmaintain a romantic relationship with an artist, while Jules and George discuss George's paintingprogress.

Using the above descriptions as a guide, identify which type of song style might apply to thefollowing:

Colour & Light Dot and George, in Georges studio, Act 1 The One on the Left Soldier, the Celestes and Georges, in the park, Act 1We do not Belong Together Dot and George in Georges studio, near end of Act 1 Putting it Together Company in the Chicago art gallery, 1984 Chicago art galleryLesson #8 George, in Paris in the park with Dots book in 1984


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Jules is puzzled by George's new technique, and concerned that George's obsession with his workalienating him from his fellow artists and collectors alike. Jules and Yvonne leave, and Dot and Geoargue bitterly about their failed relationship, concluding sadly that - "We Do Not Belong Together".

In the park George and his mother, the Old Lady, reminisce about Georges childhood and his father -"Beautiful". The Celestes and the Soldier argue over their respective break -ups while Jules and Frieda enterto have a clandestine affair in the park. Louise informs her mother, Yvonne, of her father's infidelity afight breaks out between Jules, Yvonne, Franz, and Frieda. While this conflict develops the Celestes and theSoldier squabble noisily. Soon all the park-goers are fighting furiously, until the Old Lady sho"Remember, George!" George takes control of the subjects of his painting, who sing in harmony "SunGeorge transforms all of the people into the final tableau of his finished painting.Act II

As the curtain opens the characters still in the tableau complain about being stuck in the painting - "It'sHot Up Here". The characters then deliver short eulogies for George, who died suddenly at age 31 in 189

The action fast-forwards one hundred years to 1984. George and Dot's great-grandson, also nameGeorge and also a struggling artist, is at a museum unveiling his latest work: a colour and light machcalled - "Chromolume #7", an artistic reflection on the painting from the first act A Sunday on La Grande

Jatte . Marie, the daughter of George and Dot, and grandmother to this George, helps with the presentatio At a reception various patrons and curators congratulate George on his work while George comments abthe difficulties of producing modern art - "Putting It Together". After the museum's patrons have left contemplates her legacy - "Children and Art".Weeks later, Marie has died and George has been invited by the French government to do a presentationthe Chromolume on the island where the painting was made. On the island George reads from a book hgot from his grandmother the same book Dot used to learn to read and ponders the similarities betweenhimself and his great-grandfather - "Lesson #8". A vision of Dot appears and she discusses 'her' book

George. Dot tells George to stop worrying about his critics - "Move On". George finds some words writthe back of the book the words Georges Seurat often muttered while he worked. As George reads themaloud the characters from the painting fill the stage and recreate their tableau "Sunday". As they leavethe stage resembles a blank canvas, George reads: "White: a blank page or canvas. His favourite so manypossibilities."

Seurats Artistic Style Georges Seurat was a 19th Century French impressionist painterand draftsman. In 1884, at twenty-five Georges Seurat, beganwork on A Sunday on La Grande Jatte , an idyllic park scene thatwould eventually become an icon of late 19th century painting.

White. A blank page or canvas. The challenge. Bring order to the whole through designcompositionbalancelightorderand harmony . Sunday in the Park with George

Seurat is credited with developing an impressionist style known asPointillism. Seurat created his art using small, distinct dots of

pure colour applied in patterns to form an image. The form wasalso variously calledDivisionism and Chromoluminarism andbecame the characteristic style in Neo-Impressionist painting,defined by the separation of colours into individual dots or patches that interacted optically. GeorSeurat founded the style by drawing from his understanding of scientific theories from the time.

Figure 2: Georges Seurat


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Seurat took to heart the colour theorists' notion of a scientific approach to painting. He believed thapainter could use colour to create harmony and emotion in art in the same way that a musiciauses counterpoint and variation to create harmony in music. He theorized that the scientific applicatiocolour was like any other natural law, and he was driven to prove this conjecture. He thought that knowledge of perception and optical laws could be used to create a new language of art based on its owset of heuristics and he set out to show this language using lines, colour intensity and colour schema. Secalled this language Chromoluminarism.

In a letter to Maurice Beaubourg in 1890he wrote: Art is Harmony. Harmony is the

analogy of the contrary and of similar elements of tone, of colour and of line, considered according to their

dominance and under the influence of light, in gay, calm or sad combinations.

Seurat's theories can be summarized asfollows: The emotion of gaiety can beachieved by the domination of luminoushues, by the predominance of warmcolours, and by the use of lines directedupward. Calm is achieved through anequivalence/balance of the use of the lightand the dark, by the balance of warm and

cold colours, and by lines that arehorizontal. Sadness is achieved by using dark and cold colours and by lines pointing downward . Source: Georges Seurat. 2 View online In divisionism colour theory, artists interpreted the scientific literature through making light operate in othe following contexts

Local colour: As the dominant element of the painting, local colour refers to the true colour ofsubjects, e.g. green grass or blue sky.

Direct sunlight: As appropriate, yellow-orange colours representing the suns action would beinterspersed with the natural colours to emulate the effect of direct sunlight.

Shadow: If lighting is only indirect, various other colours, such as blues, reds and purples, can beused to simulate the darkness and shadows.

