Our Production
David Baecker/ Director
When Howard Koch wrote THE WAR OF THE WORLDS for Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre, it was decidedly an experience for radio ears only. While the visual medium of film, though only relatively new, was popular, everyday audiences were still very trained to the aural experience. The challenge has been how to translate that experience to a large stage without losing the intimacy and psychological detail of the listening experience. By storytelling with the visual media that today's audiences are now attuned to (film, live video and projections) we hope to re-imagine Koch's radio play with moments that can be both small in detail and as epic as an Armageddon. Enjoy the show.
Rehearsal for War of the Worlds. Characters listen to the Radio Broadcast as their Image is projected on the screen above.
Video close-ups of the On-Stage Characters are woven into the narrative of the story.
Lynne Roblin/Costume Designer
The concept for the costumes has been evolving as discoveries and decisions are made in rehearsal. When the director, David Baecker, and I first met, the idea was to have the cast in a base costume that was contemporary. To this, they would add period (late 1930s) pieces that would define characters in the selected scenes that were to be filmed. The challenge here was to pick base costumes that would meld with the period pieces so that the additions wouldn’t distract from the action of the scenes. David was also interested in filming from different angles which would determine what kind of pieces would be most effective.
As rehearsals have progressed, the decision has been made to have a more cohesive look and give everyone base costumes from the period. We will still be adding pieces to create different characters for the scenes that will be filmed. Because the changes will take place in view of the audience the challenge becomes to pick one or two items that will immediately suggest a character, but can be put on easily so that the change doesn’t become distracting. There will also be scenes in silhouette, which will require some pieces with shapes that will make a strong statement even though the audience won’t be able to see surface detail. As is often the case, new discoveries will be made as David and the actors have a chance to run through the show, and we will continue to make adjustments to the costumes so that they help further the look and action of the production.