Budget
I m planning to use second hand materials. Wood will be the main material I will use, and especially the small construction I will make, they will cost nothing.
For the biggest ones, the cost of their construction depends of the materials I will mind for free in the wood workshop.

Timetable
12 June – 28 June: Construction of the big parts of the set and some of the smaller ones
28 June – 19 July: Construction of the details
20 July – 30 August: Details

Samples of the buildings I will construct

PROJECT PROPOSAL
“The Birds”

Aims
My research is based on Kant’s theory through Aristophanes’ work. In his plays, I explore human imagination as a creator of another reality as the imagination is the mean used by the characters so as to change their conditions of life.
The autonomy of fantasy creates here a whole society among the sky and the earth, as a result the world of reality and the world of hypereality are distinct, yet in the same time they coexist.
As the choice of the space is characteristic and as the set design is the field I focus on, the main aim of this project is the construction of a set based on “The Birds”. The spectator should be free to create, with the help of the set and of his fantasy, another dimension of reality.

Methodology
Research:
a) As the starting point of the play is situated in a real community of citizens the first research area was the construction of modern societies, towns, buildings, and in general, the contemporary way of living.
b) Ways to escape from the above: 1. mental ways: fantasy
2. practical ways: travel, flying



Conclusion of research-Proposal:
Buildings-made by seeds of wood-create a corridor. The spectator wears a mask, which remind bird, but also the mask of Zanni, which the doctors during the Black Death used to wear. He walks through the corridor and the buildings he passes start to getting smaller and smaller, giving him the impression he flies. In the end, he watches himself looking like a bird in a mirror in the end of the corridor.

Process
- Design of the set
- Decision of materials and colors (wood, fabric, mirror, pale colors)
- Construction of the set (buildings, corridor, sky, mask, lights)
- Editing of back round music(street, cars, construction of buildings,
saws)

Implementation
A computer
Speakers
Lights

Vasiliki Papadopoulou
MA: Visual Language of Performance
Diploma Stage
“Fantasy: the creator of a new reality”