Reflected light: An object which is adjacent to another in a painting could cast reflected colours ontoit.

Contrast: To take advantage of Chevreuls theory of simultan eous contrast, contrasting colours mightbe placed in close proximity.Source: Divisionism3. View online

2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Seurat3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divisionism

Consider carefully how Seurats artistic style is reflected in the musical Consider how the staging and themes of the performance relate to Seurats work on the science ofpointillism

Figure 3: Georges Seurat, French, 1859-1891, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte --1884, 1884 86, Oil on canvas, 81 3/4 x 121 1/4 in. (207.5 x 308.1 cm), HelenBirch Bartlett Memorial Collection, 1926.224, The Art Institute of Chicago.Photography The Art Institute of Chicago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Seurathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Seurathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Seurathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divisionismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divisionismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divisionismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divisionismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Seurat


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Inside Sunday in the Park with George The following extracts are drawn from a very comprehensive essay on the musicalGeorge by Scott Miller.

The full essay can be found at online here. Sunday in the Park with George sits precariously on the edge between traditional plot-driven musicals andthe concept musicals developed mostly by Stephen Sondheim and director Hal Prince. Like conmusicals,Sunday explores an idea more than telling a story, and yet it does still tell a story. The differencethat the exposition and conflicts are established in the 1880s but the resolution comes a hundred years lato a protagonist who is a different man and yet the same

Sunday in the Park with George doeson stage what Seurat's painting doeson canvas - catch people in the midst

of living their lives, but in a formal, un-naturalistic style. The musical just sitsback and watches people come andgo, being lazy or combative, happy orotherwise, and because we only getsnippets of most of these characters'lives, we don't get resolution to theirmany problems. Like the hundreds ofpeople we each encounter every daywithout reallyknowing them, most ofthe characters in the show just passthrough this park, but in this case theyare frozen there for all time, caughtnot all at one moment but at manymoments at once

One of the interesting things about the show is the fact that the two acts are set a hundred years apart ayet are intimately related. One of the devices to help the two acts connect is the use of the same groupactors in both acts, all playing different though sometimes parallel roles. The actor playing Seurat also pthe modern George. The actor playing Dot also plays her daughter Marie, who is the modern Georggrandmother. The actor playing Seurat's mother later plays an art critic and friend of the modern Geo(anyone looking for a connection between being a mother and being a critic hasn't had a mother).

Jules, the more conventional, commercially successful painter and colleague of Seurat later becomes director of the modern day museum, in both cases walking the tightrope between making art and makinliving (as evidenced by the museum director's comic monologue about selling the air rights over the mufor condominiums). The actor playing the sweet but bland Louis the baker in Act I becomes the bboyfriend of a rich arts patron in Act II. The crass, uncultured American couple in Act I becomes a crasrich arts patron and a museum publicist in Act II. Interestingly, some of the connections were different first workshop production of the show.

For instance, George's mother later became a rich arts patron and Jules' wife (who didnt really understandvery much about art) became the critic. It's also interesting to note that the character pairing from Broadway production was not recreated exactly in London

George literally is what he does. He does not exist outside his work. It defines him. He sees everything art, as colour and light. In the song Colour and Light, he says to the figures in his painting: It's gettinghot... it's getting orange... Heat immediately transfers for him into colour, into the language of his art.

Figure 4: Landscape with dog: study for 'La Grande 1884 Jatte' , 1884, Georges Seurat
http://www.newlinetheatre.com/sundaychapter.htmlhttp://www.newlinetheatre.com/sundaychapter.htmlhttp://www.newlinetheatre.com/sundaychapter.htmlhttp://www.newlinetheatre.com/sundaychapter.html


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He says I am not hiding behind my canvas. I am living in it. How could he have a real life, too? And wehave to remember the time in which Seurat lived and worked. Science and technology were moving ahby leaps and bounds. Wagner was transforming music theatre

Sondheim and Lapine play a lot with the theme of art vs. commerce. George represents art; Jules represcommerce. The musical motif for Finishing the Hat represents the creation of art in Act I; the same motifrepresents the creation of funding in Putting It Together in Act II. In fact, the entire song, Putting ItTogether is about the friction between art and commerce. During that sequence, Charles Redman, amuseum director, mentions a commission to George and then says, Hope you don' t mind me bringing upbusiness at a social occasion. Of course, it's not a social occasion; it's a business occasion. Is Redmanreally not conscious of that? Is he just pretending not to know that? He's only there to scout George, certainly George can't make another chromolume without another commission. In the original Broadproduction, the use of cut-outs made an interesting comment. In Act I, the cut-outs are used to create theas elements in the painting (trees, the monkey, other people), but in Act II, the cut-outs are used to hGeorge raise money.Source: Inside Sunday in the Park with George. 4

Cultural and GeographicalThe le de la Jatte (formerly called the le de laGrande Jatte, which meansBig Bowl Island) is a largeisland in the middle of the Seine River in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Contemporary views of Ile de Le Grand Jatte

4 Excerpt (expanded and revised) from Deconstructing Harold Hill: An Ins iders Guide to Musical Theatre by Scott Miller (Heinemann Publishing,1999).

