Father Knows Best: The Dads of Ravagers

This week's post features two of the costume sketches for the show from renowned costume designer Sonya Berlovitz and background on the characters of Danaus and Aegyptus by director Blake E. Bolan.

The Ravagers's plot may revolve around the fifty daughters and fifty sons, but at its heart, it's very much a play about the two brothers who are the fathers: Danaus, father of the daughters, and Aegyptus, father of the sons. And that story works on two levels.

It's easy to see all the trappings of a familiar story about patriarchal monarchies. The younger son feels jealousy toward his elder brother. Aegyptus has the sons, Aegyptus has the better land, and after the kingdom is reunited by the marriages, Aegyptus's sons stand to inherit all of Danaus's land. It's easy to get caught up in the plot. But the more compelling story is the metaphors of these two men.  Who is East and who is West?  Dictator and king? Capitalism and communism? Who is right and who is wrong?

Starting with simple suit as the base for Aegyptus and Danaus, Sonya highlight's each man's temperament in their outerwear.  Here, we see the soft lines of Aegyptus's wrap, alluding to comfort, ease, and luxury. He's affluent, proud, and happy.

For Danaus, Sonya has created sharp angles for his overcoat and tie, implying a certain starkness.  His clothes are more utilitarian than his brother's, as he is a man with fewer resources, as well as a much more stringent attitude.  Danaus is a man concerned with power, not likely to relax for even a moment.  You will also notice here the brown hues in Danaus's outerwear - Danaus raises his 50 daughters in the desert, and these colors reflect the tones of sandy soil you might find surrounding his home.

Come see Scott Keely (Danaus) and Bob Hammel (Aegyptus) wear these costumes and tell this story, Nov. 4-19 at the Hollywood Theatre. Tickes are on sale now!