From the Scenic Designer...

Here is a goldmine of research from our scenic designer, Andrew Hull. Most of the photographs are actual pictures from the FSA during the depression, around the Midwest. Also included are some more paintings from Thomas Hart Benton.

But, first, is a picture of the model of our gorgeous set...

Blues Dancin'

"It's not a museum piece, we want people to get caught up in watching it."
- Randy Reinholz

As we brought up the issue of period dancing, Randy and Bernie spoke a lot about mood. Though it's not drastically important that we master blues dancing in the party scene, I've found some videos that might help ease that transition.

Treat this first video as a breif tutorial in blues dancing. You'll find the most helpful moves, to comply with the sexiness of the scene in the play, are the fish tales and after.

Blues Dancing 101


and about a minute and a half into this next one, they start to dance... a great example of just feeling the music...
Bukka White

A Visit from Bernie Pearl

Today, we had a visit from old school blues expert Bernie Pearl! He met our cast and shared his knowledge of the delta blues. He and Phil Kruse, one of our cast members, had an awesome jam session. It was exciting to watch the cast close their eyes and get lost in the rhythm and blues. I'll update later with a clip from today's rehearsal and some of Bernie's recommendations.

Until then you can check out Bernie's website: www.berniepearl.com
I have his CD and it sounds awesome. Here's a brief portion of our jam session...





Several other period artists to check out are Muddy Waters, Lightin' Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb - and check out this website to hear a variety of blues tracks:
http://www.yearoftheblues.org/radio/index.asp

As we discussed the style of dancing and mood music, Bernie suggested we listen to...
Ray Charles's "What I'd Say"

Small Town Life

Since we adapted the setting for our production of Desire Under the Elms it was important to go back and discover exactly what a small town in Missouri might look like instead of the original 1850s New England setting. Though almost none of the following images are from Missouri, they accurately portray the "small town" feel that we want to impress.

Mississippi Oyster Company in 1912

Child working in South Carolina in 1912

South Carolina in 1912

Kentucky road in 1916 (I really love this image)

Louisiana family in 1912

Louisiana 1912

Mississippi 1912

Oklahoma 1910

1912

Store front

Massachusetts folk dancing in 1916

Iowa street in 1910

Arkansas 1910

Missouri 1910

Alabama 1912

Arkansas

Baltimore, Maryland 1909

1910

Out in the Fields

Farming was a huge part of life in America in the early 20th century and in the setting of our play. To express the relevance of farming, I've found some images to express its solitude and demanding labor.

Only Ozarks: Society, part II

I found a really great mini documentary on the Ozarks in the early 1900s. It is split up into two 9 minute videos, so if you have some time check it out.

The host interviews several Old Linn Creek residents and shares an assortment of fantastic images and footage. The video montage provides a great visual idea of town size, buildings, population, town activities, clothing, climate, social and town struggles. Although the dialogue can be a bit repetitive, it's hard to deny such a sweet, delightful narrator.

Ozark, part 1


Ozark, part 2

Cabot vs. Eben

The entire play is a constant struggle between what is soft and what is hard. In our adaptation, Ephraim Cabot represents the white man and Eben represents the inferior minority, exploiting superiority through race and class. According to the social hierarchy, Cabot's pure blood is more superior than any of Eben's mixed blood. Both squander for power and ownership, particularly of the land, in spite of their vastly different backgrounds.

The social conflict we've enhanced in the production is Eben's Native American heritage. I've collected some images that can give an idea of their contrasting backgrounds.

Eben's BackgroundA Few Relevant Native American Facts

• In Native American culture, it is common to communicate with the dead, except they are thought of as “present”
• Native American people were given allotments of land. At this point in history, Eben's parents or grandparents would have been awarded territory, almost like a reservation
• It was common for European husbands to marry women for land, so Eben sees the land and farm as his

Cabot's Background
This last image is of an Ozark marriage in 1916.

Let's Party

I got this message in an email from Patty Hite, our assistant director:
"Randy would like a picture of a painting from the 1960s era of an African-American party scene... like the painting they had on the show Good Times... Randy would like to show this as an example to the cast..."

This first picture is the desired one (hey-oh!), but I found and included these additional ones that can add to the mood, in spirit and music, of the party scene in the play.

Only Ozarks: Society

As beautiful as the Ozark landscape can be, the social reality is much harsher. A dirt floor was not uncommon in a typical Missouri home, and a bare cupboard was even more common. The following are several social situations very common in an Ozark setting: cooking, gatherings, transportation, construction, and a means of making a living.