Welcome to a Whole New Season!!!

We're back to work here as OSF, already elbow deep in our 2013 season. This year, we have so many great shows including a Rockabilly version of Taming of the Shrew, an in-the-round interpretation of King Lear, which takes place on a giant antique mirror, and an uber-realistic Two Trains Running, a very exciting August Wilson that takes place in my hometown, Pittsburgh.

---

Over the past few weeks, we've gotten so much done!  

The first show we painted was Taming of the Shrew.  
The show takes place at a run down Coney Island-like amusement park, full of fun quirky details found on the boardwalk of yesteryear.  Complete with posters for freak shows, signs for  food and games, and lots of bright colors,  this set was as much fun to paint as it will be to watch.  My favorite part was painting the door to the funhouse.   Shaped like a clown's head, the patron would have to walk in his mouth to enter.  The top of his head is on fire and painted with iridescent paint, to give him a hot-rod edge.  There will also be a fully lit ferris wheel and even a roller coaster! 

---

Next, we dove straight into Two Trains Running.  The show takes place in a well-kept but run down diner in the 60's.  This set was super realistic, so we paid careful attention to where the dirt would collect and where the scuffs would be and that kind of thing.  In the picture to the left, Scenic Artist Amanda Haverick puts some finishing touches on the coca-cola sign she also painted.  Sometimes it can be hard to put a lot of time into making something look beautiful and fresh, and then having to cover it up with dirt, but our 'Manders is the consumate professional and adds not only dirt, but water damage and rust as well as scrapes away some letters. 

---

As you can see in the short slideshow above, the set has an entire street upstage of the main set complete with storefronts, broken windows, and overgrown sidewalks.  The three women at right are busy carefully selecting the right plants (some of which are real and found locally) and gluing them to the cracks.  

---

The result of thier work is very convincing!  I think this is one of the coolest parts of the set.  

---

Our efforts to make this set realistic have seemed to pay off.  Here, Lead Scenic Thayne Abraham enjoys his sandwich at the cafe counter. 

---