UW Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department

Working up the idea  for November’s production of Love’s Labors Lost from the original thumbnail — the ‘labyrinth of love,’  ordering nature, controlling nature, accepting that not everything can be ordered.  Jim Butchart, the director, liked where it is going.  We both agreed the blue curtain was overpowering and will likely change that into a series of painted panels.  The smaller branch panels suspended on pipes will also become less Japanese with more summery foliage;  there will also be three or four sizes of panels.   We also discussed how to get a bit of untamed nature in the space, and will be considering the possibility of a small pool and flowing stream.  On my way to my Library Services Committee I realized that using botanical illustrations from circa 1880 (the  period in which costumes will be designed) might a really interesting way to bring a sense of scholarly illusion to the world.

Preliminary doodle for UW-Whitewater’s November’s production of Love’s Labors Lost.    A stack of low circular platforms with curved benches and hedges with a thicket of ‘billboards’ upstage.   Branches and blossoms stenciled on the billboards, twining vines stenciled around the perimeters of the platforms.  I also desire topiary.  Now to sell it to the director.

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Aladdin, with new central arch, side image/masking flats that will move center for the street scenes, and pillows downloaded from the Google Sketchup Warehouse.

First day of classes, first day of production meetings and the return to Aladdin.  Aladdin is our second show of the semester, and is a children’s piece that we tour to various schools and venues throughout southeastern Wisconsin.  This, of course, means that while we have one fully mounted performance in the Barnett Theatre, the set must fit in the back of a van and be flexible enough to accomodate theatres, classrooms, gyms, and cafeterias, all with widely varying dimensions and accomodations.