International Baccalaurate

Theatre

Play title, author and published edition

Production Proposal

Page Count: 12
Word Count: 3929

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Section One
Ideas and Intentions
The text “Accidental Death of An Anarchist” is a comedic play filled with political purpose
presented through a farcical theme. Its contents include strong satirization of the police,
corruption, and brutality in a send-up style that exaggerates dialogues but remains relevant
because of its inspiration from real-world events.

The author of the play, Dario Fo, wrote it in 1970

in reference to the scandal that took place in
December of 1969 concerning the Milan police
force in Italy, where a railwayman and anarchist
was taken into police custody under the assumption
that he had committed a terrorist attack, only for
the police force to claim later that he jumped from
the 4th floor into his death in a suicide after being
overtaken by the grief of being found out.
Later, suspicions grew in the police’s statement, as
the anarchist's name was cleared from the terrorist
attack, and the policemen interrogating him were
accused of defenestrating him by many news
outlets.

Satirization of the Police

The idea of satirizing police is central to the play
and evident in its dialogue, where many policemen
are portrayed as incompetent and irritable. For
example, Inspector Bertozzo arrests a “maniac” for
impersonating a university professor. The maniac
has had many convictions of false impersonation
before, as evident in page 126, where the inspector
reads out his multiple past convictions. The maniac succeeds in making a fool out of the
inspector in a comedic fashion. On page 132, the inspector is irritated by how the maniac toys
with him, saying, “Sit down and Shut up.” This only seems to escalate, with the inspector
eventually kicking out the manic, letting him go on page 134 instead of arresting him because
of how annoying he is, which showcases his incompetence. Furthermore, the inspector’s
incompetence is shown clearly by failing to lock the door when he kicks out the maniac,
allowing him to move right back in and impersonate the inspector on the phone on the same
page.

Other members of the police are also portrayed with negative traits. The constable to the
inspector is portrayed as a coward, being scared of the maniac’s threats of biting him on page
132, where he says to the inspector, “But he bites, sir!”. Or an idiot yes-man who cannot is
confused about whether to follow the orders of the maniac or the inspector on page 133. His
portrayal as an idiot is reinforced late in Act 2. The maniac impersonates a judge, then a

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forensic scientist, and the constable keeps nodding yes to the ridiculous suggestions of his
superiors. We see this case 180, where he responds, “Very possible, sir,” to the
superintendent's claim that clocks run late by whole minutes to justify the transparency in the
police ordering an ambulance before the anarchist supposedly killed himself.
The rest of the police force is also portrayed as a circus played against themselves by the
maniac. The maniac’s disguise as a judge tricks the officer in the sports jacket and the
superintendent. After gaining their trust, they fall for the maniac’s suggestions of slowly
admitting guilt to killing the anarchist. As we can see on page 179, the maniac reels the
officers to trust him in supporting their case against a skeptical journalist, only for him to
rebound to seemingly condemn them but then follow back and defend them again in a twist
of words. We see the superintendent saying sarcastically, “A fine support you’re turning out
to be…. You’re MAD!” On page 184, the maniac goes once more to reel the police to
support ideas against their interests in what seems to be their defense. He goes on an
anarchistic rant about capitalism to justify a point, to which the superintendent instinctively
responds, “Well said, Captain!” because he’s trying to let the maniac cover his crime with any
coherent argument, even if it goes against his own morals.

Critique of Police Corruption

Beyond satirization, a critical portrayal of police corruption and brutality in this satirical
fashion is also central to the play, which goes hand in hand with the comedic aspect.

