Research and Images

My primary research for the Velvet Sky centered around the mental and physical side effects of severe sleep deprivation, especially in the case of a mother. I found a fascinating, and terrifyingly-applicable article about a mother who endured a painful 3-day birthing process, then subsequently slept for no more than 45 minutes a night for the following 2 years while her son faced extreme health problems. She spoke of feelings of physical illness, of extreme depression and suicidal thoughts, and of visceral hallucinations, including one in which she witnessed her son's head lift from his neck and spin in a circle.
While I do not believe this lays the burden of truth upon our production of The Velvet Sky, I think it provides a tremendous opportunity to create a deeply-cerebral world in which the action pays homage to Bethany's feelings and symptoms. Sacasa is liberal with hyperbole about Bethany's condition, as thirteen years is an impossibly-long time for someone to live without sleep. Her world is less seen by her eyes, more created by her mind, and I think we have the theatrical tools to bring this "dream world" to life.
To inspire me, I read through some of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" graphic novel series. The illustrations are fantastically warped and saturated with color, and portray enormous and epic images of the brain-creations of several characters. Here are a couple of other images that I feel evoke the mood I'm seeking (I do not own any of these images):

For higher-resolution versions, see the album HERE.