How do the excerpts above provide an insight into the world of the musical?What do you learn about the characters?What do you learn about the theatrical styles?What do you learn about the intended meaning of the story and the production?
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Paris in the 1880s the construction of the Eiffel Tower, Street life

Sunday in the Park with George is a theatrical reconstruction/fantasy of the work of Georges Seurat, themusicals story is based on the creation of Seurats pointillist painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (18841885) a mammoth work which took the experimental French painter two years to complete. Since musical loosely represents the problems Seurat encountered while painting the piece, the original scdesign recreates that process on stage. The first act is set on the Island of La Grande Jatte, where Seusketches his model/lover Dot and a variety of eccentric park regulars. The park setting alternates with scin Seurats studio, in which the actual painting is displayed in various stages of completion. Paris in the1880s was known as the Belle Epoque or Edwardian era.Source: Counterculture Timeline: The ProgressivePeriod (La Belle Epoque / Edwardian Age) 1880 to 1913 5. View the timeline online.

The second act, while beginning with Seurats painting and death in 1891, is predominantly set in Chicagoand Paris in the 1980s. In the 1980s Chicago was known as a fairly alternative art scene. Seurats grandson,also called George, is a modern-day conceptual artist, used multimedia and laser technology to display own kinetic artwork. His artistic vision faltering, he returns to the Island of La Grande Jatte,impressionistic setting (which inspired his grandfathers art) now obscured by cubist architecture. In afantasy/dream sequence, Georges Seurats original setting is recreated, and the painting is once againrestored.Source: Kinectic Art6. View online . Playwright and director, James Lapine, said of the workThe

script, and Stephen Sondheims music too, are about obsession.

Other online resources Sunday in the Park with George lyrics Article written in 2000 in the New York Times on Sondheims 70 th birthday Watch the original Broadway production

Highlights from 5th

Avenue 2006 Production Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity

5 http://www.well.com/~mareev/TIMELINE/1880-1913.html 6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_art

Figure 5: Pierre Petit, Eiffel Towerunder construction, 1888 Figure 6: Jean Braud, Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877
http://www.well.com/~mareev/TIMELINE/1880-1913.htmlhttp://www.well.com/~mareev/TIMELINE/1880-1913.htmlhttp://www.well.com/~mareev/TIMELINE/1880-1913.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_arthttp://www.stlyrics.com/s/sundayintheparkwithgeorge.htmhttp://www.stlyrics.com/s/sundayintheparkwithgeorge.htmhttp://www.stlyrics.com/s/sundayintheparkwithgeorge.htmhttp://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000312mag-sondheim.htmlhttp://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000312mag-sondheim.htmlhttp://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000312mag-sondheim.htmlhttp://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000312mag-sondheim.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-bjPPmg8a4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-bjPPmg8a4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raQgy2dDCYwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raQgy2dDCYwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raQgy2dDCYwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raQgy2dDCYwhttp://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/impressionism-fashion-and-modernity-1860-to-1880-at-parishttp://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/impressionism-fashion-and-modernity-1860-to-1880-at-parishttp://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/impressionism-fashion-and-modernity-1860-to-1880-at-parishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raQgy2dDCYwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-bjPPmg8a4http://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000312mag-sondheim.htmlhttp://www.stlyrics.com/s/sundayintheparkwithgeorge.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_arthttp://www.well.com/~mareev/TIMELINE/1880-1913.html


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Stephen Sondheim Interview Although the piece is often criticised for falling into two disconnected halves, Sondheim says it was alwand James Lapines (script/book and director of original production) intention to look at the painting fromdifferent angles, since it was first inspired by an issue of a French magazine devoted to themes and variabased on the Mona Lisa. Linear plots rarely feature inSondheims work, instead time , as inSunday in thePark with George, is more often used as the unifying force. Naturally, while working on the piece, he andLapine travelled to the Art Institute of Chicago, where the painting hangs, and lost themselves in front ofSeurats mesmeric masterpiece.

We discussed the fact that nobody in the painting was looking at anybody else and we started to fantasise about that and the fact that it looks like a stage set. And then James said, The main character is missing, and I said, Who? and he said The artist. Oncethat was spoken it immediately became a play.

The first act is set in The Island ofLa Grande Jatte, but Sondheims music, he says, was more influenced byBenjamin Britten than any French composer, this in spite of the fact that Maurice Ravel is one of his heBoy, its hard to explain verbally but I was haunted by the vision of that man putting those dots in. When yougo up close to the painting what you find out is that they are not dots,theyre daubs. Im sure he paintedthem this way, he mimes dragging a brush down, and then changed colour. I say that he and Lapine couldhardly have called Seurats mythical mistress Daub instead of Dot and am ridiculously pleased whenSondheim laughs and saysThats funny. He goes on:

It seemed to me that the music should be sparkly, as opposed to Ravel, which I think of as swooning.

And he also wanted to suggest Seurats rhythm? Yeah, really. That rhythmic verve, if I may be pretentiousabout it, is very much part of early twentieth century British music.