The police force are portrayed as intentional murderers of the anarchist railwayman, despite
knowing that he’s innocent. This is exemplified by how the maniac tears into the story of the
police in how the anarchist died and on what basis they suspected him, starting on page 148
of the script. they admit to having made up evidence against him to make him nervous on
page 151, and on page 156, they forge documents to prove their innocence. The officer in the
sports jacket threatens the journalist coming to investigate the case by saying, “Careful
miss… loose talk can be a dangerous thing….” when she pokes holes in their story by
mentioning bruises on the back of the anarchist's body on page 180. On page 181, the police
superintendent scolds the maniac for suggesting that the police dropped the man; he gets
nervous and tries to stop him from talking to the journalist. The police never admit to outright
killing him, but just like in real life, in the case of the suspicious death of the railwayman, it is
a strong implication, as the case remains officially unresolved today.

Critique of Capitalism and Spectacle Society

A scathing critique of capitalism and its effects on the workers, as well as the relation of the
police’s interest in maintaining it, is ironically provided in this text. It’s provided by the
maniac as a defense of the police against the journalist’s accusations, which all police
members thus enthusiastically support and agree with. We can see this in Act 2 Scene 1 on
page 184, where the maniac, as the authority of the police officers, agrees that “it all goes
back to class prejudice.” The maniac also ironically concludes in his defense of the police to
the journalist that scandals are good because they advance society and that modern societies
live on the spectacle of scandals and are numb to them. He states on page 202, “SCANDAL

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IS THE FERTILISER OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY,” and on page 206, “Who cares! The
important thing is to have a good scandal,” before going on another unhinged rant.

Theatre-making intention
Throughout the direction and staging of the play, I aim to achieve the following goals:
1. Portray the corruption of police in how they handle the case.
2. Create a comedic environment of a send-up that exaggerates the negative traits of
police.
3. Provide a critique of modern institutions and spectacles on scandals
4. Maintain the active pace of comedy while building the audience’s suspicions of the
police.

To develop these intentions further, I will address their implications and explain what’s
needed for their success.

Unlike a lot of plays handling political issues such as police brutality, the audience must not
necessarily be familiar with the background of the case. While it would prove helpful in
understanding where the plot of the play is going, it won’t be needed to enjoy or appreciate
the play. Most importantly, such background information won’t be needed because it does not
contribute to achieving any of the goals of the intention.

Behavior: The first two goals of portraying police corruption and satirizing them go hand in
hand, where the portrayal of the exaggerated traits contributes to their guilt and corrupted
image. Thus, I intend to direct the actor playing the maniac to use over-the-top movements
and settings to capture his eccentric character truly. However, this must come in contrast to
the more rational and normal-acting police officers, who start to act more eccentric and
aggressive as they keep interacting with the maniac.

In short, I want the police officers to start out acting like typical corrupt images of a police
officer in a naturalistic style but to dip into fear and insanity slowly, exemplified in their
aggressive and outrageous behavior, as they interact more with the manic, who maintains an
eccentric behavior in an absurdist style throughout the entire play. Such a transition also helps
build suspicion in the police as they start to act irrationally.

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As we see in the Freytag pyramid above, to provide a critique of modern societal spectacle
culture that thrives on scandals, the previous goals need to be achieved first.

As for the casting of the actors, I see it is necessary for both the designer and director to pick
the actors based on voice projection and flexibility in motion and tone. Bit general of most
plays? This is especially important for the character of the maniac, as we see him use
different props, such as a faux arm and a wooden leg, throughout the play, and he changes his
demeanor multiple times throughout it, too. Sometimes, he does so suddenly without prior
warning, requiring specific training to achieve an aesthetic result that doesn’t seem unnatural.
To achieve my last intention, it’s also necessary to get an actor able to do all of the above
with high stamina, as the maniac keeps the heightened tension going for almost the entirety of
the play.

The aim of the set design is to provide the feel of a busy police office, full of folders and files
everywhere with overflowing cabinets. All to project the chaos that unfolds in the office with
the maniac’s presence. However, the set should also be compatible with the demands of the
script; there should be a window, a desk with a cabinet next to it, and two exits with a
justification for why a normal office would have two portals of entry. Realistic design style?

