Tommy Backstage - Prologue

Prologue


I've been in prison camp for four years, I come home, my wife's
there with another man and I have a child. All of a sudden,
there's an arguement and somebody's dead It's a surreal and
bizarre and all of the shock gets focused on little Tommy. The whole
moment is about being desparate, drowning in confusion and
clinging to something. In this case, we've pulled Tommy under
water, and even though we're going to come out of it,
he remains submerged.
- Jonathan Dukochitz, Captain Walker

I think what actually plunges Tommy into his traumatized state
is his parents reaction to his witnessing the murder.
- Des McAnuff

The courtroom is where the characters first notice Tommy's traumatic state.
To bring about that same recognition to the audience, we simulated little Tommy's
state of mind by using a Lexicon effects processor to create eerie voice echoes
at the same time as the slide-projected background was becoming distorted.
- Steve Canyon Kennedy, Sound Designer

Little Tommy starts out in a white nightshirt and from that point
on Tommy wears white. He's the innocent and then he turns into
a sort of spiritual leader, and we thought that white would
underscore his purity which is so central to the play.
- David Woolard, Costume Designer


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