DESIGNER'S TOOLBOX - SETUPS

[Stu]

Here's what I was given by the corps last summer.

Carolina Crown 2015 Show Document

Join Carolina Crown as we descend into our 2015 production, Inferno. This is an emotionally charged musical and visual story inspired by Dante Alighieri, Gustav Dore, and the composers of the source material, that brings the audience along on a climactic, expressive, and spiritual journey.

The show opens helplessly lost in vast dark woods. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, 1st Movement, provides the setting for an ominous discovery – as we come upon the Gates of Hell and our journey begins! The terror of Hell’s Gates and the overwhelming fear of passing through them is portrayed creatively and technically, with the movement ending as the Gates of Hell slam shut behind us in a musical climax.

Upon entering Hell, we feature an original percussion composition entitled “Gates Of Hell” - establishing the soundscape of our entrance and the beginnings of our journey through the nine rings of hell.

The journey through the multiple circles of Hell is delivered sonically by the pieces: The Gates of Hell, Dies Irae by Giuseppe Verdi, and Symphony for Organ and Orchestra by Aaron Copland.

This musical excursion is visually expressed through powerful choreography, purposeful staging, intense character portrayal, bold costuming, and recurring large-scale fabric effects as we travel deeper and deeper to our final encounter with Satan.

When entering the final ring of Hell, we find Satan trapped, condemned for his sins against God. The audience experiences a frightening yet intimate moment in this deepest layer of hell, meeting Satan. Adagio in G minor by Remo Giazotto brings viewers to this awful place for a one on one encounter with the Devil.

Finally – the 4th movement of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 establishes our triumphant escapefrom the devil and the deepest circle of Hell. This relentless musical composition and adventurous visual interpretation deliver performers and audience members to a joyous catharsis as we emerge together beneath a beautiful sky, just before dawn, on Easter morning.

The corps also sent out this:

Inferno (Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem, Divine Comedy. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine circles of suffering located within the Earth. Allegorically, the Divine Comedy represents the journey of the soul towards God, with the Inferno describing the recognition and rejection of sin.

The 2015 edition of Carolina Crown transforms their sonic and visual stage into a dramatic depiction of hell as the audience takes Dante and Virgil’s cathartic journey through the various rings of sins and sinners. Beginning at the Gates of Hell, braving the harsh environments, facing Satan in the 9^th ring, and ultimately escaping back to the surface of the earth, the performers deliver a thoughtful and emotional program rich with sinful imagery.

And realizing none of this might help clarify things here, these are the notes I took while interviewing corps director Jim Coates:

Past week working on detailing to get rid of redness on guard to turn white. A veil of white atop the guard, climbing pole to gates of paradise.

9^th circle when covered with red veil is face-to-face with Satan. People trying to get out of the red. A couple try to climb out and are dragged back in. Person slithers out, but pulled back in. When solo dancer runs over to the flugelhorn soloist and pulls veil off him is beginning of ascension. Hard to see through veil, light creates a sheen; hard to see drum major.

Show starts out lost in the woods. “Dies Irea” see nine concentric circles and again in Copland. Throughout show, whenever corps goes into free form of drill, express the characterizations of being in Hell.

Red represents the torn flesh of the sinners.

The main character leads us through the circles of Hell, climbs out of Hell at end. Climbing up the pull represents the ascension out of Hell.

Costume has nine red rings that start in lower leg and goes all the way up to the top of the hat. Last red on pants fades as it goes into ground. Feather reaching up to Heaven.

After reading this stuff which was sent to Boo, it is no wonder the outside world makes fun of us marching band geeks as taking ourselves way, way, way, too seriously!!!!!

[lindap]

I am an architect. I built this building. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKeENdyIluI

what do you mean

do you mean what

what mean you do

[Stu]

what do you mean

do you mean what

what mean you do

you mean... do what diddy, diddy dum, diddy do

[N.E. Brigand]

After reading this stuff which was sent to Boo, it is no wonder the outside world makes fun of us marching band geeks as taking ourselves way, way, way, too seriously!!!!!

Actually, I do agree with Channel3 insofar as, in my opinion, what Crown presents here demonstrates the kind of thought that ought to underlie any show. If anything, this description is perhaps a bit superficial (likely deliberately so, for public consumption), since for the most part, it simply confirms what anyone with a general knowledge of Dante's Inferno might take Crown's (wonderful) show to represent--in fact, it largely agrees with the interpretations put forth on this board.

Notice, however, that unlike C3, Crown in this show description got the number of Hell's circles correct (as per Dante's interpretation). And they did so again in the show itself, when the drill takes the form of nine circles at least three times.

[N.E. Brigand]

I am an architect. I built

.

Hundreds of people in the Philippines are shown fleeing in danger for their lives and immediately become homeless losing all their possessions due to the collapse of their building, and you use that as an attempt at humor. Um, not funny, but is right in line with your other postings.

Well, I thought it was funny, in that it showed C3 can have a sense of humor about himself.

[BRASSO]

it is no wonder the outside world makes fun of us marching band geeks as taking ourselves way, way, way, too seriously!!!!!

..... or the marching band geeks that take the Stanford Marching band geeks" way, way, way too seriously ". Basically.... who gives a flying fig what outsiders think anyway ? Many in the " outside world " are unfortunately mouth breathing morons.

Edited June 1, 2016 by BRASSO

[N.E. Brigand]

Basically . . . who gives a flying fig what outsiders think anyway? Many in the "outside world" are unfortunately mouth-breathing morons.

I care. DCI surely cares. Any organization that hopes to increase its sales, attendance, etc. will probably attempt to craft an image that appeals to a broader public than it currently serves.

Edited June 1, 2016 by N.E. Brigand

[BRASSO]

I care. DCI surely cares. Any organization that hopes to increase its sales, attendance, etc. will probably attempt to craft an image that appeals to a broader public than it currently serves.

I 've not viewed DCI as all that concerned about " an attempt to craft an image that appeals to a broader public ". Their pitch, rightly or wrongly, has been geared almost exclusively to the scholastic marching band community, and to the schools these MB's are afiliated with. The pitch to " the broader public at large " ? I 've not seen any such efforts. And if it were true, the efforts have been largely a failure in that respect, one would be compelled to agree it would seem to me.

[N.E. Brigand]

I've not viewed DCI as all that concerned about "an attempt to craft an image that appeals to a broader public". Their pitch, rightly or wrongly, has been geared almost exclusively to the scholastic marching band community, and to the schools these MB's are afiliated with. The pitch to "the broader public at large"? I've not seen any such efforts. And if it were true, the efforts have been largely a failure in that respect, one would be compelled to agree it would seem to me.

That CBS news item on BD's drummer two years ago was presumably the result of someone affiliated with DCI or BD pitching the story to CBS. (A local arts organization here had two such national TV features in the past year, and I know they got them thanks to hard work by a PR firm.) That story was meant to bring drum corps to the attention of a larger audience. So while DCI may not be succeeding as much as you like, they are apparently trying.

[Stu]

..... Basically.... who gives a flying fig what outsiders think anyway ? Many in the " outside world " are unfortunately mouth breathing morons.

Well... with the touring costs for a single corps to travel the entire nation combined with the design/instruction and instrumentation costs to be competitive are in reaching over the million dollar range per season, every corps should be concerned, very concerned, with filling the Lucas Oil Stadium up to 70,000 capacity with those so-called mouth breathing moron outsiders buying tickets and souvenirs!! So, I for one give more than a flying fig!!!