Process shots

I have some interesting photos to share of some of the building processes of our scenery. The first two shows of the summer, Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Pinkalicious, shared a set (with lots of different elements to distinguish two very different shows)

Early during load in of Lovers.

Later on during load in...what a difference a carpet can make!

 Pinkalicious, the first kids show of the season, had some fun projects for our shop to make. My staff carpenter, Meg, and our intern Chris built nestling ottomans that formed a circle.

structure.

covered with muslin and lots of glue.

the counterpart piece, painted and drying!

I built a table for Pinkalicious that rotated at the center to become a seat.

inside is a steel pipe and a series of supports allowing the table to actually be two halves.

finished view

used in the show as a table....

and as a doctor's chair!

the table was standable as well. (there are lots of safety rules about structures that can be stood on and danced on in the theater).

Scenic design for Lovers by Ken Goldstein; design for Pinkalicious by Marthe Hoffmann. All photos taken by Meg Hurley.

Thank you for reading! For more information on the Hangar Theater, including our internship, apprentice, and educational programs, please visit the website here.

July!

Wow, it has been a month since I last wrote. A lot has happened here in Ithaca! We had a successful run of Last of the Red Hot Lovers, our comedic season opener. During the 2 weeks of performances, we built our next show, a big musical called Gypsy.  This show is all about the death of vaudeville and the transitions people have to go through in life.

Photo: Meg Hurley. Scenic Design: Brian Prather

For the scene shop, Gypsy had some interesting bits and pieces, but it wasn't a show that could come together until we loaded it in all the way (for example, no walls to test fit or furniture pieces to build). We had a series of platforms 8' in the air that were held up by pipes and a spiral staircase; this platforming is where the band lived for performances.  We built a delicate false proscenium that framed the opening of the stage and had light bulbs set (see above!) There was also an intricate flooring border that took some time to build and piece together with the footlights.

Photo: Meg Hurley. Scenic Design: Brian Prather

The placards on either side of the stage changed from scene to scene with descriptions or locations; we built and maintained 34 of these. The holders are beautiful pieces my staff carpenter Meg built.

Photo: Meg Hurley. Scenic Design: Brian Prather

Photo: Meg Hurley. Scenic Design: Brian Prather

Photo: Meg Hurley. Scenic Design: Brian Prather

Gypsy closes tonight and we go into changeover for our next show, 4,000 Miles. More updates to come soon!