Clybourne Park
panowski black box - Northern Michigan University 2023
Production Management: David Pierce
Direction: paul truckey
Audio Design: Meara Kronspringer
Costume Design: Cassie Bowler
Lighting Design: Lex van blommestein
Properties Design: Keli Crawford-truckey
Scenic Design: Braeden ingersoll
Technical Direction: Braeden Ingersoll
Production photo credit: John scheibe ~ YNDR Studios
Out of sight is out of mind! Progress updates like this daily report help me to keep the design team in the loop, communicate challenges early, and highlight the skills our of Build Team.
Though under budget is always my target, this estimate required just a bit more to achieve the design. Thankfully, this $1.94 overage was approved.
This design had 2 unique challenges - Transforming a room interior to reflect 50 years of change in a 10 minute intermission, and implementing a functioning staircase with a 12' ceiling height.
To communicate the passage of time, we used several tricks, including an insert panel to fill the fireplace with whitewashed brick, removeable trim revealing "undamaged" plaster, and a flippable panel revealing a faux damaged plaster & lathe.
An additional flippable plaster & lathe panel, as well as a custom faux stained glass window crafted from plastic sheeting, 3D paint, and dyed glue.
With the limited ceiling height of the Black Box, to create the illusion of the a full staircase I had to use several tactics - intentionally limiting sightlines, utilizing steeper rise and run to emphasize their use, and including a landing to limit the horizontal footprint.