Scenery for My Fair Lady
Through the Eyes of Eliza
For my Monograph I have chosen to present a classic and beloved musical called My Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner, based on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. For my thesis, I wanted to choose a play that is connected to me, but one I could adapt to a different perspective than what is traditionally seen. After many searches, readings and investigation of musicals that have been produced, I became intrigued, connected and passionate to bring My Fair Lady to life.
I have always been intrigued to create a world through the psychological perspectives of characters in the design. Due to this, I wanted to create a world that really defined Eliza’s feelings, emotions and vision through the design. One example is the movement and fluidity of the units or scenery to create every change of location seem like a waltz. The tracks and turntable allow the movement of scenery to become very simple. Another example is the colors of the set. I concluded that Eliza’s flowers really define the colorful and magical world that she sees. Purples, pinks and blues were major characteristics for the scenery because the flowers that Eliza sold were violets. Thus, the colors were kept in the hues of the violets in order to symbolize Eliza.
Because Eliza is from London, I wanted to keep the traditional London architecture in my set, and I also wanted to understand the societal conditions in London and the history. For me as a designer, it is important to understand her life and her living conditions through the 1900s so I could create the world that the characters are living in, especially Eliza’s.
In conclusion, My Fair Lady is a musical that I wanted to bring to life through Eliza’s perspective. Despite the conditions of London and the treatment of women and lower members of society, Eliza stays true to herself and on the contrary, changes the view and perspective of the upper-class socialite Professor Higgins. Eliza sees light even in the darkest places. Thus, I wanted to show the beauty of Eliza’s soul through my design, through the eyes of Eliza.
Project Link
https://www.griselegonzalezdesign.com/
Advisers/Committee
