The world of the play is one of balance. The balance between free-will/freedom and control in society becomes a struggle throughout the play. There is also the balance of the duals in the play. The duals of humans and gods, men and women, the rational and irrational. It is this balance where the world of the play resides, and my choices will show these balances and duals as a director. My director’s concept will be “Balance and duality” to best show the world to the audience. The play takes place in 406 BCE in the city of Thebes. The overall mood of the play is very dark and tragic. The main of action of the play is when Pentheus’s mother, Agave, dismembers her own son, ending the tragic hero’s life. To capture the true theme, action, and characters in Bacchae, my concept will use all elements of design. The set will be in two places, the palace (Image 4) and the tomb/woods (Image 5). The lighting for the palace will be grand, bright and vibrant, similar how a palace would look during this time. Whenever there are scenes in the palace, the atmosphere will feel light and not much tension. This will show more of the control in society since the palace is a place of government.…show more content… This is similar to the type of stage that was used in ancient Greek theatre. It keeps with that balance of control and freedom. The actors are “free” to roam, but will always come back to the stage (control). It is also the best choice because it creates more of an intimacy with the audience. It will help immerse the audience more into the time period and make them feel like they are almost citizens of Thebes. In addition, it is more interactive since actors will be entering and exiting from areas in the audience. The presentation of the play feels more natural this way, as well. It also allows for less scenery, forcing the audience to use their imagination. The setting of this play does not need a lot of scenery
