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From Christopher Kriz, Eclipsed Sound Designer

In playwright Danai Gurira’s production notes for Eclipsed, she writes “…the use of contemporary African music, hip hop and rap even, brings a texture that enhances the world as well as allowing male voices on the stage in ways that can be violent and jarring and a reminder of the world we do not see.”

This was one of the first things I read in preparing to design sound for Northlight’s production of Eclipsed. As there are no seen or heard male characters in the play, the notion that sound could provide an additional layer of subtext was immediately intriguing to me. As I began researching the music of Liberia, I was struck by how much American influence there is in their popular music. The Rap and Hip-hop artists, in particular, are so modeled after American music, that the only real difference is the performer’s dialect. We used a number of Liberian pieces to enhance the male presence in the play.

But we went a step further and decided to use radio broadcasts as a further device. There are a few broadcasts that are scripted by the playwright. We recorded those but then also added the broadcast readings of the missing that were so much a part of Liberian radio during this period. The use of these readings during scene transitions adds an even deeper layer of counterpoint to the play. As there were very few actual period recordings of this kind available, we recorded all of them ourselves.

Eclipsed is such an enlightening play; I was glad that sound could provide an important component.

from BJ Jones, Artistic Director

As I stood in the back of the theatre on opening night of Eclipsed, I was incredibly moved, as was our audience.  Of course the play and the crystalline performances of our brilliant ensemble cast were responsible for my misting over, but what really touched me was the fact that our audience, was now standing on their feet cheering.  They were fully engaged and invested in a play so completely outside their experience.

In the last year we have adjusted our mission statement and Eclipsed is a perfect embodiment of what the mission statement articulates. We strive to change perspective and encourage compassion, and in Eclipsed through playwright Danai Guirira and director Hallie Gordon’s finely honed work we have fully realized that goal.

I remember when Candy my wife and I went to visit our daughter Keely in Ghana, Africa’s first democracy, while Keely was working there for the NGO Women in Progress.  Africa was nothing like the portrayals of that vast continent in film and novels.  Third world does not cover the degree of poverty and daily struggle that we saw.  It was a jolt to our perspectives yet wonderful and mysterious and the people were loving and warm.  We loved every moment and would go back in a heartbeat.  However that is Ghana…not Liberia.  And just miles away from Cape Coast where we stayed, the Ivory Coast was overrun by refugees from the Liberian conflict that November in 2005.  I knew nothing of what horrors were occurring in Liberia, much less the fullness of the terror these people were undergoing.

The up close look at the lives of these women and the sexual intimidation and terror they suffer cannot be imagined, and what is extraordinary to me is how deeply our audience connects with them and how much they embrace their stories.  We strive to “bring our community to the world and the world to our community” and I believe we have succeeded with Eclipsed.

So on opening night, when subscribers and board members alike emerged from the theatre gripping their Kleenex, I could not have been more proud, and so deeply moved by the success of our risk at presenting this rare work to a North Shore audience.  I hope it does the same for you.

From Leslie Ann Sheppard, Eclipsed Cast Member (Bessie)

Oh, Bessie!

Several months ago, I was explaining a dream I had had to a friend: in the dream my teeth were falling out.  I was covering my mouth with my hands trying to spit out blood and swallow saliva without expelling or choking on the cracking enamel.  But the harder I tried, the faster my pearly whites disintegrated.  It was awful!   After I recounted the tale to my friend, she told me that she had heard that having your teeth fall out in a dream meant that you’re experiencing some kind of loss of control in your life.  Granted, neither of us is an expert at interpreting dreams, but I remember thinking, “Of all the ways my subconscious could have manifested my feelings of floundering, it picked teeth??”  Why not the classic I’m-late-for-the-most-important-meeting-of-my-life dream?  Or the I’m-standing-in-front-of-a-giant-audience-in-my-really-embarrassing-underwear dream?  Why teeth??  Like I said, neither of us had the answer to that.  Although bearing that in mind, I wasn’t surprised when I thought about the rapidly-becoming-toothless dream during rehearsals for Eclipsed. READ MORE

From Dan Katz, Properties Master

Most properties research for Eclipsed came from pictures that scenic designer Jack Magaw discovered, two of which are included here.  We started pulling ideas from these photos and, as a result of this inquiry, created, built and found a wood cabinet, many many plastic buckets, and the wood pile.

For the women in Eclipsed, many of their personal belongings and clothes come from outside relief efforts, which is why their belongings seem out of place or random in collection.   The actresses were given a lot of material at the beginning of the rehearsal process to work with, so they could choose what was right for their characters as they rehearsed.  Ideas for the looted items came from the script: the mention of a radio led to more electronics, hair extensions to other hair products, and a dress to more clothes and shoes.

Things may appear to be cluttered and disorganized, but it is just another day in the war-life for these women.  It is important to Director Hallie Gordon that the audience experience what life is like on the compound for these characters  and see their interactions with their surroundings.  Much of the women’s time is spent cleaning clothes and doing a lot of cooking.  These are no small tasks in the jungle, so we try to prepare or hide as much of the action as possible.

One of the foods mentioned in the script is cassava.  Cassava is a plant that is the third largest source of carbohydrates in the world, primarily found in Africa.  Its flour makes up tapioca, and cassava can be cooked in various ways.   Fufu is made from the starchy cassava root flour.  Research  showed that while fufu is a common snack in Liberia, garri, another product of cassava, is a much more common meal.   There are great videos showing how to make fufu from cassava online, and it is not as easy to do as it looks.   In the set, the “stove” on which the women cook was modeled from another image provided by the scene designer.

from Kristin Leahey, Resident Dramaturg

As a dramaturg,  as a literary manager, as an audience member  – the first question I ask of the performance event I am experiencing, or of the play that I am reading is, “Why this, why now?”  The reason I am entranced by theatre, perhaps the reason I wanted to make a profession out of it, is actually quite formulaic: I am drawn to work that pushes theatrical boundaries (e.g., in terms of complex narrative structure and multiple protagonists, in terms of revolutionary and multidisciplinary design elements, in terms of deft language and dexterous movement); PLUS it draws a deep connection to the audience so they feel they are simultaneously moved, entertained, educated, and startled; PLUS work with strong socio-political-ideological perspectives that in turn incite dialogue, that in turn may lead to a form of explicit or subversive positive social change.

Yes, I realize this is a complicated algorithm that rarely is completed, but I have proof that it is possible to solve. READ MORE