#treemonisha

[halfdeadwallfly]

this post is dedicated to that one specific performance of treemonisha i saw last year that literally made me cry. bc the way that remus looked at treemonisha at the end was so pure and beautiful and i think about it very often.

[awd-art]

Treemonisha

WIP (more info to come)

[supercantaloupe]

Did you watch treemonisha today? What did you think, if so? 👀👀👀

i saw it last weekend on opening night! i thought it was absolutely delightful. it definitely leans more operetta than traditional opera, but to me that's a feature more than a bug. i loved the music. i knew i would love the music, since i've been a joplin fan for ages, but still. it was so charming and sweet, and the new orchestrations were so lovely. particularly loved the inclusion of the banjo player and the brief barbershop quartet in act ii. with the exception of the wasps' nest and dancers (which were just. visually completely kooky and out of place), everything i thought was so vibrant and lively and gorgeous to look at. it struck me as the visual equivalent to the way scott joplin's music sounds; i'm not sure if that description makes sense to other people, but it very much does so to me. it was beautiful. the story was quaint, not particularly weighty but i appreciate the tweaks that were made to it in this slightly revised libretto, namely making treemonisha herself into a bit more of an active character. that libretto may have been the weak link for me, since while most of it was serviceable there were sections of the text that felt a little awkwardly set or worded, but i'm not well enough versed with the original version to say whether that's inherent to the piece or was introduced in this version. nevertheless it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the work overall, and i'm perfectly fine with the simplicity and moral-obvious-ness of the whole piece. i see it as being something of an american fairy tale in spirit. anyway, wonderful music, gorgeous visuals. great performers; i liked how the little 4-strong corps of dancers added to the action in each scene, whether actually dancing or just adding stylized movement to make otherwise crossing a stage or hauling cotton bales or shucking corn into something more interesting and charming to look at. viviana goodwin made for a sparkling treemonisha, i think she was even better here than she was as susanna in last november's marriage of figaro (no small feat for a member of the young artists program!). she, jonathan pierce rhodes (who played the lead conjurer zodzetrick, also an absolute delight), and really the whole cast looked like they were just having the times of their lives up there, which i always love to see. really the biggest downside of the whole production was just its short run, only three performances. i am of course very glad that they sold out (and that i was able to see it amid such high demand), but i wish they could have a longer run, because it's such a charming little show. hopefully it gets a revival in the not-too-distant future somewhere.

[sofiavideirap]

TREEMONISHA, BY SCOTT JOPLIN

COSTUME DESIGN FOR OPERA ADAPTATION.

Costume for Treemonisha, designed and made by Sofia Videira Pinto. Cotton and satin. The costume is hand-painted, quilted, and through the use of hidden magnets, it changes in three acts, every time revealing more colour.  Figurino para Treemonisha, desenhado e confecionado por Sofia Videira Pinto. Cetim e algodão. O figurino é pintado à mão, acolchoado e, através do uso de ímanes, muda em três atos, sempre revelando um pouco mais de cor.

EN

Costume project for my adaptation of the 1911 opera Treemonisha.

Originally taking place in rural postbellum Arkansas, in the 1880s, a clever African-American young woman, called Treemonisha, is elected the leader of her community of sharecroppers, after showing how superstition is the enemy of progress and knowledge and education constitute the brighter way forward.

My adaptation, though, places Treemonisha in a different time and setting: in the Auto City of Detroit, during the late 1920s, after the Great Migration that led farmer communities of the south finding their way north. Treemonisha is inspired by the first African-American female pilot, Bessie Coleman, and she is herself a pioneer and a pilot. Her family and friends are mechanics and factory workers, and the dark aura of superstition is perpetuated by Zodzetrick, a vicious sorcerer. Soon enough though, Treemonisha will prove the values of an open and innovative mind to her peers, and bring music, life and colour to the ones around her.

The concept behind the costumes is the one of emerging colours through the darkness. Starting mainly black, the costumes open panels each new act, that reveal bright and lively hues. By the end of the opera, the costumes evoke a victorious festival of colour. The garments and panels are hand painted and quilted, as an homage to the African-American tradition of quilting, which played an important role in the freedom and emancipation of former slaves. The sleeves and back of the jacket, as well as the trousers, resemble the shape of an aeroplane and wings, honouring both Bessie Coleman and Treemonisha as pioneers and messengers of hope; the front of the jacket resembles a book, an ode to the importance of education within the communities.