Sondheims more of an art enthusiast than a connoisseur. I dont have a good visual sense. Afteryouve gone, I wont remember what you were wearing, but I will remember what you soundedlike. Instead of paintings, he collects board games hes also fam ous for his ability to docrosswords, something he shares with several Sondheim enthusiasts and there are many examplesin the room in which we are sitting. Wistfully, he says he doesnt play anymore. Everyone I used toplay with has either given up oris dead.A musical about art leads to a discussion about the art ofwriting musicals. Sondheim is not keen on those that are sung all the way through because he lothe contrast between dialogue and song. But then how do you negotiate the moment when twpeople who are talking suddenly start singing? Theres the old clich, he explains that thecharacter bursts into song when the emotion becomes too great for dialogue. Thats nonsense. Youcan see why people would say that after the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution when the sobecame part of the story as opposed to just entertainments in between comedy scenes. But for its more fun to find an unexpected moment for a character to sing when you dont expect them to. Ialways feel a slight chill when I can hear the orchestra under the dialogue, when people are starto have a love scene and you think: Uh oh! Here comes the love song. So its nice if itsunexpected. Source: Stephen Sondheim Interview 7. Read the full article online.

7 Stephen Sondheim: Interview. TimeOut London: Jane Edwardes, Tuesday 9 May 2006
http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/stephen-sondheim-interviewhttp://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/stephen-sondheim-interviewhttp://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/stephen-sondheim-interviewhttp://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/stephen-sondheim-interview


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Stuart Maunder writes about the Victorian Opera production

What drew you to this particular piece of musical theatre? What does it offer you as a director?Sunday in the Park with George withbook by James Lapine is amasterpiece. This quirky, Pulitzer Prizewinning, impossible to define work isat its essence, an examination of whatmakes artists tick, how and why theymust create. As an artist I find thatfascinatingwe love talking aboutourselves!

What is unique about Sunday inthe Park with George as a piece of

musical theatre? What does it offer a 21st century audience? Sondheim and Lapine have created a work that asks audiences to look at the Broadway musical in a nway. Sondheim delights in breaking the rules. When one reads the libretto ofSunday in the Park with Georgeit is often difficult to see where the songs finish and the words take over. This is not a conventional musithe Rodgers and Hammerstein sense. From the first moments we are in the hands of the painter, we mtake him for our guide. Trees disappear at his will, dogs talk, scenes merge. ately all these ideas, issuconflicts remain unresolved, all pale into insignificance, all exist just provide inspiration for the creatione of the greatest Neo-impressionist paintings of all time: Seurats ma sterpiece A Sunday on La Grand

Jatte . All that counts is the work.

Sondheim brings the same intense, systematic intellectual precision to the composition of his wordsmusic that the Seurat brought to his paintings. Studied up close, both the paintings and the musical revthe precision and meticulous attention to detail, the technique of the artist.

Viewed from a distance, or experienced as a

whole in the theatre what is revealed is a perfectand complete vision; satisfying and edifying.Sunday shows us that ordered passion of thecreative artist can be just as fulfilling astraditional romantic passion. In addition Sundaydelights in arguing that one must move on, pastrecreation of the familiar, the safe.

Have you directed other Sondheim workbefore? What are the challenges and

opportunities that his productions offer?

Yes. I have directed A Little Night Music,Company , and Sweeney Todd . Sondheimscanon offer among the most intelligent, rich,profound and of course ultimately entertaining

works in the Music Theatre repertoire. Sondheim is never content to provide just entertainment.

Figure 7: Christina O'Neill (Dot) Martin Philbey

Figure 8: Victorian Opera Sunday in the Park with George. Illustrations Anna Cordingley


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Never do you leave a Sondheim show without it throwing up questions, interrogating your often long views. His subject matter is vast, his insights always profound.

Without giving away too many secrets, what is your overall vision for the piece?Thats a huge question, and one that should be evident to an audience member when they see the show.The Seurat painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte impacts strongly on my vision. However, I never prescribewhat the audience should see. Too many times I have been called to task for NOT doing what I said IwouldAlan Jay Lerner spoke of the dire ctor Moss Hart:

His objective as director was to produce what the author has written tastefully,theatrically and truthfully. He did not intrude, he guided.

Thats what I will be doing. Act 1 of the musical is set in Paris. Seurats version of the Eiffel Tower and thecostumes showcased in A Sunday on La Grande Jatte are in evidence. Act 2 is set in the modern day inChicagobut it could be any art gallery, anywhere. Peopled with beautiful A -list people. The audience canmake the leap.

Would you agree that there is a sense of magical realism or fantasy in this production?It will be theatrically magical and we will see the entire show through Georges eyesanything is possible.Everything is real to George, and therefore is real to us as an audience as well.

Would you talk about the structure of the musical? Two Acts, 100 years apart? Although the relationship of George and Dot is at the heart of the piece this is not a conventional love stoWe have to wait four generations for the relationship built and destroyed in Act 1 to find some sort ofresolution. Rather what we have is a love affair with art; with the act of creation of art. We experience invery real way the bliss of the creator, the intense concentration, the sheer hard work, the craft, the passiothe desire to make things that count, things that will benew. And then the realisation thatAnything you do, let it come from you. Then it will benew.

