Quinn Vuong

For my design proposal, I have placed the world of Machinal in an abstracted version of 2000-2010. My intention is to bring the play closer to the modern audience, whilst also referencing the similar economic situation during this period to when the play was penned. The characters exist visually inside a birdcage, stuck within its constraints. The barred walls are to constrict and expand de- pending on Helen’s perspective towards the world. The grid also forms boxes with which characters can interact, creating shifting physical barriers that change with each chapter.

As the emotional responses of the characters drive the plot forwards, my response emphasises these human elements – the unpredictability of emotions – above all else. I have examined the society of Machinal through a more sympathetic lens whilst not denying its bleakness. I began to explore this by bringing rhythm into the play, as though it were a musical. By sampling instruments and ‘found’ analogue sounds instead of digital sounds, the established rhythm is more timeless, with no reliance on machineries. It is the vocal performances that drives this sound response. The dialogue is to be delivered as sprechgesang, changing in speed and tone, overlapping in intensity as emotions rise.