The aim of the lighting in this comedy is to be there but not noticeable. As in, there should be
an aim of setting no unsudden light changes, nor making the light too bright or dim, or
washing the stage with bright colors. In short, the lighting should be unremarkable to the
audience.

Finally, while the play originally takes place in 1970s Italy, with the officers possibly wearing
police coats and old sports jackets as so:

I aim to modernize the costumes, bringing modern police wear and sports jackets for a
modern audience. Why? Why use sports jackets for police officers…unless plain clothes…?
Ai better than Aii where you might align writers intentions more with your own? Unpack the
details in Aii 4 max + 3 = 7/8

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Section 2
Set and Props
This play takes place in 2 settings. However, the two settings are quite similar. They represent
the third and fourth floors of the same police building, with the only difference being the
portrait of the Italian Prime Minister and the sign above one of the doors, which says,
“3rd/4th Floor.”

The staging appropriate for this kind of play would be an end-on black box theatre with no
apron or thrust. The end-on theatre will provide the correct shape for a standard boxy police
office. At the same time, the play does not require audience interaction or engagement. Thus,
the characters need to be visually separate in their own spaces, not breaking the fourth wall
between the performers and the audience.

Much more professional if not done on…lined paper…! Front sketch lacks detail & quality.
This appears to be a simple design, containing a large empty space in the middle. This space
is necessary for the sporadic movements of the maniac and the characters that follow him

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around. However, the space will be filled with many props and artifacts, and it allows for
flexibility in redesigning the props based on the size of the stage.

Some necessary stage props that are essential for the stage design include:

1. Window and Blinds

The window plays a central role in the play, as the entire discussion revolves around whether
or not the anarchist threw himself out of the window. I envision the window in the middle of
the back wall, preferably designed as a 3D prop with actual glass built in, but it can also be
painted on or printed onto the wall. It would show the building opposite the police office,
where multiple journalists saw the jumping of the anarchist. The window must also have
blinds either on it or raised above it to add visual support to the dialogue in Act Two Scene
One.

2. Desks, Chairs and Cabinets

These props constitute the offices of the police. There are two sets on each floor for the
constable, inspector, superintendent, and “sports jacket” officer.
It’s important that the chairs are movable and the desks are open from below in order to
facilitate the scene where the maniac is hiding under the desk. Another important detail is that
the cabinets must be full of folders and files, which the maniac can then rummage through.
The desks must also include smaller supplementary props, like pens, paper, folders, a phone
on the desktop, and a trash can beside it. In aims of modernization, I also include laptops or
desktop computers on the desks with police badges to show the modern setting more familiar
to the audience.

3. Doors and Signs

Two doors are needed on opposite sides to fulfill the stage requirements for both floors. To
justify this, in an office, one door is the normal entrance, and the other will be classified as an
emergency exit. The doors should be actual structures, as struggles occur around them,
opening and closing. Finally, two signs must be above the doors to designate the floor to
distinguish between acts 1 and 2, and a sign must be placed to show the emergency exit.

4. Italian Prime Minister Portrait and Posters

A portrait of the prime minister of Italy, as well as posters for Italy and the Italian police, are
needed to add depth to the set. They are placed on the walls around the window.
A good front sketch set design would clearly show these details…

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Costumes
For the costumes of the police, I aim to modernize uniforms but still take inspiration from the
Italian police.

I took inspiration from real modern Italian uniforms; the

uniform on the left will fit one officer because of the sports
jacket. However, I envision the sports jacket in the play to
be open, exposing the officer’s undergarments and thick
chest hair.
I envision the jacket to look like this:

Again…poor sketch…

As for the other officers, I envision them wearing another style of Italian police uniform,
mainly the stylish milan winter uniforms.

However, an addition I would add to it is the removal of the

capes they’re wearing and the addition of police trench coats
like the following:

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All of the previous is done to emphasize the comedic factor in the play, satirizing the
incompetence of the police force with police stereotypes, showing them as stereotypical
“deadbeats” with open jackets and wife-beater tank tops. In short, the police send-up fashion
is shown visually through the costumes. But the protagonist costume design conspicuously
missing…!

