I would stage the scene where Papa Ge comes into the hut, and Ti Moune “sends him away.” I think this scene is important because it is the first time we really meet a god in the flesh, and it is the first time I established my feelings about Ti Moune. I believe she is naïve and ignorant. When staging this scene, I would like to showcase those qualities. This scene also highlights the mystical qualities of the novel, because a god appears for the first time.
The set is very dark, basic shapes. Daniel lies on a blanket on the ground. Ti Moune kneels above him, and there is a cot and a pile of blankets in the room. In the back of the wall is one window, with the shutters closed. Scattered around the room are lanterns or candles. Ti Moune is mostly in the dark, and everything is very quiet. She wears a white nightgown, to create contrast between herself and the black Papa Ge. Daniel wears pants that clearly were white at the time of his crash, but are now dirty. His shirt is torn open and his chest has bandages wrapped around it. This demonstrates that he has lost a lot of his standing as a rich man. Papa Ge is dressed in all black. He wears a top hat and a long jacket. You cannot see his pants or shirt, as it is too dark. The top hat comes to just above his eyes, and casts a shadow upon most of his face - except for his bright red teeth, which sparkle in the light.
The scene is pages 46 and 47. The first line is “Suddenly the shutters at the window flew open.” (Guy 46). I would stage that by having the lights get much much darker, and add a sound effect of thunder followed by a window opening on stage. Behind the window would be a flash of bright light, like lightning, and in the window, the silhouette of a crouched human. Once he enters through the window, the only light sources are the moonlight through the window and a few candles around the hut. The audience can just make out Papa Ge’s face. This is because I want him to stay very hidden and mystical.Through the whole scene, the lighting remains very dim, except for a flash of lightning when he leaves and enters. Papa Ge himself appears to glide through the scene, almost like a snake would. It is very clear that he is different from the humans.
There are three main levels in the scene. Papa Ge is tall, so he stands the entire time. Ti Moune is bent down next to Daniel, in the middle, and Daniel is lying on the floor. The god occupies the top level because his power and influence is above Ti Moune’s. She is in the middle because she believes she is as powerful as the gods, but she is not, and Daniel is in the bottom because he is practically dead. Him being lower also shows that he has lost any of the power he had. The only moment Ti Moune might occupy a higher level is the line “I swear I shall give my soul for the life and happiness of my love - my love!” (Guy 47). This line is actually part of a longer few sentences, but in that very last sentence, Ti Moune would stand up. She is not nearly as tall as Papa Ge, and will never be on the same level. However, her rise shows that she honestly believes that she is deserving of being like Papa Ge. She never reaches his height, and she immediately falls back down to Daniel’s side. This shows the audience that Ti Moune has no hope of being like a god, even though she desperately wants to be.
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