Amber Primm Scenic Design

THE RED SHOES

Intro

We begin with Karen as a little girl, in an abstract world of boxes. Her living room is a box, mourners give her gifts in a box, and her mother is buried in a box.

A new town

Now an orphan, a kind woman adopts Karen and brings her to a new town, full of enticing shops. But Karen is drawn to the red shoes, which seem to be just for her.

Confirmation

Karen is now 13 and ready to be confirmed, but she does not look like the other girls. The red shoes start to have a mind of their own, and won't let her approach the altar.

Banished

The white-gloved church goers expel Karen from the town, and the shoes take her on a very long, arduous journey.

The graveyard

Forced to dance through the night, through the seasons, and various landscapes, the shoes bring Karen to face her worst fears in a graveyard full of coffins just like her mother's.

Back to the beginning

After a pas de deux where Karen refuses to walk down the aisle towards the priest, she finds herself back in her childhood home. Trapped and forced to face her priest and judge.

The beginning of the end

The red ribbons on her limbs and arms, are one by one removed by the priest. As each is removed, a wall breaks away revealing a field of dandelions. Her death has brought her freedom and the hope of new life.

A LONG DAY'S JOURNEY

INTO NIGHT

Theoretical Design Model | 2014

Set in August 1912, I chose not to base this design on Eugene O'Neill's real summer home, per usual. This story is relatable to a variety of homes. Both exposed and hidden, placing this harbor home in a surrealistic setting encourages the audience to engage more emotionally.

THE RED SHOES

Theoretical Design Model | 2015

The film's 15 minute ballet, based on Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, is ripe with potential to be a full length dance.

Imagining the score and choreography could be extended, I have created my own interpretation of this story grounded in the original fairy tale.

To me, the red shoes signify whatever makes you different from everybody else. Comparisons are inevitable, but it is often a dangerous game that can lead to harsh judgments, ostracism, and even difficulty accepting or giving love.

THE IMAGINARY INVALID

Theoretical Design Model | 2015

UNC School of the Arts
Spring 2015
(Costume Design by Eduardo Sicangco)

Working from a modern translation by Constance Congdon, this play by Moliere is full of fart jokes, sexual innuendos, the mocking of “modern” medicine, song, and dance.

ALL RIGHTS FOR PHOTOS AND CONTENT RESERVED TO AMBER PRIMM.

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