UW Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department

We’re starting to think about the Fall already, and the first show up will be “Dracula,” directed by Angela Iannone. Angela’s a director who always comes into the process with a ton of visual research and a pretty firm sense of how she would like to use the playing space. This image is a very preliminary consideration of where her thoughts about how the space might work meet my thoughts about how the space might work. She knows she wants to have a playing space through the audience, though she wants to go diagonally across the theatre (we’re in the black box for this one); this means that audience on the far side has to walk through the set to get to their seats. I asked her to consider a more traditional stadium seating arrangement. We’ll see where we head next!

I finally finished my Sketchup rendering of “The Coronation of Poppea,” right down to the end table, standards, and benches. The only thing I’m not particular happy with is the direction of the fabric on the side stages — I have figure out how to rotate texture directions. And now, having worked through this, I think I will be giving the Graphics Seminar a much simpler task for their project. . .

Student Propmaster Krissy Fisher working on the spinning plates.

Students working in the costume shop.

Student lighting designer Lexie Strullmyer focussing. The floor now has an exciting checkerboard pattern!

I finished the second garden flat. . .

and moved onto the city flats.

Ever closer on the Sketchup model of The Coronation of Poppea. Now to address the side stages, with their fabric swags and benches.

Still putting together the Sketchup rendering of “The Coronation of Poppea.”

Now that the show is up, I’ve been trying to catch up with grading and meetings.  I finally made it back down to the theatre this afternoon after student KCACTF project reviews (in preparation for the upcoming conference) to take a few pictures of the finished set.

  A final note:   We will be striking the set Saturday night, moving it into the Barnett theatre until we learn from the KCACTF folks if it has been selected to travel to the conference in January.  If not, we get to dismantle it.  If yes, we have to find out what type of space they will put us into (proscenium, arena. . .?) and adjust accordingly.   Then we have to get rolling on “The Drowsy Chaperone,” the scenery of which is being designed by student Keenan Minogue.

The final stretch.  Three more of the botanical prints, in various stages of completion.  The one in the middle will become acorns.

Another one of the prints, finished.  That’s technical director Steve Chene, coming to get it and put it onto the set.

The stones for the pond, done.  That’s student Chris James (also in the show) standing off to the side.  He’s about to pour water into the pond.

The set under worklights, as we wait for final dress to begin.  Is it done?  Not quite — two more prints to finish, a bit more stone work on the benches, and all the pipes need to go brown.  Am I happy that we are behind?  No.

During final dress.  Costume design by Tracey Lyons.  Lighting design by Steve Chene.

During rehearsal last night.  It’s at points like this, when we’re a bit behind, that I miss the students who decided to go ahead and graduate on time rather than stick around a few more years and continue developing their painting skills.  I’m talking about you, Candace.

All the prints I have so far painted in the air.  There are about eight more to go.  Today, however, is about carving rocks. 

Some of the students covering the rocks with muslin and glue.

The rocks, drying.

And finally, the stone benches getting their stone treatment.

Two of today’s botanical print frenzy.

And they start going up into the air.   Fun note:  the students didn’t bother to glue together the beam foam before they started carving the rocks on Friday, which was not discovered until today.  So today, the foam is being glued, and tomorrow, I get to put aside my paint brushes and carve like the wind.  Excitement.