Into the Woods
Directed by Elise Marinkovich
Francis Parker School
Fall 2016
With Into the Woods, the director wanted our play to feel like it was set backstage in a theater. With a wooden floor, flats flipped backwards, and a row of varied seating for the actors who were not in a scene, I think the scenic design achieved this. We decided to make Rapunzel’s “tower” out of a ladder, and to have the birds and tree be very unrealistic. We used shadow play for the wolf and giant scenes, rather than delve into actual fantasy in the design. For me, this also affected props, as those needed to follow the same minimalist concept.
The lighting was similarly minimal, with two basic looks. The first act featured green tree gobos for the forest, with colorful accents here and there. The second act was all shades of brown and orange, with sharp breakups to represent the destroyed forest.
For the sound, I really wanted to complement the score, while also helping to illustrate some moments. The trickiest part was the giant's distorted voice.
Francis Parker School
Fall 2016
With Into the Woods, the director wanted our play to feel like it was set backstage in a theater. With a wooden floor, flats flipped backwards, and a row of varied seating for the actors who were not in a scene, I think the scenic design achieved this. We decided to make Rapunzel’s “tower” out of a ladder, and to have the birds and tree be very unrealistic. We used shadow play for the wolf and giant scenes, rather than delve into actual fantasy in the design. For me, this also affected props, as those needed to follow the same minimalist concept.
The lighting was similarly minimal, with two basic looks. The first act featured green tree gobos for the forest, with colorful accents here and there. The second act was all shades of brown and orange, with sharp breakups to represent the destroyed forest.
For the sound, I really wanted to complement the score, while also helping to illustrate some moments. The trickiest part was the giant's distorted voice.
Inspiration Images
Set and Props Designs
Because it was so minimal, the set required a lot of thought for each piece. The mannequin, trunk, ladder, and seats were onstage the entire show, and the director wanted a very specific look for them. The ladder and truck in particular took a bit of sourcing, to find older, rustic looking items.
The walls were pulled from our stock flats, but I had to pick ones that we hadn't defaced the back of with test swatches, handprints and such. :) |
For the flock of birds, we cut out foam silhouettes and attached them with wire to a large branch. The two birds that attack the step-sisters were similarly made. The mother's tree was felt leaves on another large branch. (Between these and the Witch's staff, I had to source a lot of tree branches for this show!)
The bakery needed both edible and fake food, and the other major prop hurdle was the animals. Between cowbells, chicken heads, and golden eggs, those were a lot of fun to source. The most detailed was the small golden harp, which was very time consuming! |
Sound
Final Look