'The Suitcase Garden'
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'The Suitcase Garden'
Scene Design, Story, Costume Design and production, Sound Design, Props Design and production, Choreography, Performance: Karola Luttringhaus The Suitcase Garden is a piece in the genre of the fairy tale. This visual delight enchants young and old. It speaks of the great cycle of life, telling the story of a woman that holds all her memories within a suitcase. The piece is about traveling and finding roots, about facing our fears and our past, about the safety we seek in our home, and a connection with our natural environment.
The piece sparks thoughts about creativity, imagination, and the power of memory to give us a feeling of belonging. The piece remains a source of inspiration and conversation about the things in life that are important to us. The piece encourages children to analyze the images and actions portrayed and subsequently interpret and discuss the meaning. The piece can be performed at varying levels of technical complexity. There is a bare bones solo version for the small budget, a full tech duet version and a middle ground. ***
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"The Suitcase Garden is a magical and insightful piece for all ages. The concept of a treasured life is shown in thoughtful storytelling through movement. The set design, dance, and story draws in the viewers and leaves the audience in awe. We always recommend this artful program and grateful when it comes to our school and town!"
Amanda Cordova Owner of Peace Rose Montessori Elementary School Wilmington, NC Bare bones/low tech
Photo from bare bones/low tech performances in a classroom where no shadow play could take place because of difficult lighting sitation, the space was very small
Middle of the road/some tech
Photos from performances where some tech support was possible, the space could be blacked out for shadow play
Full tech
Photos from full tech version at UNCW Kenan Auditorium
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Stage: a white stage, white sheets, white props and costumes make the garden scene appear particularly colorful.
Costumes: A white costume of shirt and pants serves as the basis for several add-on elements, such as dresses, skirts, wings, masks, etc to portray various characters throughout the play and to show her transformation and how everything is within one person. A simple set-up of sheets and lights allows for actions to shift back and forth between colorful scenes in front of the screen and mysterious shadow-play behind it. Supported, in part, by the Landfall Foundation, the Azalea Festival, New Hanover County Schools and many others. |
