Black-clad students scurry around the set and through the theater’s catwalks above. They reposition lighting instruments, move set pieces and draw lines on the floor.
These are the designers, technicians and backstage crew of Theatre VCU’s upcoming production, “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” directed by B.T. McNicholl. These little elves work their magic to create a different world onstage.
The audience is transported to another place by the lights, sounds, sets and costumes of a collaboration of artists that are never seen. But if the audience saw all the work that goes into a show, some of the magic would be lost.
“Just make it look good,” is lighting designer C. Ian Campbell’s goal. “Comedy is brighter so you can see all that happens.”
This play is design intensive, as it must replicate the classic glamour of 1930s Hollywood. The design is based on the ideas of a bright, lighthearted and glitzy comedy. The colors are bright and cheerful. The costumes are lavish and glittery, as is the backdrop.
“This has been a nice show to paint because it’s so colorful, unlike the bricks and aged wood I usually paint for shows,” charge artist Lara Rhyner said.