Cassandra Phillips: Scenic Artist

REVOLUTION!

6/26/2012

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The set design for "Party People" calls for the word "revolution" spelled out in 4' tall rusted tin letters.  We ordered and had these made by an outside shop.  That left it up to us to make them look old and neglected.  REALLY grimy.  

Left is a concept drawing by set designer Clint Ramos showing how the letters and the scaffolding work in the world of the play, as well as a research image  showing how he wanted the letters to look.  

First, of course, the electricians wired them with sockets so that the letters can light up and do different lighting effects. 

Master Electricians Steve Miller and Noah Beauregard show us how it's done.  



Next, we textured the letters inside and out with jaxsan to give it that jagged texture that rusted metal has. 




The next step is to base paint the letters a nice rusty red.  
Next comes the sponge steps.  Using a natural sponge, we dab on various colors of rust.  An old teacher once told me the best way to paint nature is to mimic nature.   So, first the deep dark red because it's the oldest.  Next, the bright red, the fresher rust, and finally the dirt, grime and water damage.  
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And here are the final letters all rusted up and being attached to the scaffolding.  They are going to look great in the space!
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Cement

6/15/2012

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This week, Gino, Thayne and I are wrapping up working on the polished cement floor for Party 
People. 

Here, Gino Franco, our Lead Scenic, adds a dark step to one of the upstage wagons.  




Below you can see a slideshow of our progress with the various glazes.  
These floors always look so big in our warehouse space!
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Here is the finished cement floor.  

After we popped the seams and a few of the edges and corners, there were coats and coats of gloss floor wax .  
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Looks pretty convincing for a bunch of wooden platforms, eh?  
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Party On!

6/8/2012

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For the past couple of weeks, we've been working on our upcoming production of "Party People."  This show is going to be so cool and I'm super excited about it.  The story of the show is that it is a performance piece performed by a children of the Black Panthers and the Young Lords and directed at the revolutionaries of that time talking about all that his parents gave up to make this revolution happen.  

From the OSF website:

"Prepare for a high-energy, infectious mix of theatre, poetry, jazz, blues, hip-hop, boleros and salsa as UNIVERSES digs into the story and legacy of an American revolution. Four decades ago, the Black Panthers and Puerto Rican Young Lords were young activists providing food and health care in their impoverished communities while in a desperate struggle to survive the systematic dismantling of their movements. Now they are 60-somethings untangling a traumatic past and an unclear future. In ensemble, OSF actors and UNIVERSES toggle between then and now in this meticulously researched, compelling work of fiction."

It's going to be moving.  It's going to be real.   It's going to be fantastic.

UNIVERSES is an incredibly interesting, fun and cool group you just have to see.  Below, they discuss a little of the background of "Party People."
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For more info on UNIVERSES, check out their facebook page



                 or the UNIVERSES website at: http://www.universesonstage.com/index.html
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Cassandra Phillips: Scenic Artist