Step up to the bar…

This week has been a challenge.  After a long but productive weekend last weekend, I was unable to work at all this week.  A battle with the common cold curtailed my activities in the scenic shop.  So, today I got back at it.

IMG_0294Last weekend I detailed the bar and built the top half of the back bar.  This is the last major component of the set to be tackled.  Today, Melanie has to work at her real job and Kate is out of town for a couple of days with family.  So, I jumped into the shop alone to attack the bottom half of the back bar.  It is really just a big box made of 2×2 lumber and covered in luan plywood and I had little trouble dealing with it alone.  After making the box (8-feet long, 3-feet high and 1-foot deep), I applied some 1×4 trim to the fact of it to make it look like doors.  A 2×2 around the top edge, taped in, makes a counter top. (more…)

A productive weekend…

IMG_0285Well, we had a productive weekend in the shop.  I had committed to spending Friday evening and Saturday designing, focusing and programming lights for a friend who is directing a production of “Fiddler on the Roof” at Looking Glass Playhouse. So, I didn’t get into the shop to work on Atomic until Sunday.

On Thursday, Sharon painted the big wall.  So, the first thing that Kate and I did on Sunday morning was to stick the windows and doors back in for a quick photo and then take it apart and store it until load in next week.

The last big piece(s) to build are the front an back bars.  There is also a table to build that can hold the weight of an actor, but that is easy…

(more…)

First major piece, ready for paint…

Our set for "Atomic" consists of two major playing areas, the bar area, and the ROOM.  The ROOM is a fairly generic, 1930's era room with the ceiling defined by the floating beams and dish lights. The ROOM serves as locations for almost the whole show and varies as a college classroom, a lab, Leo and Trude's home, and some location for a wedding/funeral.  So, it has to be a bit timeless and

It’s been a big few weeks!

It has been a busy and BIG last couple of months. In March, we had "American Idiot" onstage at New Line Theatre which ran to sold out houses for EVERY SINGLE PERFORMANCE!!!! The reviews were wonderful and the show really rocked...literally! I provided scenic design and fabrication for the show. Following that, we ran "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at Stray Dog Theatre.  For this production

The design is about wrapped up

Last Monday evening, Atomic rehearsals kicked off with a meeting of the production staff. So, I had to scramble to get the ideas all down on paper for the design. In the last post, I described all of the components and showed some examples. I posted a floor plan of the set. I even posted a few images of some things that I had already purchased.  So, I want to talk about each of the pieces

Atomic, so what am I thinking???

In my last post, I described the time period, a couple of key locations and the general aesthetic of my vision for the set of Atomic.  I also discussed that we would be placing the seating on both sides of a playing area that runs down the middle of the room. I think that with this seating concept for the show, we will out the band against the opposite wall.  I should have about 17' between the