Phantom Regiment is my example
Can we do a better job of communicating program intent ....
To be clear, I like the Phantom Regiment. I have been most fond of every director in their history. Over the years, I have known many of the instructional and design staff. If I am biased, I want them to do well.
That said … I have seen the corps three times and I am still guessing at what the show is about. I will admit I am not one to watch all of the promotional tapes. I would argue that most spectators do as I do … and arrive at the show ready to enjoy the evening’s performances.
Let’s take a look at the description of the show I located online.
In “Bloodlines,” the physical props on the field represent sharpness, boundaries, and the architectural structures of legacy. Rather than serving as simple flat stages, the Phantom Regiment props are designed to visually support the intense, combative theme of defending one’s identity.
Sharp Angularity: The props feature a highly angular, sharp design that mirrors the aggressive, powerful nature of the show’s theme (”protecting what defines you”).
Obstacles and Heights: The physical design forces the performers to interact with high staging and climb, symbolizing the literal and figurative uphill battle of earning and defending a legacy.
Changing Staging: The shifting configurations of these sharp boundaries across the field show the evolution, fragmentation, and restructuring of a family or institutional lineage over time.
Now then —
