The House That Will Not Stand

A Play by Marcus Gardley

Concept Statement: 

Set in the household of Beatrice Albans, an esteemed woman of colour, in 1836 New Orleans, The House that will Not Stand, positions itself in a particular time and place that tells a specific visual story that correlates with the action of the show. 

Complex skin color distinctions that were used to divide black people and define beauty during this time, shape the direct actions taken by the various women.  Societal rules, restrictions and norms along with environmental parameters all play into the conflicts and resolutions each role generates.  

The visual story forces the audience to see the juxtaposition of aristocratic high-society fashion combined with culturally significant identifiers to the people of colour of New Orleans.  

Each character of colour in this play, uniquely display a primal understanding and reaction to their societal position with the subliminal color choices and use of animalistic textures/prints that are discreetly woven into their clothing.  

Patterns/motifs and physically adornment will heighten the conflict within the family displaying  the opposing religious beliefs that ruminate and festers just below the surface of each character -a direct correlation to the boldness/bigness of  the personalities and the physical space each character consumes.