Lighting

The lighting of the play will be simple, with some minor nuance.

Simplistic, uninformative and on lined paper again…!

As visualized in the figure above, I intend for the play to have a general whitewash lighting,
but all of the lights should generally point in the direction of the central window.

The fresnel lights will naturally light the whole stage, and their positioning from multiple
angles focused on the center of the back wall, that being the window, will show the window
as the brightest place on the entire stage. This is natural, as even if indoor lights light the
office, the brightest spot will always be the window where sunlight enters.

I also aim to show the variety between the sunlight and the indoor lights, as the two lights
have different wavelengths and look different to the human eye. For this reason, I’ve installed
blue spotlights aimed at the window of the back wall. This focus will mix the blue light with
the white light, showing the reflection of the sky’s blue color in the morning and giving the

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window a natural feel that’s not very pronounced to the point that it feels unnatural because
of its mixture with the whitewash.
Generally good but let down by your visuals. Don’t forget the criterion states, “visual
production design ideas”...more detail on the distinctions between the two sets? 3/4
Section 3

I chose the moment of the Maniac’s conversation with the journalist and his discovery by
Inspector Bertozzo to signify special moments of TEAM. The moment is in Act Two Scene
One, from page 190 to page 196 of the script.

Tension

- In terms of performance, I want the Journalist, who speaks first in this scene, to be
highly sarcastic and skeptical. Her tone is critical during this scene; I want it to be
dismissive and exaggerated. For example, when she says, “I’m sure that everything
you said was true,” I want her to drag out her words and wave her arms around, even
rolling her eyes and flicking her hair as she does so. In the same manner, It’s
preferable if the actress playing the journalist tilts her he’d forward when listening to
the maniac’s many monologues. I also want her to raise one of her eyebrows and look
at the maniac as if he’s outlandish through her head tilt. This would solidify her
skeptical tone and add to the tension in the room, as that tone keeps her asking
questions that go against the police’s narrative, thus giving way for the maniac to dig
deeper into his subtle exposure to police crimes. Refer to specific details in the text
more…

As for the maniac’s performance, I aim for him to be eccentric and sporadic in his
monologues’ movement and speech. He should be walking around when he starts
each long monologue. Preferably, I want him to walk in circles around the characters
he’s interacting with, not staying still at all. Their eyes should follow him, and they
remain intrigued and cautious of him. At specific points (when he makes a loud point
clear, for instance), he should jump in front of the face of the character he’s talking to
or appear to jump in from behind their back, gently startling them. This surprise at his
sudden movements should be seen clearly in the actors’ facial expressions. For
example, when the maniac intervenes sporadically to distract from the inspector’s
accusations on page 193. The manic jumps in front of the journalist, raising his finger
and saying, “What are you trying to suggest?!”

Finally, a performance element contributing to the scene's tension is undeniably the

inspector's active suspicion towards the maniac and then his discovery.
I want the inspector in this scene to show a tone of aggression and anger towards the
maniac and everyone else around him. I want the actor to internalize the feeling of
pointing out the obvious to people around him as if he sees through his disguises as
clear as daylight, but people simply dismiss him over and over again. Exactly when?

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 This stems from pure suspicion and a vague memory of the maniac’s appearance.
However, the tension from the inspector’s aggressive tone escalates with the
dismissive attitude of the other police officers. For example, on page 190, when the
inspector asks, “Who are you?! Who is he?!” when asking the officers about the
maniac, I want him to point his finger with a full extended at the maniac very
accusatively as if already to condemn him of an accusation with the question.\
The issue only escalates with the kicking and forced sit-downs the inspector endures
until he explodes with rage and attacks the maniac, taking off his eye patch and
revealing his facade. The repeated dismissals of the inspector escalate into his
aggressive action, and the build-up until that final moment contributes to the tension
of the scene.

