Elan Lee

Machinal, written by Sophie Treadwell in 1928 carries strong themes of entrapment, presented in a highly disrupted, expressionist language. The immediate response to Machinal was to explore the subtle machinery in our everyday, not only through physical man-made machinery, but the larger, abstract structures in our lives. I had hoped to explore the emotions and experiences of the main character, the Young Woman through my surroundings. A second reading, and a breakdown of the script lead me immediately to sketching how I imagined the scenery, not only imagining Treadwell’s vision from the 1920s but applying my own research of today’s mechanical aspects. I automatically leant on Treadwell’s expressionist style of writing, and the abstract, unrealistic nature of dialogue.

My design proposal was heavily fueled by Treadwell’s writing and themes in the play. I chose an abstracted, expressionist approach to the play that furthered the themes of entrapment and the machine seen in Machinal. The use of rising platforms was to diminish the Young Woman, as if the world, and the people around her (on the platforms) are towering over her. While the use of scaffolding opened an array of lighting possibilities, it created space for the set to breathe and resulting in a cage like structure that only enhanced the themes. As the play progresses, the platforms rise until there is little ground level space left, representing the Young Woman’s loss of control as the narrative progresses. However the set ends the same as it begins, as the cycle continues.