The deluge of images overwhelms modern society. Our eyes, our senses are accustomed to the image to such an extent, that the image is seen as a continuation of reality. Haven’t the borders between reality and fantasy been blurred? Couldn’t we feel that our modern society starts resembling the ancient Plato’s Republic, a Republic of ideas? Difficult-to-answer questions that nevertheless lead us to the statement that the matter of image and fantasy is always present and interesting, no matter how much dilated in the past.
The course of history reveals that the line of demarcation between realism and illusion has acted as an inspiration as well as a subject for deliberation for artists and philosophers. From the ancient Greeks with Plato’s Republic of ideas and Aristotle’s rationalized outlook of fantasy to Albert Camus’ and Jean-Paul Sartre’s points of view: a glimpse at the fact that fantasy has always been taking a leading role in the philosophical and artistic scene.
When it comes to the theatrical act and the definition of reality and fantasy we consider a priori the intercourse between them as given. Given is also the fact that this relation appears in many faces. A constellation of theories have rose about the role of fantasy, nevertheless this study will gravitate to the way fantasy can function as a driving force contriving to create a new reality; a reality that can be integrated to the already existing one. As a result, a situation where the realistic joins the fictional and coexists with it is brought into play. Situations of this kind step into the sphere of hyperreality and their expressions in the modern way of living have been analyzed by Umberto Ecco and Jean Baudrillard. However, the present study will concentrate on Immanuel Kant’s theory about productive imagination as interpreted through Aristophanes’ work.
Kant analyzed fantasy as a process of the human mind that gives birth to a new reality; the latter though does not consist of images reflecting an already existing situation. It is not the case of imitation and reproduction as it was until then advocated by philosophers but, contrariwise, the case of creating a new, authentic and independent reality. Richard Kearney (1988, p.173) mentions about Kant’s theory:
“Now the imagination is free to work with itself alone. It is no longer bound to any external reference. Its end is exclusively internal, autonomous. In this aesthetic role, imagination is revealed to as a ‘productive activity of its own”.
But how does this theory about realism and fantasy integrate into the theatrical reality? Primarily, dual nature defines theatre itself: a made up, fictional reality is presented in front of a real, actual audience. Both the sender and the receiver are aware of this fact. From the outset, an agreement is always made between them, although the type of the agreement differs according to the type of theatre. In the same time, yet, other expressions of this duality -innate in the play- make their appearance. The actor is viewed as a distinct entity and on the other hand as the character he acts. In addition the latter may sometime cross in the play the border separating reality from hyperreality, as we will note happening in Aristophanes’plays.
Aristophanes’ work provides us the ground to study the way fantasy can act as the driving force enabling to create a new reality, which at once can be integrated into the realistic frame. Kant’s theory about productive imagination is sensed in Aristophanes’ comedies, as this imagination is the mean used by the characters so as to change their conditions of life.
Consequently, in his plays, fantasy acquires multiple aspects. It becomes the mean spreading laughter, the element creating a poetic atmosphere, but also it constitutes a political decision. The choice of the adjective “political” is not by any means random and this is because fantasy in Aristophanes’ work was the vehicle used to escape from the established order, raising this choice to political action. Nor occasional is the fact that all of his 9 comedies start with a citizen’s indignation caused by the problems of his society and his will to reform it. In that point, fantasy takes the leading part and both real and unreal elements coexist.
Which fictional elements in the overall work of the poet are of interest to the present study?
At first, the external, visible characteristics of the play: for instance a fictional town could be chosen for scenery, the characters could present animal traits or conversely they could be represented by animals with human features. Secondly, the inner characteristics of the plot: Aristophanes’ protagonist moves in an imaginary dimension, separating his position from the audience right from the very first beginning. Driven by his discontentment, he attempts drastic moves; as a result he slides away and creates a new reality, point that constitutes the culmination of the play.
“it is established that the ‘great and mighty deed’..moves each Aristophanic plot from ‘reality’ to ‘surreality’, from the world of the everyday to magic. Each play begins with the hero outlining an intolerable situation, domestic, political, or both, and deciding to take some extraordinary step to resolve it”. (McLeish. K. Aristophanes, Plays: Two, 1993, p. xvi)
Which are the means used to attain this fictional culmination and how is the spectator persuaded by such an illusive situation? First and foremost, a kind of informal agreement is established between the audience and the writer in which the former takes the fictional elements’ autonomy and authenticity for granted. As McLeish claims in his study about Aristophanes, this is happening as illusion succeeds reality and the audience is gradually prepared for this transition. In addition, the poet has an intimate knowledge of his audience’s psychology and of the importance that must be accorded to the conditions of real society. He manages so to integrate transcendental elements in real life and in the same time to inject incidents, institutions and values standing in real life into the transcendental world. A constant shift of realities predominates and the characters while lying on a unreal situation, talk on stage about existing problems of their society. The worlds of reality and hyperreality are distinct, yet in the same time they coexist.
That is what Aristophanes proposes: the transfer of human existence and psychology from one condition to another. Despite the fact that the new imaginary “product” is more ideal than real life, it cannot stand by itself without the solid basis of reality. One could argue that, for the poet, the triumph of fantasy precedes in importance real life. The answer is negative. When fantasy triumphs, life triumphs as well. This is the reason explaining why his comedies end with feasts and proceedings symbolizing institutions of real life.
The present study centres on one of Aristophanes’ comedies, Birds, on the ground that the above mentioned work constitutes an illustrative example of a comedy in which the power of fantasy has made up a reality differentiating from the already existing one. Nan Dunbar (1988, p.6) highlights:
“Some scholars have seen Birds as a comedy of pure escape from harsh reality into poetic fantasy”
Kant spoke about the autonomy of fantasy that gives birth to something new, a reality found also in Aristophanes’ work. It shouldn’t surprise us that a theory about productive imagination is found applied in comedies of the 5th century BC. The transcendental element, as we mentioned above, comes into being by different general elements present in all of Aristophanes’ works. Particularly in Birds those elements are:
Action
To begin with, action is the main fictional element; the creation of a whole new society placed in the sky and inhabited by indignant citizens who have moved to this domain. Cloud-cuckoo-town, this fantastic city, is the main figment of productive fantasy. The two heroes are determined to escape from the inflictions put upon Athens’ citizens, hence they shape a new world presenting features absolutely fictitious. The poets sets new conventions that map out a different time-space. Going closely through Kant’s theory about fantasy, we find that Aristophanes’ choice conforms with the philosopher’s points of view:
“We construct or create for ourselves, in space and time, through a homogeneous synthesis, the objects themselves” (Critique of pure reason, A 723/B 751)
And as Donald W. Crawford (2003, p. 164) mentioned about Kant’s theory:
“The mind through its power of creative imagination can produce certain objects without any reliance upon experience…In artistic activity, the productive imagination also makes it seem as if the mind is master of nature..”

