Welcome to the Princess Grace Application page for Beth Lake.
Work Selection #2:
Doruntine
by Matt Opartny
Directed by Jessica Burr and Florent Mehmeti
Lighting Design by Justin Partier
Doruntine is a collaboration between Blessed Unrest and Theatri ODA of Prishtina, Kosova. The tale of Doruntine is of an impossible marriage that crosses cultural boundaries, an epic journey on horseback, and a brother who defies the grave to bring his sister home. Inspired by the Albanian folk legend, this mythic journey of family loyalty brings forth questions of love, devotion, and heritage.
Creating the aural landscape for Doruntine was a unique challenge. Jessica and her co-director Florent Mehmeti, wanted to bring both past and present Albanian cultural references into our world. With current popular music a contemporary period was established, but traditional folkloric melodies mingle to bring a sense of the old world traditions guiding the narrative. In addition to setting time and place with music, a mythical soundscape was needed to bring the otherworldly events into the play. I wanted a sense of nature to overtake the ambience. The timelessness of the sound of the Earth grounded the ambient, giving music the ability to determine period. Wood, wind, and weather were guiding elements to creating the soundscapes for various locations.
The idea of the Besa runs through the narrative. A Besa is a promise that can never be broken. Constantine must return his sister to her home, because he gave his Besa to their mother. Neither time nor death can break the oath. The aural representation of this promise needed to be both immortal, ethereal and yet corporeal. The sound I created reflects both wind and a musical note.
