Ruined...

I don’t think there is another way to do this and do it right, or at least I can’t think of one. It has to be real; I wouldn’t want it to come off as a mockery or some ridiculous tale. These are real women in a real story, and it deserves to be told as such.



I see the overall theme as survival. They have had to do things to stay alive and out of trouble; little things like constantly painting the furniture to seem cheerful, to big things like waking everyday to sleep with men in order to not have it taken by them forcefully.

I found a theatre that I thought was perfect. It only produces new plays, so they wouldn’t really do it, but I love the space. It’s called the Bloomington Playwrights Project in Bloomington, IN. That town just screams theatre doesn’t it?





I love it. Because it appears unfinished, a bit rough around the edges, and little like it is trying to survive as well. It needs some love and fixing up just like Mama’s. As far as set design it would be the same, everything looking a bit worn, but not horrible and disgusting, more like used, lived in, and loved (well as much as you can love your business).



Here is my mock set; it is just simple worn items that have been dressed up. The floor would have stains and scratches of anything and everything. A lot of African art that I have seen is very colorful, either crazy bright, or deep rich earth tones. I think for the bar area it would be more so the bright colors, the walls would be painted perhaps even multicolor. For the back room, (which I would fly in) it would be the more rich comforting tones.



I even think I could attach the beds to the fly so that nothing has to be brought on, just pulled down like Murphy beds. A couple of times the girls sit on them, so they would have to be a little sturdy but not out of the question. As far as out front I think it would be just kind of an empty space. I would paint the floor to look like gravel and have Fortune’s bench, but that’s about it. You would never see Christian’s car or Mr. Harari’s ride at the end, just a sound of a car pulling up and them running on stage. A white backdrop would hang in the back, sort of like the whole building is hiding out in the open. Everyone is keeping their head down, not choosing sides but right out in plain sight.

The exit to the backroom would go off stage; we all know what’s going on there, no need to see it.

Here are some pictures of sort of a before and after. Examples of run down things and then all the colors they would become.














Costumes would have the same effect as the set. Everything they wear is a bit worn, so maybe they make it fit a bit tighter or dress it up with likewise worn jewelry, all very colorful and traditional.



I wouldn’t know what else to do with the soldiers than put them in some sort of matching green or camo outfits. You just can’t make a magenta soldier uniform believable…



Lights would play a big role; I would need a few for the outside lighting, ones that come in more from the side. I purposely put a window on that side so we could get the ‘natural’ light more in the bar. The main bar area would be a bit brighter during the day and at night there would be specials to act as indoor lighting, but all still pretty dim since it is supposedly running off a generator. I would try to make it seem like there are no lights on during the day, just the outdoor light streaming in is being used. Then maybe when Kisembe is acting a little crazy you make it a bit brighter and add a bright violet and when Salima dies, add some red to make her blood and the scene more intense.

Love this technique!


There is sound throughout the whole play. Sometimes that may only be the constant hum of the generator at night or almost inaudible forest noises. Then we’d have to have special noises for the parrot, gunfire, cars arriving and leaving, and radio.

This play has such an intense subject matter, but it is dealt with in such a daily way you seem to almost forget it. I don’t want my production to come off dark and depressing, that was not Nottage’s goal. Her collaborator Kate Whoriskey wrote in the introduction, “Lynn spoke with a Rwandan about life after the genocide. He said to her, ‘We must fight to sustain the complexity.’ This phrase became a mantra for creating the piece. We did not want to focus solely on the damage but also the hope” (xii).

When Salima died, you know it affected everyone, I’m sure they were like some sort of family, or maybe that they all had to stick together to survive. Her death completely disrupts that, but what can they do, stand around and grieve? Shut down the business for a few days? No, they all have to carry on like nothing happened; they have to keep hiding in their busy establishment surrounded by gunfire. If Mama and the girls stop living their day to day, someone will surely notice. If Mama and the girls stop living their day to day lives, then THEY will notice and might not be able to reach the place where they are now, where hope and normalcy still survive.

Well I'm glad we ended on such a high note! :) You taught a fantastic class(minus the group projects...) Haha. :) Enjoy Chrismas in the 80's!!!! That is if you stick around Daytona here... If you go elsewhere please bring us back some snow!!!!

Merry Christmas!!






Works cited

Nottage, Lynn. Ruined. New York: Theatre Communications Group, Inc, 2009.

All images found through Google Images.