Time
Motivated by the above mentioned reference to time, we will underline time perception as one of the imaginary elements of the comedy. It is significant that the creation of this new society is completed in only one day. In this connection C.F. Russo (1994, p.152) remarks:
“The grandiose chief undertaking of Birds is contained within the space of a single day.. This paradoxical comedy unfolds, quite naturally, in accordance with an equally paradoxical suspension of time and distance”
Accordingly, the march of time does not keep pace with the march of events, time dimension is adjusted to the plot in a way that all those events are compacted in the duration of a single day. According to Kant’s theory (1781[2008], p. 51), time
“..is the real form of our internal intuition…Time, therefore, is not to be regarded as an object, but as the mode of representation of myself as an object”.
Space
The choice of the scenery is a characteristic that should be mentioned and highlighted. Cloud-cuckoo-town is built among the earth and the sky, point that on the instant indicates the presence of a dual nature, the being among reality and fantasy. Inspired by Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of the Space and the chapter on The Dialectics of Inside and Outside, we could view in a performance this poetic space as a “dialectic of the realistic and unrealistic element” where the fantasy of the receiver interprets space in a way more intuitive than descriptive. For Immanuel Kant (1781[2008], p.43):
“…Consequently, the original representation of the space is an intuition a priori, and not a conception”.
Parabasis
Last but not least, the element of parabasis must be noted as one of the imaginary features of the piece. In the middle of the play, action is interrupted and the poet via the chorus talks about his victory in the poetic contest, in which Birds is presented. In this point we would like to stress the importance of parabasis and of the way it acts as a dramaturgic component. It is the poet’s choice to break the theatrical convention he has until then built with his audience, and so to make his own voice and opinion on the state of society be heard. Hence, he transfers momentarily the audience from one reality to another; the imaginary atmosphere drops and the viewers are brought back to the reality of their society. Aristophanes has enriched the play with the element of “mobility”, the element of transfer from one situation to the other and laughter in the audience is spread.
“..like everything else in Aristophanes, the passing from illusion to reality and back is used to serve ne or other of his two main purposes: either it emphasizes the serious message which underlies the comic plot, or it is simply there for its own amusing sake” (McLeish K. The theatre of Aristophanes, 1980, p. 92)
In the present essay, we attempted to expand Kant’s theory about productive imagination and marry it with the wondrous Aristophanes’ work; the fruit of this union is an alternative view of fantasy. The latter can be conceptualized as the mean that does not only spark off the birth of a new reality, but also that changes the already existing one. Aristophanes brings into play productive imagination and apart from the laughter that is induced, fantasy gains a political accent and character. It is extremely intriguing to note how every society reveals an interest about the role of fantasy in a realistic environment that stays undiminished in the flow of time, opinions, movements and political situations.
Can we then deem fantasy as an intended reaction to the status quo, as a political choice? Can the escapism to illusion provide solutions to personal or social problems? Do modern artists sympathize with Aristophanes view of fantasy? For a certainty, Aristophanes’ work and its significance stay imperishable and remind us not to forget that the change, made by fantasy and its products, should pivot on realistic grounds. Every one’s wondrous Cloud-cuckoo-town glides between earth and sky.




REFERENCES

Aristophanes. Plays: Two. Translated and introduced by K. McLeish, 1993. Great Britain: Reed Consumer Books Ltd
Bachelard, G., 1958. La poetique de l’espace. France: Presses Universitaire de France
Dunbar, N., 1988. Aristophanes. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Guyer. P, 2003. Kant's Critique of the power of judgment: critical essays. Rowman & Littlefield
Kant, I. 1781. The critique of pure reason. Translated by J. M. D. Meiklejohn, 1860. Republished 2008 by Forgotten Books
Kearney, R., 1988. The wake of imagination. London: Century Hutchinson Ltd
Russo, C. F., 1994. Aristophanes, an Author for the Stage. Ed. Routledge










BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carlson, M., 1984. Theories of the theatre: A Historical and Critical Survey, from the Greeks to the Present. United States of America: Cornell University Press
Fortier. M., 1997. Theory Theatre: an introduction. London: Routledge
Rugg. H., 1963. Imagination: An inquiry into sources and conditions that stimulate creativity. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers
Wade, J. N., 2005. Perception and illusion: Historical Perspectives. United States of America: Spinger Science+Business Media, Inc

