How do you show a person drowning on stage?- Page 2

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 10/24/09 at 8:52pm

There is a drowning scene in the play "The Ballad of Yachiyo" by Philip Kan Gotanda. He describes how the drowning should look in the script- basically it is depicted with the lighting and the actor making drowning motions, whatever that means. But, if you're interested, check out the play. The scene is at the very end.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 10/24/09 at 11:14pm

"Uhm, did you bother looking at the video I posted right above your thread?"
Sorry, I didn't see your post when I responded.

"And you don't want 'sheets'. That looks cheap. Buy yards and yards of blue silk in different shades."
I agree, but assuming this is not a professional production (or even if it is), wouldn't silk be a little pricey? I guess I wasn't clear when I said "sheets." Obviously, a translucent blue material would work best.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 10:04am

The best example of someone drowning onstage would have been last year when Matthew Borderick attempted to do "The Phinlanthropist". The part called for a real actor and Matthew Broderick... well he was drowning all evening.

Or maybe that's not what you were asking.

I love Javerts drowning in Les Miz.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:12am

Best drowning for me was Coram Boy, second best was Tarzan. In the end though, as both a playwright and a director, I have to go with, "You say what and let the director figure out the how".