UW Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department

After conversation with the director, I’ve ripped apart the model and tried out a few different configurations. She liked the over all look of the thing, but really needed some backstage crossover space. In the corner of the Hicklin, that’s problematic — add a concealed crossover, we lose a fair amount of stage stage, and/or start losing seating if we push the set forward. Budgetarily, losing the front row is impossible. It’s a juggling act, but I think I’ve figured out the middle path.

With the groundplan figured out, it was time to move on to an elevation. Since the model is no more, I wanted to get this completed as soon as possible to have posted by the time students arrive next week.

Now that I’ve watercolored a bunch of clouds, I’m cutting them out into tree shapes.

There are a couple of reasons I’ve chosen to fore-go the 3D computer modeling (Sketchup) on this show. First is that with the trees, clouds, the curved walls, etc, there were enough reasonably non-geometrically complex features on the set to make me want to go analog; I would spend too much time in Sketchup trying to make it look how I wanted it to look and still not get as close as I would like to. There are spatial things I wanted to work out in real space.

Second, I discovered last year that sharing the 3D computer model with the directors actually confused them — if they didn’t actually have the program on their computers, and weren’t familiar with manipulating their way through the model, it was just another 2D image. and not as expressive as a painted rendering. It’s much, much easier to move a couple of paper figures through an actual model than it is for the directors to move them through the virtual version. A 3D model on a computer screen is still, ultimately, a 2D image.

Finally, with the time it takes to make a detailed computer rendering, I could build the model and still draft the whole set by hand. While the computer model would certainly have a high degree of detail that the tech director can use, I found last year that there was a lot of detail that was better off described with a note on a plate of drafting.

Now that “Master Class” is open, it’s back to departmental shows. Our first of the year is Neil Haven’s “Come Back,” so here’s the drafting table as I begin to work out the ground plan. Since the set is mainly comprised of curved walls, I’ve decided to work out the ground plan via a model to get a better handle of the spatial relationships and distances.

And here is the beginning of the wood plank floor:

Further step by step photos of the plot for “Master Class” in progress:

Drafting the overstage plate for “Master Class.”

It’s final dress for “Muskie Love” tonight. Here are the renderings and the groundplan pinned to the hallway bulletin board outside the theatre. When I started at Whitewater, I discovered that most of the Intro students doing their shop hours really didn’t have a sense of what the final product was to be, so I started hanging the drawings up outside our TD’s office so if they were at least interested, they could go take a look.

A view of the stage from one end. . .

. . . and the view from the other.

Roy’s bait shop sign. Since I’m not painting this summer in an attempt to let my hands have a break from the carpal tunnel, all the painting was done by students (and our TD, Steve) without my immediate supervision. I think they did a pretty solid job of it (though I apparently forget to tell them to age the fish as they did the letters — my fault, since they were working off a photo for that).

Finally, I’ve got “Master Class” on the drafting table. This is a lighting design for an August production at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. I have to get the plot and hookup finished and sent off no later than Thursday night.

The floor treatment for Roy’s bait shop and the dock.

One of the gimmicks of the show is fishing in a boat the actors push around with their feet.

Paint treatment for Roy’s sign and the boat.

And down in the theatre, the floor is primed for the floor treatment. . .

As stage manager/propsmistress/painter Alison watches TD Steve Chene mix color for the floor. That’s Cat hiding behind the door, there.

Here’re Alison and Joe working on the partner desk for “Deathtrap.” I pretty much gave Steve a photo and said go for it. Alison, after sprucing up the rest of the furniture in the show, went ahead and figured out the paint treatment for this piece. Way to go, Alison!

Meanwhile, I worked up the floor treatment for “Muskie Love.” Next on the agenda; the boat.

Meanewhile, beginning on drafting for “Muskie Love.”

Spending some time today finishing the rendering of “Muskie Love” before heading into Milwaukee for “The Winter’s Tale” tech.