PT

Projeto de figurinos para uma adaptação própria da ópera Treemonisha, de 1911.

Originalmente a peça toma lugar numa aldeia rural de Arkansas, após a guerra civil americana, nos anos 1880, onde uma jovem Afro-Americana corajosa e inteligente, Treemonisha, é eleita líder da sua comunidade de meeiros, depois de demonstrar como a superstição é inimiga do progresso, e a educação de todos é o caminho mais luminoso para o futuro.

Na minha adaptação, no entanto, a história desenvolve-se na cidade de Detroit (The Auto City), nos tardios anos 20, depois da Grande Migração que levou comunidades de agricultores do sul dos EUA a rumar a norte. Treemonisha é inspirada na primeira piloto Afro-Americana, Bessie Coleman, sendo ela também uma pioneira, tanto na aviação, como nos seus ideais. A sua família e amigos são, nesta adaptação, mecânicos e trabalhadores de fábricas, e a aura pesada e negra da superstição é perpetuada por Zodzetrick, um feiticeiro vicioso. No entanto, em breve, Treemonisha vai provar os valores de uma mente aberta e inovadora à sua comunidade, e trazer música e cor às suas vidas.

O conceito por trás dos figurinos tem por base as cores vivas que emergem pela escuridão. Se ao ínicio  se apresentam fundamentalmente negros, os vários figurinos vão ao longo dos atos revelando novos painéis de cores vivas e vibrantes. No final da ópera, os figurinos evocam um vitorioso festival de cor. Todas as peças e painéis foram feitos e pintados à mão, e usando técnicas de quilting (colcha), em homenagem a esta tradição Afro-Americana, que teve um papel importante na libertação e emancipação de antigos escravos. As mangas e as costas do casaco, bem como as calças, são inspiradas em formas alares e de aviões, homenageando Bessie Coleman e Treemonisha, pioneiras e mensageiras de esperança; a frente do casaco assemelha-se a um livro, numa ode à importância da educação nas comunidades.

Fotografias: Sebastião Ogando

Modelo: Belinha Zêgo

Figurinos: Sofia Videira Pinto

[sofiavideirap]

[sofiavideirap]

TREEMONISHA, BY SCOTT JOPLIN.

COSTUME DESIGNS.

Costume designs for Treemonisha and the other characters, and their progression through the acts. Design development and details.

Figurinos para Treemonisha e restantes personagem, e progressão ao longo dos atos. Desenvolvimento de design e detalhes.

EN

Costume project for my adaptation of the 1911 opera Treemonisha.

Originally taking place in rural postbellum Arkansas, in the 1880s, a clever African-American young woman, called Treemonisha, is elected the leader of her community of sharecroppers, after showing how superstition is the enemy of progress and knowledge and education constitute the brighter way forward.

My adaptation, though, places Treemonisha in a different time and setting: in the Auto City of Detroit, during the late 1920s, after the Great Migration that led farmer communities of the south finding their way north. Treemonisha is inspired by the first African-American female pilot, Bessie Coleman, and she is herself a pioneer and a pilot. Her family and friends are mechanics and factory workers, and the dark aura of superstition is perpetuated by Zodzetrick, a vicious sorcerer. Soon enough though, Treemonisha will prove the values of an open and innovative mind to her peers, and bring music, life and colour to the ones around her.

The concept behind the costumes is the one of emerging colours through the darkness. Starting mainly black, the costumes open panels each new act, that reveal bright and lively hues. By the end of the opera, the costumes evoke a victorious festival of colour. The garments and panels are hand painted and quilted, as an homage to the African-American tradition of quilting, which played an important role in the freedom and emancipation of former slaves.

PT

Projeto de figurinos para uma adaptação própria da ópera Treemonisha, de 1911.

Originalmente a peça toma lugar numa aldeia rural de Arkansas, após a guerra civil americana, nos anos 1880, onde uma jovem Afro-Americana corajosa e inteligente, Treemonisha, é eleita líder da sua comunidade de meeiros, depois de demonstrar como a superstição é inimiga do progresso, e a educação de todos é o caminho mais luminoso para o futuro.