How do the music and songs contribute to structure and narrative arc? How do they contribute to thetone and mood, the drama and the comedy?The synthesis of words and music is at the heart of allmusic theatre. They create the arc. Music theatre, alongwith opera (Richard Bonynge, opera conductor andhusband of the great Dame Joan Sutherland has said,Operas are just old musicals) is the syn thesis of so manydisciplines: drama, music, dance. We will always havemusic, we will always have theatre as it is how we expressourselveswe love to be in a darkened theatre in arelationship with performers. That thrill has been withmankind since ancient times. Musicals wear their hearts ontheir sleeves exploring big emotions, big themes,accessible music.


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American musical theatre composer Richard Rodgers has said:The greatest gratification allowed anyone, isto be able to gather a large group of people under one roof, and through words and music, impel them tofeel something deeply and strongly within themselves....People have an emotional need for melody....butwhat would I know... Im only a commercial theatre kid, I dont write for posterity.

Does the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne offer particular challenges or opportunities as a space?Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne is a state-of-the-art theatre, giving great opportunities for technpossibilities. It is also the perfect size for this intimate piece, allowing immediate connection betweenand audience.

Would you talk about the characters of George and Dot in Act 1? What type of characters arethey?This is far too early for me to prescribe the essence of these characters. That is the work to be done worwith the actors playing the roles in the five week rehearsal period. The list the qualities of each charashould be evident to anybody reading the piece. The joy of coming to the show is that each audienmember will have a different view of these complex, very human characters. I am not going to force a vi

What are the challenges of directing performers to act, speak dialogue and sing? Assuming the actors have ability in all these disciplines there is no difference in directing in the difdisciplines. The challenges are when the performers are asked to perform in a genre in which they havetraining or ability. My cast, however, are adept in every discipline. The ultimate aim is to tell a story, whthrough spoken word, sung word or presence.

What are the challenges of directing performers who play double or multiple roles? How do you find contrast? Is it in the music? Songs? How does stagecraft contribute?The stagecraft of the actor is at the heart of actors playing multiple roles. One task is showcasing versatility of the actor. Your job as a director is to guide/question/suggest, to help the actor to find the bway - a way that might be not the most obvious - to play a character. This will be influenced by their ctraining, instincts, and relationships with other characters within the production. Multiple roles obvimake more demands, and I would suggest more delights for the actor and the audience.

In Act 1 inSunday in the Park with George, many of the figures in the Seurat painting come to life.Some are characters who really existed in Georges Seurats life and others are imagined,representing the cross section of people who frequented the park on their Sunday off. Below is asuggested guide to how the musicals characters relate to the figures in the painting. Note that Louisis not in the painting, nor is the American couple, Mr and Mrs, who have comic cameo roles.


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In Act 1 inSunday in the Park with George, many of the figures in the Seurat painting come to life.Some are characters who really existed in Georges Seurats life and others are imagined,

representing the cross section of people who frequented the park on their Sunday off. Below suggested guide to how the musicals characters relate to the figures in the painting. Note that Louisis not in the painting, nor is the American couple, Mr and Mrs, who have comic cameo roles. Sof the characters who come to life only exist in the world of the painting, at the park. Others alsoexist in Georges real world Dot, Jules, Yvonne and his mother, the Old Lady.

Figure 9: Georges Seurat, French, 1859-1891, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -- 1884, 1884 86, Oil on canvas, 81 3/4 x 121 1/4 in. (207.5 x308.1 cm), Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection, 1926.224, The Art Institute of Chicago. Photography The Art Institute of Chicago.

Boatman(lying down)

Franz & Frieda(behind the Boatman)

Celeste 1 & Celeste 2(sitting down behind dog)

Dot & Jules

Old Lady & Nurse(behind Franz & Frieda)

Soldier & Friend(behind Louise & Yvonne)

Louise & Yvonne(lying down behindman standing behindOld Lad & Nurse

Louis & Baby Marie(standing next to tree)


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Outcome 3 Performance Analysis

The following dot points outline the Key Skills you need to consider when responding toSunday inthe Park with George and completing Outcome 3 Analyse the characters in the production including status, motivation and characteristics Analyse and evaluate interpretation by actor/s of a playscript in performance including the

acting skills used to realise character, and the use of focus and acting space Analyse use of verbal and non-verbal language to convey the intended meaning of the play Analyse application of stagecraft Analyse and evaluate establishment and maintenance of actor-audience relationship Analyse the way actors work within theatrical styles utilized in the production Discuss the intended meaning of the play/musical and how this was conveyed in the

performanceTheatrical Styles and the World of the Play

It will be theatrically magical and we will see the entire show through Georges eyesanything is possible. Everything is real to George, and therefore is real to us an audience as well. Stuart Maunder, Director

Consider this statement by the director. This is a musical about an artist creating a great artwork. Furthera musical that spans 100 years.

Linear plots rarely feature in Sondheims work, instead time, as in Sunday in the Park with

George is more often used as the unifying force. Notes on Sunday in the Park with George

What is a linear plot?Does the show have a linear plot? For instance it begins in 1884 and ends in 1984? Does thismake it linear?If the world of the play is defined by TIME. Consider how time impacts on the storyHow does the one hundred year time difference link the two acts in the play?Do we witness real time? Do we flashback? Is time disjointed?What aspects of the following contribute to establishing time accent, costume, music, set,props, content, themes?

