ANNotated bibliography

Liv Farquhar
DRAM 344
Artist statement & Project thesis

artist statement
As a queer person, I also want to highlight queer characters and queer stories in my work.
My interests are so broad that I often struggle to pinpoint my artistic identity. I am ever-
changing and ever-growing, and I want to celebrate that growth through art. This constant
change and growth has been frustrating for me lately, but I do not want to shy away from
this frustration. When I imagine things scenographically, I will bring my emotions to the
surface and let them speak for me through design.

Project thesis
This project is centred around an awards show pop performance. Renee Rapp, the
performer, will sing three songs: Snow Angel, Pretty Girls, and Poison Poison. Through the
journey of these songs and the setting of a construction site, the performance explores the
ideas of queer performativity, finding/constructing identities, and queer female rage.
Source material

My source material from this project

comes from Reneé Rapp’s album, Snow
Angel. I imagine the 3-song setlist I have
created as a VMAs performance, beginning
with this title track.

Rapp, Reneé. “Snow Angel.” Snow Angel, Interscope Records, 2023, track 5. Spotify,
https://open.spotify.com/album/3RqO05jxT9YYgNtMdQmo8Z?
si=AGN1_mLRR2SJmpWoODKh3Q.
Source material

The second song in my setlist is “Pretty

Girls”. This song discusses the queer-
specific issue of feeling used by people
who identify as straight.

Rapp, Reneé. “Pretty Girls.” Snow Angel, Interscope Records, 2023, track 8. Spotify,
https://open.spotify.com/album/3RqO05jxT9YYgNtMdQmo8Z?
si=AGN1_mLRR2SJmpWoODKh3Q.
Source material

The final song in my setlist is “Poison

Poison”. This song is powerful and
perfectly follows “Pretty Girls,” as it
addresses a female romantic interest that
Reneé now resents.

Rapp, Reneé. “Poison Poison” Snow Angel, Interscope Records, 2023, track 3. Spotify,
https://open.spotify.com/album/3RqO05jxT9YYgNtMdQmo8Z?
si=AGN1_mLRR2SJmpWoODKh3Q.
Personal Image inspiration

These all are photos that I have

taken around Kingston of
construction signs, which have been
inspiring me. I am drawn to their
instantly recognizable colours,
shapes, and designs as well as their
reflective patterns.

Overarching Project Theme:

Constructing Identity
Sourced from Olivia Farquhar.
 colour symbolism

I plan to use a colour palette

consisting of these colours for my
project. The orange ties in the
construction theme and Renee sings
about queer/wlw relationships in her
songs. This is a personal tie to me, as
I identify as a lesbian. Renee identifies
as bisexual, and purple is also a
colour in the bisexual flag.

Sourced from Grand Rapids Pride Centre.

https://grpride.org/product/lesbian-pride-flag/
 colour symbolism

This is the bisexual pride flag, as

referenced in the last slide. I plan
to stick to the lesbian pride flag
colour scheme, but the purple ties
into both. The purple colour in the
flag represents the attraction to
both/all genders.

Sourced from Grand Rapids Pride Centre.

https://grpride.org/product/bisexual-pride-
 Image inspiration

I want to ensure that my project not

only matches my creative vision, but
also matches Renee’s artistic
aesthetic. I love this photo of her
sitting in orange velvet theatre seats,
reflecting upon her background in
musical theatre.

Green, Jade. “Renee Rapp for NYLON.” NYLON Magazine,

2023. https://www.nylon.com/life/renee-rapp-snow-angel-
 Image inspiration

This photo is also from

Renee’s NYLON article and
photoshoot. The mirrors tie
into my fixation with the
reflectivity of construction
signs. I plan to include
mirrors in my final
scenographic design.

Green, Jade. “Renee Rapp for NYLON.” NYLON Magazine,

2023. https://www.nylon.com/life/renee-rapp-snow-angel-
debut-album
Image inspiration

I love the way the light is

reflecting off of Renee in this
photo. This image provides
me with inspiration for my
lighting design.