Na minha adaptação, no entanto, a história desenvolve-se na cidade de Detroit (The Auto City), nos tardios anos 20, depois da Grande Migração que levou comunidades de agricultores do sul dos EUA a rumar a norte. Treemonisha é inspirada na primeira piloto Afro-Americana, Bessie Coleman, sendo ela também uma pioneira, tanto na aviação, como nos seus ideais. A sua família e amigos são, nesta adaptação, mecânicos e trabalhadores de fábricas, e a aura pesada e negra da superstição é perpetuada por Zodzetrick, um feiticeiro vicioso. No entanto, em breve, Treemonisha vai provar os valores de uma mente aberta e inovadora à sua comunidade, e trazer música e cor às suas vidas.

O conceito por trás dos figurinos tem por base as cores vivas que emergem pela escuridão. Se ao ínicio  se apresentam fundamentalmente negros, os vários figurinos vão ao longo dos atos revelando novos painéis de cores vivas e vibrantes. No final da ópera, os figurinos evocam um vitorioso festival de cor. Todas as peças e painéis foram feitos e pintados à mão, e usando técnicas de quilting (colcha), em homenagem a esta tradição Afro-Americana, que teve um papel importante na libertação e emancipação de antigos escravos.

[sofiavideirap]

TREEMONISHA, BY SCOTT JOPLIN.

WORLD BOARDS.

Digital art visual boards representing the locations, sets and moods of the opera, as well as the characters of Treemonisha and her peers.

Arte digital representando os locais, cenários e sensações da ópera, bem como a personalidade de Treemonisha e de seus pares.

EN

Costume project for my adaptation of the 1911 opera Treemonisha.

Originally taking place in rural postbellum Arkansas, in the 1880s, a clever African-American young woman, called Treemonisha, is elected the leader of her community of sharecroppers, after showing how superstition is the enemy of progress and knowledge and education constitute the brighter way forward.

My adaptation, though, places Treemonisha in a different time and setting: in the Auto City of Detroit, during the late 1920s, after the Great Migration that led farmer communities of the south finding their way north. Treemonisha is inspired by the first African-American female pilot, Bessie Coleman, and she is herself a pioneer and a pilot. Her family and friends are mechanics and factory workers, and the dark aura of superstition is perpetuated by Zodzetrick, a vicious sorcerer. Soon enough though, Treemonisha will prove the values of an open and innovative mind to her peers, and bring music, life and colour to the ones around her.

The concept behind the costumes is the one of emerging colours through the darkness. Starting mainly black, the costumes open panels each new act, that reveal bright and lively hues. By the end of the opera, the costumes evoke a victorious festival of colour. The garments and panels are hand painted and quilted, as an homage to the African-American tradition of quilting, which played an important role in the freedom and emancipation of former slaves.

PT

Projeto de figurinos para uma adaptação própria da ópera Treemonisha, de 1911.

Originalmente a peça toma lugar numa aldeia rural de Arkansas, após a guerra civil americana, nos anos 1880, onde uma jovem Afro-Americana corajosa e inteligente, Treemonisha, é eleita líder da sua comunidade de meeiros, depois de demonstrar como a superstição é inimiga do progresso, e a educação de todos é o caminho mais luminoso para o futuro.

Na minha adaptação, no entanto, a história desenvolve-se na cidade de Detroit (The Auto City), nos tardios anos 20, depois da Grande Migração que levou comunidades de agricultores do sul dos EUA a rumar a norte. Treemonisha é inspirada na primeira piloto Afro-Americana, Bessie Coleman, sendo ela também uma pioneira, tanto na aviação, como nos seus ideais. A sua família e amigos são, nesta adaptação, mecânicos e trabalhadores de fábricas, e a aura pesada e negra da superstição é perpetuada por Zodzetrick, um feiticeiro vicioso. No entanto, em breve, Treemonisha vai provar os valores de uma mente aberta e inovadora à sua comunidade, e trazer música e cor às suas vidas.

O conceito por trás dos figurinos tem por base as cores vivas que emergem pela escuridão. Se ao ínicio  se apresentam fundamentalmente negros, os vários figurinos vão ao longo dos atos revelando novos painéis de cores vivas e vibrantes. No final da ópera, os figurinos evocam um vitorioso festival de cor. Todas as peças e painéis foram feitos e pintados à mão, e usando técnicas de quilting (colcha), em homenagem a esta tradição Afro-Americana, que teve um papel importante na libertação e emancipação de antigos escravos.

[flommischen]