1. The Woolgatherer
By: William Matrosimone

2. Director

3. The Woolgatherer
• It is a two play act, set in South
Philadelphia, which centers around
two unstable individuals, Rose and
Cliff.
• Rose is an abnormally sensitive
woman who lives alone in a one
bedroom apartment. She seems to
have closed herself off from the
world due to her haunted past.
• Cliff is a sarcastic, wise-cracking
truck driving looking for a one night
stand. He is obviously wounded by
his past relationship but tries to
cover it up with his witticism. He is
stuck in town for the night due to
repairs being made to his big rig.

4. Casting Choices
• Paul Rudd will play the
role of Cliff
• Natalie Portman will
play the role of Rose

5. Theme: “Overcoming the Past”
• This will be the main action
expressed throughout the story.
– Also known as the “spine” of the
play.
– Both Rose and Cliff have been
troubled by their pasts but deal
with it in different ways. Not
knowing they are needed by each
other to overcome their
troublesome pasts.
– Rose tends to fill her empty life
with fantasies, often losing touch
with reality.
– Cliff uses sarcastic wit to fend off
situations he’d rather not deal with.
– Together, these two attracting
opposites create a sappy love story
in which the audience can watch
and become a part of.

6. Style: “Realism”
• The play will depict a realistic style of drama.
• The audience will find it pleasant, funny, and
slightly intriguing but will not carry itself.
• The play will become either romantic or sappy
depending on the performance of the actors and
how they connect with the audience.
• The actors must immerse themselves in the role
of each character and seduce the audience with
the raw emotion of both Rose and Cliff.

7. Costumes

8. Style of Production
• The style of the costumes for this production
would be very casual. The time period that it
takes place in is present day and therefore the
costumes must resemble present day
wardrobe.

9. Nature of Individuals
• Rose: Innocent girl who appears to be afraid
and mistrusting of the world. She hides a deep
secret.
• Cliff: Blunt, sarcastic truck driver who is
looking for a fun time with a lady with no
commitment.

10. Rose

11. Cliff

12. Set design

13. • Thrust Stage
will be used
for the
performance
of The
Woolgatherer.
– This will
create a
more
intimate
setting
needed to
keep the
audience
engaged.

14. • The Woolgatherer appeared in 1979 is set entirely in an
apartment in South Philadelphia.
• The inside of the apartment should look a bit worn
down but still somewhat kept, depicting the owner as a
bit unstable and living by his or herself.
• The apartment should also be furnished with dull
colors to set an isolated/abandoned mood.
• The arrangement of the furniture should be set to
where the audience is able to view the entire inside of
the apartment with the door, closet and window all in
view.

15. • The realistic setting
will depict the
inside of an
efficiency
apartment
consisting of:
– A single bed,
neatly made
– A small table
– A chair
– An orange crate
– A closet
– A boarded up
window hidden by
cheap curtains
(scale model)

16. Lighting

17. Functions of Lighting
• Visibility: The simple ability to see what is
occurring on stage. Any lighting design will be
ineffective if the viewers cannot see the
characters.
• Shapes and Forms: Sometimes, the lighting is
placed in certain positions in order to see
shadows or different parts of the design in
order to understand the plot better.

18. Functions of Lighting
• Visual composition: How the entire scene
onstage will appear to the audience.
• Mood: Setting the tone of a scene. Harsh red
light has a totally different effect from soft
lavender light.
• Location and time of day: Establishing or
altering position in time and space. Blues can
suggest night time while orange and red can
suggest a sunrise or sunset.

19. Functions of Lighting
• Movement: movement -- alterations in the
other factors will give impression of
movement - this would also include the
movement of a "follow-spot" (powerful
spotlight as that swivel and shine on different
places).
- Fades, cross-fades,blackouts can suggest
movement and form