The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker

1. Themes

   • First Love (Act 1- Clara and the Nutcracker boy in the orphanage)
     • Clara flirtatiously grabs either side of her skirt to show her innocence and infatuation with the Nutcracker boy.
     • Clara performs very childish movements like the spotty dog to show her youth and innocence. She sings her left arm and right leg forward and then switches to right arm and left leg forward. She performs this movement several times.
   • Growing Up (Act 2- Clara's costume change)
     • After she has been fitted in her dress, she holds up either side of her skirt, and turns from centre stage to upstage left and the back to centre stage. She is placed in front of the male cupid. He picks her up above his head and she lifts her left leg to the side on the vertical plane.This can help convey her maturity and how she now craves attention as she matures.
   • Adventure (Act 2- Clara's attempt to enter the castle)
     • The marshmallow girls bounce up and down in sync while clara hides in the midst of the huddle as they enter the castle. They flick their legs out directly infant of them while pushing the bends out at the same time. They then alternate their leg flicks.
   • Nightmares and Dreams
     • The Nutcracker lunges onto his right leg and lets his arms hang loosely either side of his body. His limbs are very stiff witch could suggest that we have no control over our bodies when we are in a dream like state.

2. Physical Setting

   • Set Design
     • The orphanage
       • Two doors downstage right.
       • Black and white checked floor.
       • Wooden wardrobe upstage centre.
       • 5 metallic beds upstage. Three stage right of the wardrobe and two stage left.
       • Slanted window upstage right.
       • At the end of the 1st act the orphans fight back against the authority figures. When they do fight back the walls begin to crack down the sides allowing the orphans to escape to the land of sweets..
     • The Frozen Lake
       • The black and white checked floor in both the orphanage section and the Frozen Lake Scene shows that Clara hasn't left her bedroom and she is in a dream.
       • Clouds and a singular large pillow at the centre of the backdrop.
   • Costume Design
     • Clara
       • In the 2nd act Clara changes into a blue A line dress with white polka dots. The dress accentuates her waist and also her bosom helping to highlight her increasing maturity.
     • Sugar
       • In Act 1 Sugar wears an A line black pinafore dress. She also wears a very large black bow in her head perhaps suggesting that she has a much higher status in the orphanage than the other children.
       • In Act 2 Sugar wears an A line pink satin dress with a pink petticoat underneath. The top of the bodice was embellished with jewels and was also very fitted to her waist. The hem of the dress rested just below the knee.
   • Lighting Design

Images and files in the map