The Set

Freed for the first time of responsibility for the entire production, I finally had more than enough time to devote to set design and, more importantly, construction. Below left is an early picture of the set design I did long before production, and, on the right, a pic of the finished product:

It's the most, by far, of my original concept I've ever seen get to the actual stage. We didn't get the billboards and streetlights done, but the forced perspective trees were a nice addition. I used to take the back roads home from The Dunes, and that was suggested by my actual view on the highway. Matt built and painted it, and Dani Lane had the idea to use pleated fabric to represent the tree trunks (they're just laying there in this pic from final dress, Matt finished it right before opening night- you can see them in some of the performance pics).

Credit goes to Sheree for procuring one of the single most important set piece; the glass counter in the garage. The car was on hand, and (I think) Matt G. cut the space for the keyboard into the desk.

Sheree wanted the performers to be close to the audience, so we had to fill in the entire pit with plywood platforms. Everyone pitched in on construction, and, with a solid plan and enthusiastic support (particularly from Matt Gudeman and Ray Ellis), the result was a really striking set that perfectly served the material and allowed the performers the room to roam.

Of course Matt S. deserves a LOT of the credit- for ideas, and for a hell of a lot of hard work!

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