Red Hills
Speculative Design
My Role : Set and Costume Design
Written by Asiimwe Deborah Kawe and Sean Christopher Lewis.
Originally The Dogs of Rwanda written by Sean Christopher Lewis was produced in New York by En Garde Arts. It follows David Zosia, an American author of Dogs of Rwanda, from his NGO launch to the red hills of Rwanda with God's Blessing, a Rwandan tour guide. They travel back to 1994 during the Rwandan Genocide to confront the truth and their shared past.
I designed the story from the perspective that everything is happening in David Zosia's head as part of his subconscious. In Scene 1, the NGO launch party, is really happening but as soon as David enters into Rwanda it is his guilty subconscious. I communicated this through lighting as many of the flashbacks have a rosy lighting to connote the rose-coloured glasses David has been looking through for the past 20 years, until God's Blessing forces him to see the truth which will turn the lighting more red to connote his anger and resentment.
AutoCAD 3D drawings
During this project I was able to work on my AutoCAD drawing skills.
I was able to make a 3D drawing of the Embassy Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. This was a big learning opportunity working with CAD as I made it from a ground plan, one side elevation and my knowledge of the space. I also learnt how to put materials to objects and input the chairs and multiply them.
I also decided that I wanted to make the foyer and atrium at RCSSD as well as I was incorporating these spaces into my design. These were made from only a ground plan and measurements I took while in the space. I created the elevations and 3D drawings
AutoCAD storyboard renderings
During this project I was able to work on my Digital communication skills.
I created my storyboards using my 3D CAD drawings as I was able to add my lighting ideas as my design was highly lighting heavy. I could also add the projections that I wanted.
I was also able to edit my costume drawings into the final renders using photoshop. My feedback was very positive about how this communicated my design ideas.
This was a very successful way for me to show my designs for this project as it is a very minimal set, only having 2 set pieces flown in and out.
Costume Drawings
This play only has 4 characters:
David Zosia in the present and in 1994.
God's Blessing in the present and in 1994.
God's Blessing's mother.
This is because text allows for the audience to become a part of the play, following David Zosia from his NGO launch in New York as attendees to Rwanda as the witnesses to David's repent of his wrong doings.
Model Box
I was able to make a model box of the Embassy Theatre at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, using only a ground plan and a side elevation.
I created the flown props out of recycled material. To make the Natrama Church gauze I dyed the material using tea and distressed it to connote the tragedies that happened there.
