CHANGE IS GOOD

Well, I can now, three days before the production, say that the set for the second year production of METAMORPHOSIS is complete. After three weeks of work it's finally time to sit back and watch the show, but their were definitely bumps along this adventure. 

The concept for the set changed in ways.

1. There are still three flats, but only the middle section is a two-piece fold. The stage left 

    section is now three pieces, and the stage right section, four.

2. The tent is no longer alone on stage left, but now attached to the last piece of the stage      left section, with access from behind the flat. This will allow for Nathan (ASM, PROPS)      to control the light dimmer for the tent. 

3. The milk crate has been replaced by a garbage can that will remain on stage for the      whole show, the mattress has stayed but will be brought on only for one scene.

4. There are now three clothes line that reach from stage left to the back of audience,      stage right to the back of the audience, and stretching from side to side upstage. They      no longer have costumes on them but instead random items such as sheets, t-shirts      shoes, and pants.

5. To make entries from upstage invisible to the audience, two cardboard box walls were      constructed on either side of the stage to act as wings, and for Nathan to work behind         as he does the tent lights.

      (6). We also talked running barbed wire along the top of the flats, but decided that it would      change the atmosphere into something more aggressive and hostile than we wanted.

After these changes, it is important to note the materials that I used to build the flats and tent. The flats were made using frames of old recycled screen door and then covered in cardboard. They were then spray painted in blotchy white, grey, and black with graffiti. (PICTURE OF FLAT PROGRESSION BELOW)

FLAT PROGRESSION

FINISHED PRODUCT 

As for the tent, it was definitely on of the trickiest things to find supplies for. I ended up finding an old detachable clothing rack frame in the costume room. I took the pieces apart and managed to reassemble them into a frame for the tent. It also worked well because the pieces were capable of sliding and changing length even after construction. This made it easy to take on stage and fiddle around to see which size looked best and maximized the audiences viewing capability. (PICTURE OF TENT BELOW)

After the tent was assembled with sheets over the frame, I texturized the exterior with grey and white spray paint, and hung some spanish moss over the top. I was try pleased with the way this integrated the tent into the rest of the set giving it a worn, used and crude look.(PICTURE BELOW)

        The light for the tent was perfect thanks to the great work from Ariana and Miguel (LIGHT CREW). It was set with a transformer to allow dimming and brightening. (PICTURE OF SHADOW SCENE IN TENT)

The garbage can was actually a discovery I made when out for a walk. I found it tucked behind a shed in the bushes and I decided to take it to they Max Bell and see how it looked. With a quick spray paint job, it completed the look of the camp. I really liked it, and so did the directors so it stuck. (PICTURE OF GARBAGE CAN)

The clothes lines were made of rope that I had accumulated from friends on campus. They were difficult to attach way up high in the front, but I was able to lasso the rope up there with a few try's. The clothing items that I hung on the lines were taken from the costume room. 

The two cardboard walls, made with over 50 boxes, were relatively simple too build once I had the materials. I simply stacked the boxes one on top of the other and then added a couple graffitis and spray paint cans in.

With everything now in place and the dress rehearsal on our doorstep, it was perfect timing. Now I could grab a set in the audience and take it all in. With actors, lights and sound, the occupy movement was coming alive. It's time to put on a show. (PHOTO OF COMPLETED SET BELOW)