My first interpretation of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie written in 1888 is that the titular character possesses crazy and suicidal characteristics.
This initial observation would then influence my adaptation of the naturalistic tragedy. Research began with psychology in the late 19th century, specifically within western Europe. Coming across the Lunacy Act of 1845 – where England and Wales began to consider the ‘mentally ill as patients’ rather than possessed evil beings or wild animals. English philanthropist William Tuke (1732 – 1822) was an instrumental part in the development of Moral Treatment – a more humane method in treating the mentally ill; as was French physician Philippe Pinel (1745 – 1826). This leads to a boom in mental hospitals within the country. |
There was then the consideration of where within the hospital would the play take place, living room, kitchen, front hall, bedroom, etc.? I intended to reflect the idea of exposure and being constantly observed through the set design, a metaphorical cage (similar to the bird cage mentioned in the play), appearing as if it’s a private space but instead exposed at the same time. With the thought of including the midsummer’s eve celebrations in the background, I explored the use of a conservatory space; the openness of its glass structure often leading to the garden area served as the perfect location to represent my design. Choosing to incorporate the chorus in the background as a constant reminder of the watchful eyes of the public.
In hindsight, I would like to have explored a more eccentric set design. Perhaps with the interior being less naturalistic than the original play intended; with more over-the-top proportions like elongating the windows to create an unnaturally high ceiling or even unnatural angles to give it a more eerie atmosphere. |
REFERENCE IMAGES FROM Stonehearst Asylum
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Although I began the design process with a clear image of how the set and costumes would appear, there was a last-minute change in the costume design. Miss Julie’s original outfit was a deep red evening gown to reflect her seemingly upper-class status, with Jean similarly in an immaculate shirt, vest and pants ensemble. However, towards the end of the design process, I was leaning towards a more broken-down and overall mysterious image, with Miss Julie and Jean appearing in night gowns playing dress up (more mental patient-like), rather than in evening formal wear. What began as rather clean-cut and obvious outfits for the characters evolved into more expressive costumes; this gives the audience an enigmatic and confusing start that would evolve as the play continues. Posing questions such as where they are? Who they are? And what are they up to…
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Looking back at the process of this design proposal, I seem to have lacked in showing the initial stages of concept development. This is largely due to the fact that I did most of this stage in my head, making many decisions mentally before physically experimenting with the design itself. Therefore, there aren’t many sketches or maquettes to show this part of the design process.
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