PHASE LAPSE
This week we attended the second’s group performance “Phase lapse”. A woman’s walk towards death became a ritual movement with “universal” characteristics. A set design really simple, just a imaginable corridor, which was her footpath from life to death, from the land to the river. The river just a piece of cloth, in the shape of waves.
Form the very start of the performance it seemed to me that the basic element of it was the actor. Basically, it was a performing based project, and in my opinion, the empty space helped the performer to develop better her character. The dress she was wearing could by from any culture, from any country. It reminded my the custom of so many cultures to dress death people in their formal clothes for their “last travel” towards death.. The ambience had a ritual character too. The way she was walking, the way she unlashed her hair, or the way she quenched the candles.
The point I was thinking of after the performance was if it should last this long, but I m not quit sure for the answer. It seemed to me that maybe it would be shorter, but I think that this is not so important finally.. the other thing I was considering it was if the performance achieved to communicate the main idea that the group wanted. I have already know the subject, so I attended the visual representation of it, ignoring the leading idea or the group’s purposes. But once again, I think that it is not quite an important remark, as the audience was free to communicate with the performer in a different level of understanding.
All in all, I believe that in its simplicity it achieved to have a nice result.

AMBIENT NOISE

Masks

The set design of the Ambient Noise is coming to an end. A wall, mainly made by fabric and some parts of it, by plastic and wood, is the border which separate and connect at the same time the actors and the audience with the outside world.
Holes on the wall give the impression of a damaged room in the middle time of a war. This image is accomplished by masks placed on the wall. Behind them, there are boxes with little soldiers in imaginary scenes of war, in the aesthetic of a “carte postale”.
Below there are photographs of two of the masks.

PHOTOS FROM THE REHEARSALS

REALISATION OF IDEAS ON THE FINAL SET DESIGN
- PROCESS -

AMBIENT NOISE - SET DESIGN
SOME IDEAS TESTED ON THE MODEL BOX

AMBIENT NOISE - SET DESIGN
SOME IDEAS TESTED ON THE MODEL BOX

other ideas on the collaborative project set design

THE BALCONY

For the collaborative project, our group chose “The Balcony” of Jean Genet to work on. We can test the real life, the escapism and the sound on it –which are our individual project subjects. The group have already chosen the script and the space, which will be a brothel – as Genet set there his play.
We want to create transparent walls, as the borders between reality and fantasy are not definite in the play. The cloth it would be a nice idea, but as the walls will cover a lot of meters it will not be affordable.
As my project is on escapism and on fantasy, I trying to find ways to create a set design which will give this impression. How can we show what is going on in the outside world, where the war has decimated the whole society? The heroes are in a protected, but fragile environment. They are hidden there, “performing” their sexual fantasies where they are assuming roles of power, of authority.
Reading the play, you can not understand what is true and what is not. What is happening for real, and what in their minds. I believe that our set design also should be characterized by this ambiguous element: this room is a room where people are protected? Or not? They live there their real life, or just an illusion? What is happening outside? The war is real, or it is a dream? It is maybe a wrong information, as the Golf War, which is said that never existed?
The room we want to create it’s a brothel. And a brothel in a war zone, so in a period that people have animal instincts, they become cruel, they are interested just in themselves. The madame of the brothel insist in the “quality” of her place. She says that after their services men fell well again, they love their family, they can understand mathematics.. This place should be familiar and cold at the same time: they should fell free to do whatever they want, and keep themselves away from the reality of the war, but when their time is over, they have to leave.
It’s a “distorted” place – if we can use this word for a place – but it is healthier than the outside world. It’s getting dirty from it, the out side of the walls are dirty, blood there is on them, it’s trying to get – in a metaphoric way – in the room.
I imagine the walls like an old tapestry, which tries to keep its old lordliness and delicacy, but it’s damaged now. A decadence in planned in the room. At the same time, I imagine it like these houses that people make in war periods, just “carbon” houses, with materials they can find for free, in order to have somewhere to live – or like slum houses. Maybe, we could create these images with several effects. First, different qualities of transparent material. Plastic with bubbles, opaque or scratched plastic. Maybe in some corners (in limited space) we could use other kinds of materials, like carbon, metal or wood.
I was thinking to create masks, which will be hanged behind the wall. Masks of tattered faces, with frozen characteristics. They will be covered by cling film and be placed on the wall, as being part of it. As people who died can see people who are still alive and live in this brothel. They are built in the wall (since death is a situation between reality and hyperreality..)
Finally, another way of representation of the outside world I was thinking of, was to create shadows by carbons, as it is happening in the theatre of shadows, and ropes that will be handed by the roof.