What is magical about the world of the play? What theatrical elements make it so?What is real in the play? Which characters anchor it in reality?Would you agree that musicals are by their very nature heightened and stylized?What is heightened and stylized aboutSunday in the Park with George ?


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The historical contexts in Sunday in the Park with George are Paris, 1884, then Chicago, US 1984. Theseare the overarching worlds of the play.

The world of the play could be described as one that includes a sense of magic realism or fantasy.

The key theatrical style apparent inSunday in the Park with George is musical theatre. The director of thisproduction, Stuart Maunder says t he ultimate aim of the musical is to tell a story, whether through spokenword, sung word or presence. Musical theatre is a form of theatre that combines songs, spoken dialogue,acting, and dance. The story and emotional content of the piece humour, pathos, love, anger arecommunicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as integrated whole.

Musical Theatre asks an audience to accept the notion that songs contribute to the story and the charactersjourneys.

A key feature of the musical is the presentational nature that it demands. In presentational acting theperformers acknowledge the audience by speaking or singing to them.

How is this apparent in the production? What do you observe about the performers? Consider how the following characters contribute to the presentational style George (in both acts), Dot,Mr and Mrs

Traditionally a presentational style eliminates the 4 th wall, or the pretence that the audience is looking inon the real world of the characters.

How is each specific era created and portrayed? Consider how set, costume, make-up andlighting assist with the construction of each eraHow do the characters in each timeframe contribute to establishing the era? Consider accent,physical relationshipHow are the contexts recreated through the use of accent, costume and set?

Do you agree? How is this established?In Act 1, how many of the characters exist in Georges head? What is real to George? What isfantasy? Comment on the appearance of Dot in the park in Act 2. Is this a moment of magical realism?

Discuss how the songs contribute to the narrative ofSunday in the Park with George Choose two songs from the musical and analyse and evaluate the narrative/story. Whose storydo they tell? What do they reveal? What comment do they make?Discuss how humour, pathos, love and anger are communicated in the production. How doesthe music contribute to the evocation of these?


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The world of the play in Act II, is 1984, Chicago, an art gallery

Actor/audience relationshipsInSunday in the Park with George the actor/audience relationship is established, maintained and then re-established on a number of occasions. It changes throughout the performance, within the theatrical stylemusical theatre, for the purposes of establishing the worlds of the characters

How is this apparent in the production?For instance how do the use of accent, costume, music and other stagecraft help create this era?

Does the designdepict a proscenium arch? Do the characters remain within the arch or do they sometimes emerge from it? Who? Why?How would you describe the actor/audience relationship that a proscenium archtheatre/design establishes?

In both Act I and Act II characters directly address the audienceDiscuss how the artist, George, uses direct address when he is painting A Sunday on LaGrande Jatte Consider how this works when he painted the dogConsider how direct address or the presentational style of the show worksin Finishing theHat Discuss Is George speaking directly to us? Are these moments more like soliloquies?

The opening scene in the Chicago gallery is quite particularDiscuss how Marie and Georges direct address enrol the audience. Who do we become?

When George enters the gallery after his Chromolume presentation doesnt work, the productionbecomes very stylized.

As George sings Putting it together who does he sing to? What happens to the othercharacters while he is singing?How is the actor/audience relationships affected? What impact does it have?Comment on the use of cut outs in this scene. How do they function and how do theyenhance the stylized nature of the scene?

Consider the scenes in Georges studio in Act 1.How do they contrast with the park scene?Is there a fourth wall apparent in these scenes?How does the actor/audience relationship shift in these scenes?

In the production, how does the use of Freeze and Stillness Use of freeze contribute to theestablishment, maintenance and/or changing actor-audience relationship?


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Characterisation acting and expressive skillsThe concept of character in this musical is complex. Firstly in Act 1 several characters are imagined peoobserved by the artist, who simply come to life within the time George is painting them.

The Soldier, Franz, Frieda, Nurse, Louise, Mr, Mrs, Celeste 1, Woman with a baby carriage, Man with aBicycle and Boatman are all characters in Seurats painting and sample the late 19 th century day off thatFrench citizens may have experienced. Such characters are imagined by Georges Seurat and they come tolife in the musical through the gradual creation of Seurats painting. This is Sondheims intention. Secondly,there are the characters such as Dot, Jules, Yvonne and the Old Lady (mother) who have a basis in historreality. Thirdly, there is the doubling by the performers. The director, Stuart Maunder says:

Multiple roles obviously make more demands, and I would suggest more delights for the actor and the audience. Stuart Maunder, Director

Select TWO of the imagined characters in the paintingWould you describe them as caricatures? Would you describe them as types? Discuss the use of expressive skills used by the performers to create the two imaginedcharacters voice, gesture, accent, focus, movement, stillness and silence.

Are there class differences between these characters . E.G. Working class and middle classcharacters?Is this evident in the use of voice, accent, timing, pitch etc.?How did the use of expressive skills contribute to the PERFORMANCE STYLES within theshow?

