IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES

 

MULTIMEDIA STAGE SET

In the Time of the Butterflies, Scene 11, 2017, Rachel Clarke, Playwright's Theater, CSUS


In November 2016 I was invited by Dr. Roberto Pomo from CSUS Department of Theater and Dance to create the multi-media set for a stage production of In the Time of the Butterflies at the Playwright’s Theater, CSUS. The play was written by New York playwright, Caridad Svich. It’s an adaptation of the novel by Julie Alvarez, which is based on the true story of the Mirabel Sisters, who were political activists during the regime of Raphael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic from 1930 – 1961. Trujillo was a oppressive dictator, and a sexual predator. Patria, Dede, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabel grew up in the dictatorship, gradually realized what was happening to their country, and fight to stop it. They helped establish the resistance movement – their codename was the butterflies (Las Mariposas) – and they were eventually murdered for their involvement in it. Following their death there was a public outcry, and a year later Trujillo was assassinated. The sisters are national heroines, and symbols of popular and feminist resistance. The United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November (the day they were murdered) the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

In the Time of the Butterflies, Scene 3, 2017, Rachel Clarke, Playwright's Theater, CSUS. Photo: Rik Keller

The play deals with a country sliding into a dictatorship and the devastating effects on its people. In this time of political instability in our own country, it feels timely. I was awarded a CSUS Exceptional Assigned Time Award, and collaborated with five undergraduate students in Studio Art at CSUS to create the computer-generated set. To enhance the magic realism of the play, the imagery employs nightmarish elements, dramatic lighting, and extreme scale-shifts. The animations were projection-mapped onto three walls of the theater, creating an immersive experience for the audience. The imagery reveals the psychological and emotional world of the characters, and amplifies the disintegrating situation in the country.

In the Time of the Butterflies, Scene 11, 2017, Rachel Clarke, Playwright's Theater, CSUS. Photo: Rik Keller

In the Time of the Butterflies, Scene 24, 2017, Rommel Tuazon, Playwright's Theater, CSUS

Rommel Tuazon was lead student animator for computer-generated animation (with Christina May and Stephanie Gin), while Ricardo Lopez and Michelle Lee created hand-drawn works. The playwright provided vivid descriptions for each scene, which we interpreted to formulate ideas for the overall look of the imagery, then the look of each individual scene.

In the Time of the Butterflies, Scene 1, 2017, Rommel Tuazon, Playwright's Theater, CSUS. Photo: Rik Keller

In the Time of the Butterflies, Scene 3, 2017, Ricardo Lopez and Michelle Lee, Playwright's Theater, CSUS. Photo: Rik Keller

In the Time of the Butterflies, Scene 5, 2017, Ricardo Lopez and Michelle Lee, Playwright's Theater, CSUS. Photo: Rik Keller

Presentation of In the Time of the Butterflies at the Crocker Art Museum for UCreate, fall 2017. Left to right: CSUS art students Rommel Tuazon, Ricardo Lopez and Michelle Lee (with Rachel Clarke, right). Photo: Rik Keller

In fall 2017 we gave a lecture at the Crocker Art Museum. Rommel, Michelle and Ricardo presented their work. They talked about the creative process, their methods, how they dealt with content, and the collaborative process.