Scenic Design
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Direction - Bryan Halprin
Lighting Design - David Nelson
Costume - Gay Bean
This project was a New Hampshire Premiere. A massive undertaking by a wonderful community theater group that has been around for nearly a century. Hunchback has always been one of my favorite Disney movies because the music is so operatic. It was a big challenge finding space on our small historic stage for a cast of nearly 50. The chorus sat in the wings, and the walls behind the chorus were solid masking. The walls in the middle of the stage were made with theatrical gauze, which allowed them to disappear for our outdoor sequences. Additional scenic elements like benches, a moving tower, and rolling platforms helped create the height and depth needed to tell this story.
This production won Best Scenic Design, and Best Lighting Design in Community theater in the 2017 New Hampshire Theater Awards.
Direction - Bryan Halprin
Lighting Design - Andrew Pinard
Costume - Lynn Head
Barnum
We began with a basic skeleton of how this set might work, open stage, procenium, and a curtain that would serve as a projection screen. I took the idea and ran with it. I saw an irresistible opportunity to stretch my traditional scenic painting techniques and aesthetics to put us in the height of the vaudeville era. The marquetry floor, proscenium, and Austrian curtain are all painted to look like wood, gold, and fabric. The illusion of the techniques mirrored the illusions that Barnum was so good at crafting.
The play has many references and lyrics to "black and white" and bright colors vs natural colors. We wanted to incorporate red and gold circus colors in the set but also be in a monochromatic world to reflect all of the discussion of the opposites of reality and the fantasy Barnum lived in. To achieve this dual-world challenge, I layered vibrant colors under the more monochromatic colors of the wood grain texture layers. All these layers combine in a sepia kind of world. The costumes continued the conversation between stark reality fantasy through the neutral tones the ensemble wore and the color outfits of Barnum and the collection of 'freakshow' characters.
This production won the 2017 NH Theater Awards - Best Musical Theater Production.
Direction/Choreography - Chaz Wolcott
La Cage Aux Folles
This show is one that everyone must work on at some point. It's about family members an being able to accept themselves and the people they love.
photographs courtesy of Jane Button Photography
Direction - Jill Pinard
Lighting Design - Andrew Pinard
Costume - Lynn Head
Macbeth
I designed and fabricated these rocks, and platform facings. We wanted to have a simple unit set that was possibly a field in Scotland. I discovered that there are lots of mystery standing stones scattered about the Scottish countryside that conveniently offered options for levels and directing options to tell the story.
Amelia
Direction - Bryan Halprin
Lighting Design - Tyler Soucy
Costume - Gay Bean
This is a civil war era love story. Amelia disguises herself as a soldier to makes a treacherous journey to reunite with her true love. One actor plays Amelia, while the other plays all the other characters Amelia comes across. We wanted simple set that would allow for a sense of travel and timelessness. More specific settings were illustrated by projections on a rough canvas that also served as a shadow screen for some of the more graphic moments. The illustrations were creating digitally to feel like newspaper etchings of the time.
Direction - Scott Severance
Lighting Design - Andrew Pinard
Stones in His Pockets
This is a melancholy play about a small town in Ireland invaded by the filming of a Hollywood movie. Two actors play all 13 of the roles, so costume and scene changes needed to flow seamlessly. The director wanted a minimal set with just enough elements to tell the story. Most of the play is outside while filming, but there are scenes in the pub, church, and offices. The landscape is the main reason that the movie chose this town to film, so we created our environment in a field near the city. The indoor scenes were furnished with the usual table and chairs brought on and off by the actors.