What function do the American couple, Mr and Mrs, have in the production?Discuss the performers use of accent, gesture, foc us, movement to create these two rolesHow do these characters contrast with other characters?Would you describe these characters as heightened, presentational, stylized? Why?

Now consider the two main characters, George the French painter and George the descendent ofMarie

How does the performer, Alexander Lewis, create EACH George?

Begin with French George What is specific about the performers use of accent, voice, focus,gesture, movement, stillness?Which characters does he interact with most? Why? Do these characters impact on George?Now the American George What is specific about the performers use of expressive skills tocreate this George?Evaluate the similarities and differences between the two Georges? Performance wise?Thematically? Narratively?


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George literally is what he does. He does not exist outside his work. It defines him. He sees everything as his art, as colour and light . Scott Miller , author Deconstructing Harold Hill: An Insider s Guide to Musical Theatre

Discuss and analyse this comment based on your experience of the production.How would you describe the characteristics of each George?What qualities does each possess?Do you agree with the comment above?Discuss this comment in relation to the song Colour and Light

In Act 1, Song 5 -The Day Off, George is painting the dog. The challenge for the actorportraying Georges is to take on characteristics of the dog he is painting.

How do the lyrics and music allow the performer to create this moment?

Characters may introduce themselves directly to the audience through I am songs. I am songscan also allow characters to express feely how they are feeling at that moment The genre ofmusical theatre

Consider the songs: Gossip from Act 1 and Putting it together in Act 2.Discuss how these two songs or moments within them, introduced particular characters tothe audienceNow discuss how Colour and Light works to explore the relationship between Georgeand Dot, and how they feel about each other

The performer playing the dual roles of Dot and the grown up Marie is Christina ONeil. How would you describe the characteristics and qualities of each of these characters?Discuss in detail how the performer used expressive skills voice, facial expression,gesture, movement, stillness, focus to create each of these rolesEvaluate the contrasts between the two roles, discuss any similarities.How does music and song assist in defining Dot? E.G.Colour & Light and Everybodyloves Louis How does Children and Art help to define Marie?

DOUBLING Choose two of the minor characters in Act 1 and discuss how the performers usedtheir expressive skills to create their second role in Act 2.How did they manipulate their voice, facial expression, accent, gesture, movement etc. inorder to create a convincing new role?How did costume, hair and make-up contribute to the effectiveness of this?


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Characterisation status As you are journeying through the discussion, analysis and evaluation of the production, now consider hstatus between characters was evident in the show. How is status made evident in theatre? How do yourecognise high status, what is low status, when does status shift? What are the stakes for characters in themoments?

Characterisation motivationExplore the motivations of each of the following characters. Remember to use the elements of the producto support your response. What motivates George to paint? Is he obsessive? Why does George let Dot go? What motivates Dot to a) to love George and c) to leave him and go to America? What motivates Marie to give George her mothers writing book? What motivates the various art critics in Act 2? Why are they there? What is at stake for them?

A good example would be to examine the status between George and Dot in Act 1. Consider thefollowing moments:

When George is painting Dot in the opening song. What is the status play here? Who ishigher, who is lower? How is tension created?When George and Dot are in the studio, Dot preparing to go to The Follies. What is thestatus play here? What are the stakes?When Dot tells George she is leaving and going to America We do not Belong Together.What is the status at play in this song? What are the stakes? How is tension created?Consider spatial relationship, physical proximity, focus, tone, interaction etc.

Another example worth exploring is the status between George and his artist friend, Jules, in Act 1.Consider the scene in the studio when Jules comes to see Georges work How would you describe the status between the two friends/colleagues? Does it change?When? Why?

A fun way to examine status is by considering the two shop girls, Celeste 1 and Celeste 2 who are incompetition over the Soldier and his friend (which is a cut out).

Discuss the status play between these two characters and how it is generated throughexpressive skills, the music, the use of space

Consider the scene in the park between Franz and his wife Frieda as they picnic. It is quite comicand slightly exaggerated.

What is their status? Do they like each other? No, how is this made obvious?

In Act 2, consider the status play between Marie and George as they argue over the story ofGeorges Seurat and what the truth is.

How is space used? How is voice used? How is tension created?


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Characterisation use of acting spaceThe two acts of Sunday in the Park with George take place in two very different locations, 19th century Parisand 20th Century Chicago. Within these two broad locations there are more specific places.

Application of StagecraftIn this section, you are asked to consider the contribution stagecraft makes to the world, the story and thecharacters inSunday in the Park with George

Music - Sondheim brings the same intense, systematic intellectual precision to the composition of his words and music that the Seurat brought to his paintings .

Stuart Maunder, Director Discuss how the music created to world of the Park in 1884 Discuss how the music created Chicago in 1984 Were there particular songs? Vamps? Chords? Discuss StuartMaunders comment with regard to intense, systematic intellectual precision How would you apply it to your own experience of the production? How does the music contribute thematically?

Sondheim delights in breaking the rules. When one reads the libretto of Sunday it is often difficult to see where the songs finish and the words ta ke over. Stuart Maunder, Director

Do you agree with this comment?

Consider the creation of the Park in Act 1How does it create a very particular playing space? What are the limitations?What is the distinction between the park as a painting and Georges world? How do the performers use the park space to go about their lives? Consider levels,relationship to other characters, relationship to set items and pop-ups or cut-outs?

