Into the Woods
Scenic Designer - technical Director - Props master - Scenic Charge - CLHS Alumni players 2015
Production Photos
Into the Woods is a classic Stephen Sondheim musical interweaving the characters to all meet in a dark and mysterious woods, each of them searching for something they want.
Research
Extensive research was created for each area and scene including Cinderella's stairs and the castle wall being influenced by abandoned Gothic architecture, Grandmother's house being influenced by classic illustrations, and the woods being influenced by a woods from my childhood.
Initial Concept
The set made use of a few structural elements in Cinderella's stairs and a triple opening archway to help set the scene for the beginning of Act I and Act II, with the archway unit moving offstage and mid-stage curtain being opened to reveal the woods behind it.
ModeL
A hand painted 1/4" scale model was created to aid in the design, build, and paint processes. Click the arrow icons to scroll through the photos.
Custom Props and Special Effects
The Hen Who Lays Golden Eggs
A wooden hen with a singular wheel was made to act as a hen that ran across the stage being pursued by an actor. The visual inspiration for the hen comes from medieval wooden push toys.
The Witch's Staff
A witches staff was constructed from an old metal hat rack, spray insulation, window insulation, blue el wire, and tin foil to created the illusion of a gnarled branch. Click on the picture above to see it light up.
Cinderella's Mother's Tree
A magical apparition of Cinderella's mother appeared in a tree. Gentle flickering lights were mounted on to the backside of a combination of lawn covering and safety netting to create and obscured and ghostly figure in the tree.
The Golden Harp
A golden harp was crafted from jute, gimp, various scraps of molding, a couch leg, and a table leg.
Milky White
The character of Milky White needed to be piloted by an actor/ puppeteer so a frame was made to be supported by a belt, shoulder straps, and leg straps. Once strapped in, the puppeteer would simply move their legs and the joints and cross braces would make the cow look as though it was walking. Click on the picture above to see it in motion.
The Midnight clock
A painted muslin moon remained present during the entire piece but during sequences where the clock chimed midnight, the moon was back-lit revealing a clock whose hands struck twelve.