musi cfilm &cul ture

By Stella Konstantopoulou

When an individual who appreciates great literature, first hears the words ‘theatre, film, adaptation’, they tend to hold back their breath for a second. With their fingers crossed behind their backs, they silently beg that their experience of the novel will not be forever tainted by misrepresentation or half-told stories which are based on elliptical plots. Or at least, that’s what I usually do. In the case of Alice Walker’s The Colour Purple, it appears that she knew exactly what she wanted to do with it. The tale took the complex direction, addressing severe themes such as racism, gender inequality, sexism, poverty and incest, all the while telling the tale of Celie’s tumultuous life.

Willis and Stephen Bray’s music filled the ears of the audience, effectively turning the novel into a story through sound. The musical, with a duration of 130 minutes, did a great job in representing all the pivotal, essential elements of the plot: From Celie getting pregnant from her father and her sister and leaving to become a teacher, to the defining moment of Celie standing up for herself, telling Mr – that he would become a door mat if he kept his act up. As the novel is written in a fearless, all-consuming way, that doesn’t abstain from addressing and severely criticizing any abusive, sexist, or racist commentary, the musical also adhered to this structure.

style successfully mastered its simplicity, with the colour pallet ranging from beige to orange, while the design was rid of any complexity or peculiar shapes. This once again shifted the focus towards the immensely important message of the play. The actors were dressed in one-piece monochromatic dresses, with the style as far away from avant-garde as possible, while circular hats contributed to depicting the older styles of the 19 and 20 centuries.

The actors were excellent in conveying their fierce lines, with the aim to tackle the deeply problematic issues that kept torturing African Americans for so long. Simultaneously, among others, the fiercest songs that stood out in their ability to demonstrate the shift in dynamics, were… ‘Dear God-Sofia, Hell No!’-Sofia, Celie, Sofia’s Sisters, ‘All We’ve Got to Say’ – Doris, Darlene, Jarene, ’Dear God’ (Shug) -Celie, Shug, ‘Uh-Oh!’ - Sofia, Squeak, Celie, Buster, Female Ensemble, ‘I Curse You Mister’ – Celie, Mister. In first place was the rightfully earned ‘I’m Here’, performed by the actress playing Celie. The repeated phrase ‘I’m here’ is perfectly aligned with the novel’s precise words ‘I’m poor, Black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I’m here! I’m here!’, which came from an enraged Celie who was finally ready to stand up, not only for herself, but the women surrounding her as well.

with toxic gas in Iran in forbiddance of education, women earning smaller salaries than men, and the list goes on. However, other contemporary issues, such as COVID-19, have taken a toll on people’s mental health, and supplying a fantastic musical production is one safe way to ensure they’re keeping up to date with things. Thus, allow me to present the following questions:

‘Was one of the main reasons for its musical adaptation in 2022 the demand for yet another wake-up call about the variety of issues that African- Americans still face today? Has nothing really changed across the past years or is it just that the violence and traumatic experiences that people endure have just taken other shapes and forms?’

So, if you find yourself itching for some cheering up and a big, fat reminder of why you should not feel down about the struggles you face, you can rely on this promising, relaxing and above all fun musical experience, based, of course, on the novel of the award-winning Alice Walker. Oh, and if in need of a universal diverse paradigm, we have got you covered on that one too; the writer became the first ever African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction!

Despite my doubts, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself truly touched, yet entertained by the musical adaptation I saw just last year. The theatrical performance was welldeveloped, with talent and harmony, lacing the narrative with creativity.

Brenda Russell, Allee

The format of the scenes and overall production did a more than adequate job at representing the characters and sceneries. Bright yellow curtains, purple lighting, wooden fences and visual additions, such as trees and greenery through projection, greatly accompanied the acting and singing. When it comes to the costumes, the

The continuous attention the novel gets, especially as the musical took place exactly fortytwo years after its release is enormous. This is expected of a classic, yet some may question why this one? Well, for starters, there is still a substantial amount of truth to the statement that the prevailing issues back then, continue in today’s societies. For example, the George Floyd case in Minnesota, hundreds of girls poisoned