“Big Love” is a play which deals with various issues such as family, religion, politics, and intrigue. The play revolves around a family and how they relate and interact with each other in the community. This is a story of brides who rebel against their organized marriages into nothing less than a theatrical free for all. The play revolves around the theme of justice and revenge and enduring the power of love. Most of the scenes in the play are described in an exhausting illustration with the use of light, sound, and costumes, portraying how strongly gender inequality is able to grow and the terrible consequences experienced when there is no balance.
Thesis Statement
Light, costumes and sound play important roles in a piece of theatre work, and their impact can define the message passed to the audience. Big love is a story about a father who is a polygamist and his son is worried whether to follow his father’s example but his father discourages him by telling him that having a polygamous family is a big responsibility. The drama is epitomized in a forced wedding arrangement, with much focus on family relationships, defined by lighting system, use of costumes and sound and music, which presents vital sense of realism, mood, tension as well as special effects.
Lighting
Lighting has been used to enhance visibility, presents particular time and place, present certain mood, and facilitate focus (Michael 131). For example, the scene in which effect of lighting intensity was used was during the wedding fight where the lights were put in dim mode to enable the scene look bright. The lights were sometimes switched off to present the dark moment of in the play. The dim light presented the special effect of illusion as people dressed in white wedding gowns that portrays happiness fighting is a sad event. The characters in the play wore most of the white dresses, there was also present of sportlights, and sometimes there was colored lighting projected and this led to the play being presented in a more visible manner. The dimming of light also enhanced focus on certain points as the remaining illuminated point during the play present the focal point and attract more attention from the audience (Olsen 11). For example, illuminating the bride during her stage entrance and darkening other areas presents an opportunity for the audience to focus more on the bride.
Costumes
It’s known that costumes determine the nature and direct the perception audience have on the play. According to Deborah LaFranchi, a Los Angeles based professional costume designed, costumes determine the success or failure of a play, and its effect has a big impact on the audience’s perception (May 42). The white bridal gown won by Lydia and other ladies in the wedding scene presents the audience with the prior knowledge of what the play is all about. The white gowns also suggest the traditional image of marriage, where bride wears white gowns while bride groom and his people wear black suits. The costume used in this play is the bridal gown worn by one character by the name of Lydia who was allowed to get married to Nikos and following their wedding ceremony, threw her bouquet of flowers to the audience.
Sound and Music
The use of sound and music presents an imaginative approach to the play (Olsen 19). The soft music used in the play background projects the emotional circumstances, with presentation of emotional values, conflicts as well as dramatic actions. The sound used in the background when the bride was swimming in water full of tides is a clear manifestation of a struggle to fulfill her desire. She struggles to get into the wedding reception and welcomed by music that signifies victory from a guitarist.
Conclusion
The play Big Love takes an ancient plot and is updated frequently as the story unfolds. The use of sound, costumes, and sound and music has defined the message, mood and circumstances of the play in a very candid manner. The producer presents an image love, perception and imagery with the help of lighting, costumes, and sound and music.