Inspiration from the Stage

This past Friday, I had the privilege of traveling to Chicago with Notre Dame's Multicultural Programs and Services to watch a production of Hamilton. People rave about this show for many reasons, but some particularly striking elements for me were the representation of time throughout the show, the carefully choreographed dance and theatrical group movement, and the use of lighting.

One moment in particular that stood out to me was when Hamilton sang the song Hurricane. Echoing the lyrics, the lighting on the stage was dark and turbulent, but he stood in a tiny golden spotlight at the center---the eye of the storm. Watching this, I had the thought, "They are visually projecting Hamilton's emotional state around him through the use of dramatic lighting." I noticed similar strategies in other scenes, and I found their impact stunning.

Where this insight is useful in regard to my project is that I am trying to work through how to depict thoughts and feelings outside of the body, going beyond the limitations of facial expression and body language.