Sourced from Pinterest. https://pin.it/6JKnyFp

Image inspiration

In this photo, Renee is posing

with the title of her song,
“Pretty Girls,” written in
graffiti. Graffiti is often found
around construction sites and
ties perfectly into the grungy
style I am aiming for.

Sourced from Pinterest.

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/39195459250968395/
Image inspiration

These photos are from a

Moscow production of
Phantom of the Opera. The
broken mirror and white outfit
represent Renee’s angelic
outward image that contrasts
with the world falling apart
around her.

Sourced from Tumblr.

https://operafantomet.tumblr.com/post/11505894897
Image inspiration

This photo of a construction site

inspires me to creatively use stage
haze in my set. I could potentially
have the haze come up from a
fake sewer grate in the ground. I
love the atmosphere that haze
creates onstage.

Sourced from Pinterest. https://pin.it/4QWpeKA

Image inspiration

Elements of this photo that fit my

imagined aesthetic for my project
are the orange hues, mirror, and
white costume. I am compelled by
the idea of having Renee be lit by
a single candle onstage.

Sourced from Pinterest. https://pin.it/1hIbDZr

Image inspiration

I love the tripled vision of this

person in this image. The
orange light beam gives off a
warm and hazy light hue that I
want to use in my design.

Sourced from Pinterest. https://pin.it/6TqMBC8

Image inspiration

This image doesn’t quite fit my colour

scheme, as it is yellow rather than
orange. What I like about it is the slightly
blurry effect on the image that gives it a
dreamy quality. I also love the way the
ballerina is lit in the mirror.

Sourced from Pinterest.

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/482800022568618741/
Image inspiration

I love the scaffolding that stands

out in red in this photo. I would like
to include scaffolding like this that
dancers or Renee could climb on
throughout the performance.

Sourced from Pinterest.

 scholarly sources
As the title of Renee’s album is
“Snow Angel,” I wanted to dress her
in an angelic white outfit that
contrasts with the bold, grungy
construction scene. I thought about
doing a ballet outfit, which led me to
this article. There are many quotes
within the chapter “The Dark Side of
White” which inspire and provoke
Bennahum, Judith. “The Lure of Perfection : Fashion and Ballet, 1780-
my scenographic thoughts about
1830,” Taylor & Francis Group, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/queen-ebooks/detail.action? costume design.
docID=235400.
 scholarly sources

This source contemplates and

explores the idea of “places of rage”.
Places of rage can be expressed
through performance and art. I
imagine this scenographic design to
be a place of rage for Renee Rapp as
she works through her past traumas
and frustrations.
Halberstam, Judith. “Imagined Violence/Queer Violence:
Representation, Rage, and Resistance.” Social Text, no. 37, 1993, pp.
187–201. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/466268.
 scholarly sources

This source uses Cyndi Lauper’s

“Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
music video as a case study of
camp and how artists can hide
deeper meanings behind their
seemingly superficial
performances.
Klorman, Edward. “Performers as Creative Agents; or Musicians Just
Want to Have Fun.” Music Theory Online, vol. 24, no. 3, 2018,
https://doi.org/10.30535/mto.24.3.10.
 theatre

A few weeks ago, I saw the

Stratford Festival’s production of
Frankenstein: Revived. There was
no talking in the performance, and
it showed how capable bodies are
of telling a story without dialogue. I
will be using choreography to tell
Renee’s stories in her performance.

Stratford Festival. “Frankenstein: Revived” Stratford Festival, 2023.