This scene is packed full of action and conversation, as at any point, there are two
separate groups having their own performances; what makes it more tense is that
these two groups (The maniac /Journalist and officers) interact with each other and
move in between separate parts of the room. This multifaceted plot contributes to the
tension in the scene. Could be illustrated more closely by the text?

-drawing of the two groups positioning on stage.

- In terms of production elements, the main prop contributing to tension in this scene is
the eye patch of the maniac, which is the target of the inspector’s attacks. It’s useful
because it stands out to the audience and the inspector as the one thing hiding the
maniac’s true identity. The inspector’s suspicions hinge on the eye patch, pointing his
accusations towards it. I want the eyepatch not to be black but a bright color like
turquoise or gold. This is to show the eccentric part of the maniac’s character as well
as to call to attention how outlandish such an eye patch is. To contribute to it standing
out to the audience and to portray the true extent of the inspector's feelings towards it,
I want the eyepatch to be lamented or sprinkled with a lot of glitter. This is to make it
stand out in the wash lights, as it would sprinkle and reflect the light coming from the
fresnel lights towards the audience with every move and turn the maniac makes. It
calls for immediate attention, and the audience would feel the same relief the
inspector feels when he finally tears it off.

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Atmosphere

- In terms of production elements, I want the props used by the manic to contribute to
the comedic atmosphere of the play at this specific moment. The most prominent part
is his fake hand, replaced by a fake “Unisex” hand. I want the hands to be obviously
color-coded. This means I want his first fake hand to be full of hand hair, with big
fingers, fingernails, and unkempt fingertips. I also want it to be wearing a grotesque
metal watch with scarring around multiple areas of the fingers to appear entirely
masculine. I want the actor to show this arm prominently, waving it around and
showing it to the audience in the clear whitewash light. Doing the same to the Unisex
hand, I want it to be feminine, with very fair and glistening skin, speckless fingers,
and painted nails. I also want a gold bracelet or a woman’s watch around the wrist,
with small silver rings around the fingers. This contributes to the comedic atmosphere
by showcasing the strong contrast between the maniac’s hands and his decision to
suddenly switch as if they’re interchangeable in the ironic fashion of comedy used
throughout the play.

One more production element that contributes to the comedic atmosphere is the use of
secondary actors hidden in the audience as part of a joke on page 191, where the
maniac calls on his spies, who are everywhere, and they respond from the audience in
unison. For the maximum effect of the audience gaining the comedic atmosphere
from this joke, I want the spies to be randomly dispersed throughout the audience’s
seats. Their number depends on the size of the audience. Second, I want them to wear
plain clothes, but all have a police cap in their pockets or jackets. They will pull it out
and wear it, standing up and saluting as they say, “YES, SIR!”. I also want dim lights
to spotlight each of them briefly to show the audience what’s happening clearly
without blinding them.

- Map of possible distribution through the audience

Meaning

- In terms of performance elements, I want the last monologues of the manic inside the
scene about capitalism and the ordinary worker on page 196 to be completely serious
and detached from any ironic tone. The mere message it conveys in its context of the
maniac trying to defend corrupt police is ironic. However, the monologues are long
enough to make the change of tone from ironic to severe noticeable, and the audience
would be forced to sit through a political lecture about the fundamentals of
anticapitalist critique. I also want the journalist's tone to be serious and any
background noise or chatter from the other characters to be halted entirely. All of this
will give real meaning to the moment of serious critique of society and give the
audience a moment to think and reflect before being jumped straight back into the
comedic, ironic critique style of the rest of the play.

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Generally good, though a page under the recommended, though if you are adding diagrams,
that will take care of that. More detailed reference to text in Ci. 6 maybe ⅞. Currently, this
would give you a firm 6…work on my notes and particularly your visuals to achieve a 7…

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