Almost finished with the elevation, so I asked Jim Butchart (the director) to take a look. He approved. I still have to allow a bit of space off right to allow the Narrator to slip off beside the tree, which means opening the main act a foot, which means revealing more structure stage left as well. Now to run it past our TD (Steve Chene) and see if we can build it. . .
“Into the Woods” on the drafting table, developing the elevation. With all the layers of trees and structure, I’m drawing from the front to back. In this image, the downstage most sets of trees have been finished.
Taking the aerial view from the Sketchup rough work-up of Into the Woods, I’m working up the groundplan. It may seem a bit of a backwards way to work, but I find that while Sketchup is good for tossing around basic structures, once you get into thinking about detail, you have to figure out how to build the detail before you can add the detail to the model. It’s easier to simply draw it, and then, once I know how the detail works on paper, I can go back and build it in the 3D space. More useful accidents happen on paper.
I’ve laid out the footprint of the space, made some changes, and will now take this preliminary groundplan and work up an elevation in which I can incorporate more detail (that Russian Constructivist book open in the corner is informing things — the director would like climbables. . .). Then it will be back to the groundplan to work in those discoveries.
At the same time, there are all the costume design projects from Intro to Theatre I have to get graded. . .
And “Into the Woods” hits the drafting table.
“Anything to Declare?” opens this morning with our student matinee. Below are two photos from last night’s final dress.
A moment from the series of revelations late in Act Three (Act One takes place in the same locale — the Dupont’s parlor).
And a moment from Act Two, Zeze’s garret, when her maid comes to inform her that she has a vistor in the midst entertaining another vistor. . .
I must admit to be being happier with how the second act turned out. The wireframe elements that were supposed to top the walls for Act 1/3 didn’t work — the wire used was too soft and bendy and it was impossible to get the clean sweeps and swirls I’d hoped for. Oh well.