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production
/Frankenstein-Revived
 theatre
The National
Theatre’s production
of Paradise had a
beautiful
scenographic
design. I love the
exposed beams,
lighting, and use of
haze.
Murray, Helen. “Paradise review – Kae Tempest’s unruly take on
Sophocles.” The Guardian, 12 August 2021.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/aug/12/paradise-review-
kae-tempest-sophocles-national-theatre
 theatre
This video of the National
Theatre’s YouTube channel
explains in depth the process of
creating the design for Paradise.
Their use of real dirt on the stage
is compelling and inspiring to me,
I love the messiness and grit it
brings.
National Theatre. “Making Theatre in the Climate Crisis | Designing
Paradise and the Theatre Green Book” National Theatre, YouTube, 16
August 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwy021aMfGY
 theatre

Over reading week, I saw SIX at

Mirvish in Toronto. In terms of
inspiration for this project, I loved
the costumes that the queens wore.
They had reflective elements, bright
colours, and bold shapes. These
elements are perfect for pop
performer scenography.

Lauren, Liz. “Andrea Macasaet, centre, performs Don’t Lose Ur Head in

Six.” CBC Radio, 11 November 2019.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/andrea-macasaet-in-six-1.5355653
 Music videos

This music video by Jungle consists

of STUNNING choreography. The
video takes place in an old theatre
and has exposed lighting and set
pieces, creating a perfectly messy
look. The “main character” is
dressed in white, a technique I will
be employing for Renee.

Lloyd, J & Di Placido, Charlie. “Back on 74.” Jungle, YouTube, 10

August 2023.
 Music videos

I simply cannot get this music video

out of my head; I have watched it at
least 7 times since its release.
Troye’s gender fluidity and drag
performance ties into queer themes
I hope to explore. The white outfit
Troye wears in drag can also inspire
my costume design for Renee.

Von Steiner, Gordon. “One of Your Girls” Troye Sivan, YouTube, 13

October 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhGl8McrOHo
 Music videos

When thinking about construction and

music, my mind goes to “Work from
Home” by Fifth Harmony. This video
and band is special to me as it was
part of my queer awakening as a
young teenager. The construction
imagery is a bit too on the nose for
my vision, but the scenography of this
video remains amazing.

Director X. “Work from Home” Fifth Harmony, YouTube, 26 February

2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GL9JoH4Sws
 Articles

This article discusses an immersive

theatre set created by Architect Ron
Arad. Audience members were
allowed to use the foam set up
however they pleased. I like how the
golden light seeps through the cracks
in the foam.

Dawood, Sarah. “Ron Arad creates immersive theatre set from foam”
design week, 09 April 2015. https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/6-
12-april-2015/ron-arad-creates-immersive-theatre-set-from-foam/?
cmpid=dwnews_1037809
 Articles

This article, titled “Inside

Eurovision 2023’s set and lighting
design “spectacle”” takes the
reader through the design
techniques used to accomplish
the look of Eurovision 2023. The
picture I have included to the left
is my favourite!

Bamford, Abbey. “Inside Eurovision 2023’s set and lighting design

spectacle” design week, 12 May 2023.
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/09-may-12-may-
2023/eurovision-2023-set-lighting-design/
 Articles

This article discusses Renee’s diverse

range as a musical artist. The live
performance starts with a power
ballad, then a classic dance song, and
finally a cheeky pop number. The
scenography will reflect this range.

“Snow Angel shows off her vocal

control as she stretches her
rich voice from thunderous
Halabayin, Layla. “A Night Out with Renee Rapp.” NYLON Magazine, 16
August 2023. https://www.nylon.com/life/renee-rapp-snow-angel-
ballads to rockstar howls to
debut-album honeyed exaltation with ease.”
Articles

I want the performance that I design

for Renee to be groundbreaking. This
article from Billboard details the most
iconic VMA performances. I can take
inspiration from these performances
to analyze what would best suit
Renee and her career.

Pascual, Danielle. “The 23 Best VMAs Performances of All Time: Critics’

Picks” Billboard, 13 September 2023.
https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-vmas-performances-all-time-
mtv/justin-timberlake-medley-2013/
THE
END