I chose to set The Lark in 1873 in the Ottoman Empire to draw thematic connections with the world today. Medieval France, the Ottoman Empire, and the current Middle East are all in various states of instability. By changing Christians to Muslims and setting the play in a more contemporary time period, the ideas The Lark expresses become more clearly applicable to 2016. In addition, this choice accomplishes three main things. Firstly, it attacks the racist idea that the qualities Joan possesses are exclusive to Europeans. It counters the whitewashing of history and theatre by displaying that heroism can be had by people of all cultures. Secondly, this decision displays the fact that sexism and misogyny are not exclusive to Europe either, drawing a connection to the male-favoring bias of Sharia Law. Third, in relation to the past and present refugee crises, it demonstrates that a falling nation can still have progressive citizens, like Joan, and that the corruption of government officers does not always imply the corruption of the people.
Color Concept
Throughout The Lark, characters are melded by their opinions of Joan, to the extent where their identities are consumed by their stance (or the stance forced upon them) during the trial. To exemplify this, I chose to color the costumes of each character according to his or her position. Yellow symbolizes support, while blue represents resentment towards Joan. These colors were chosen because they are near opposites that do not clash with each other, meaning that items of clothing of different colors can be juxtaposed while still matching. The transformation of perceptions of Joan from Act One to Act Two is reflected in the presence of both color themes, often with the color of the coat representing a position they must take or that overshadows his or her actual beliefs.