Molière

1. VPDB11; Barry Freeman Group production pitch Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 Heather Bellingham, Peter Christian, Katie Fung & Ebony Gittens Molière Jean Baptiste de Pouquelin (1621-1673)

2. Molière’ s Don Juan A comedy incorporating modern ideas and influences of commedia dell’ arte

3. Don Juan: A character of social satire [Social satire] literature which criticizes societal flaws and follies in a sarcastic and/or witty manner

4. Previous Productions of Don Juan Pangs Theater Ensemble (October 2007, San Francisco) http://www.pangstheater.com/DonJuanVideoClip.html The National Theater of the United States of America The National Theatre of Greece

5. The Libertines “A libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctioned by the larger society.”

6. The Production Pitch. How Shall I Act? Don Juan Key idea of production concept: Exploiting the similarities between the 17thcentury libertine and the modern day celebrity

7. The Modern Day Celebrity.

8. Important Production Elements. • Set design/props – minimalist and ultra-modern • key props per scene (fake cocaine, telephone) • few set pieces (loveseat, couch, mannequin) • working television • 2) Costume – currently fashionable attire • Don Juan – perfectly fitted suit • Don Elvira – blouse, blazer, jeans and assorted jewellery, sexy pair of heels • Sganarelle – dress shirt and pants, tie • 3) Incorporating image projections on a main screen in addition to multiple flat panel screens • Location of setting indicated by use of an image projection on main screen • Other smaller, floating flat panel screens used only in the final scene of Act 4 to create the overwhelming “hell” of Don juan’s reality

9. Examples of Set Projections. Act One: a palace becomes a mansion in Beverly Hills Act Two: a country place by the sea becomes a beach with an ice-cream stand

10. Act Three: a forest becomes the expensive stores on Rodeo Drive Act Four: Don Juan’s apartment is the Hilton

12. What’s up with...?! Issues/concerns that we came across: The Statue  His sudden appearance and what his defined role in the play is Religious aspects of the play  Can there be a form of hell for atheists? Comedy becoming too gimmicky  Although Don Juan and Don Elvira resemble celebrities, they should not parody any existing celebrities

13. Works Cited Bellinger, Martha Fletcher. A Short History of the Drama. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1927. Chisholm, Hugh. "Libertine." Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press., 1911. Don Juan. By Moliere. Pangs Theater Ensemble. San Francisco. October 2007. Don Juan. By Moliere. National Theatre of Greece. Ziller Building – Central Stage. Jan-May 2010. Gethner, Perry. "How is it Played? Dramatic Genre and the Don Juan Theme." Didaskalia (1995): http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/supplement1/gethner.html. Moliere's Don Juan. By Moliere. The National Theater of the United States of America. The Chocolate Factory, New York.

14. Staging. Now get ready for a short scene from our version of Don Juan (Act One; beginning at the bottom of p.40 in your text) Enjoy!