A Big Pink Door

La Vie en Rose translates to "life in pink" and is a reference to the phrase "looking through rose colored glasses".  This is great juxtaposition as the title is very lovely and romantic, opposite of course to the content of the play which is quite tragic.  This gave me some really creative ideas for the play.

As everyone could see the hotel door that we had in Rose was pink.  It wasn't quite the shade that I wanted, but the techies are in control of that sort of thing and it all worked out anyway.  I was hoping for a light red or a faint pink for the door and when I first saw that it had been painted with the very prominent hot pink I was very surprised.  I did love the door though, hot pink and all.  It gave the play a kind of surreal, symbolic quality while everything else, with the exception of the Bellhop's orange OSU marching band uniform, was set in the drab colors of the depression.

Speaking of depression, I was worried for my choice of the final moments of the play.  Again working with juxtaposition, I wondered how my choice of playing Lois Armstrong's version of La Vie en Rose while the Bellhop covers the dead Anne with a blanket.  I thought that the trumpet music, which in the right setting is happy and lively, in this case would be sad and melancholic with the final image of the play.  Ricky Zipp was very happy with the choice, having mentioned that he listened to the song as he wrote the play it seemed like the right choice.

 It's hard to see if your play has the affect you want it to when you direct a drama.  In a comedy you get laughs, but in a drama how can I know if they liked it?  Well, Ricky and me liked it and got some good comments from the audience, so that's good enough.  It was fun making the play happen and getting to work with Ricky.  Hope I get the chance again.