In Act 1, Georges studio includes Dots dressing tableHow does the design and use of the playing space create these two places?How does the existence of both places comment on the relationship between the characters?Does either character enter the others space? Why/Why not?

The modern art gallery in Act II is full of people and there are many entrances, exists andconversations

How do the performers use the modern art gallery space in Act 2?What are the limitations of the space? How does it contribute to the theatrical styles?

As an audience, how did you respond to this scene? How did you navigate the busyness?

Comment on the use of any cut-outs and pop-ups in this production.How do they contribute to the use of space? Character interaction?


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Application of Stagecraft (cont.)

SET - Act 1 of the musical is set in Paris. Seurats version of the Eiffel Tower and the costumes showcased in A Sunday on La Grande Jatte are in evidence. Act 2 is set in the modern day in Chicagobut it could be any art gallery, anywhere. Peopled w ith beautiful A- list people. S tuart Maunder, Director

The director made this comment early in the rehearsal period. Consider it now and comment on how each ofthese elements were present in the set design. For instance, Eiffel Tower, the island of Le Grand Jatte, modern day Chicago, an art gallery? How would you describe the aesthetic and style of the overall set? Stylized? Representational? Realis

Non-naturalistic?

Mechanics Consider how the mechanics of the set worked in the theatre to create the different locationsrequired. For instance:

How was the painting set up using any of flies, trucks, projection, pop -ups?How was the chromolume art work performance generated?How was Georges studio and Dots dressing table create d on stage?How was the dog that George paints created on stage?

How did the mechanics contribute to overall aesthetic of the production?Costume Costume is a very large part of the production. It is particularly important for creating era or period,class, fashion, and character.

Take TWO characters from Act 1 and their doubled role in Act 2 and carefully examine thecostumes they wore as each characterSketch each costume and annotate it for colour, silhouette, texture, period or era, class, andother references you feel assist in enhancing its contribution to creating CHARACTERWould you consider the costumes to be intimate or public? Meant to be seen or only worn inprivate?Consider in your discussion the inclusion of ACCESSORIES hats, gloves, bags, parasolsCHARACTERISATION discuss how the costumes enhanced the qualities of each character,enhanced or inhibited their movement, determined their class, did they look comfortable?COMPARE the fashions in the painting with those worn in the production how are theyreferenced?CONSIDER the comment that the gallery is peopled with beautiful A -listed people by thedirector. Do the costumes in this scene reflect this? Do they reference the 1980s?


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Application of Stagecraft (cont.)

Intended meaning of the production

Some of the ideas explored in Sunday in the Park with George include - science and colour,the artists role, art, love, o bsession, perfection, moving on. Sunday in the Park with George

shows us that ordered passion of the creative artist can be just as fulfilling as traditional romantic passion. In addition Sunday delights in arguing that one must move on, past recreation of the familiar, the safe . Stuart Maunder, Director

Discuss the first part of this comment in relation to your analysis of the show How does Georges story, across 100 years comment on artistic passion being as fulfilling as romantic

passion? Now consider the second part of this comment How does Georges story explore what it means to move beyond the familiar and the safe? How is this reflected in Dots story?

Critics and academics discuss the production as being one that exploresart and politics. Do you agree? Which scene or moments do you think explore these as opposing or complementary ideas?

There are only two worthwhile things you leave behind when you depart this earth children and art. Marie, Act II, Sunday in the Park with George

Consider this line from the production by the old Marie What do you think she means? How do both these worthwhile things relate to her character? How do they relate to George?

Makeup & Hair Again, this is a large part of the production, particularly because the performers are doubling character. As you are discussing costume in detail, consider how make-up and hair contributed to: Era/period, theoverall aesthetic, age, class, occupation, and to the creation of each CHARACTER.

Properties Among many properties, there are two significant props inSunday in the Park with George

Georges sketch book

Dots grammar book Discuss the significance of each of these props and how they contributed to the story and to thedevelopment of the charactersList other props you saw in the show and comment on their relevance to the characters whoused them E.G.Louises glasses, the Old Ladys pa rasol


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When George returns to Paris and to the Jardin la Gatte, he experiences a visitation by Dot. She sings tohim thesong Move On. What does George need to move on from?

How might this song capture an essential idea in the story?Discuss other ideas and meanings that you discovered in the production or that have occurred you as youhave been analysing and evaluating the production. Remember to use the LIVE PERFORMANCE as yotext and draw on specific examples from it to emphasise and support your arguments.

Monologue PerformancesHow will your exploration of key characters in this production relate to your own monologueperformance?What performance styles did you see being explored that could be useful?Which performers use of expressive skills were examples of excellence?What did you learn about the establishment of particular actor/audience relationships that could behelpful?How did costume and props assist in establishing a world or place or location?


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With thanks to Meg Upton for the research and preparation of this resource pack.

For enquiries about our 2013 Education Program contact:Melissa Harris, Education ManagerE: [email protected] P: 03 9012 6652

Victorian Opera Education Program is generously supported by the Victorian Opera Education Syndicat

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2013 Education Resources Sunday in the Park With George Theatre Studies Resource

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