The Winter's Tale

University of Illinois at Chicago, Fall 2011
Lighting Designer, Assistant Technical Director, Production Manager, Archival Photographer
All photos copyright 2011 Jamie Scheid

UIC has set aside the second fall slot for the annual Shakespeare production.  This year we produced The Winter's Tale directed by Richard Corley.  It was the first time that the Theatre Department and the Music Department collaborated in an in-depth way.  There was original music composed by music faculty Dan Smith and the show featured senior vocal music major Jordan Roulo.

The set was designed by Carl Ulaszek and consisted of two large areas of platforms, the downstage section measuring 24' wide by 18' deep and 8" tall and the upstage section measuring 24' wide by 10' deep and 16" tall. The majority of the production photos were taken before the set painting was completed, but there are shots of the set completed at the end of this post.

On the upper section we built two arched periactoi units that flanked a square arch unit.  The periactoi were fixed to the square unit on a hinge so they could be rotated to create three different facades.  The archways on the downstage faces were built up with carved 2" extruded polystyrene insulation that was then covered in paper mache.

We then gave the vertical units a medium gray, grubby stone treatment to tie it all together.  The floor was a worn combination of dark green, very dark red and brown.

When reading the script for lighting purposes it was obvious that the action takes place in two very different countries, in two different seasons and there is a long gap in the timeline of the action.  Because of the contrast in location and season it was clear that I needed to provide two front washes and, lacking color scrollers, I chose to double hang the front wash with one country's lights being top hung and the other's being bottom hung.  For the top lights, again lacking scrollers, I used a neutral blue/violet gel (R355). I utilized a three color (red, amber, blue) cyc and scrim to add depth and mood.  I also used high mounted strip lights for side fill that were gelled for three uses: open for Sicilia, amber for Bohemia and silk for storm lightning.

The majority of the first half takes place in Sicilia during the winter.  The director wanted it to feel cold and sharp.  My solution was to use the top hung wash of 26 degree and 36 degree SourceFours with a light frost gel (R101).  This gave Sicilia a very dark, shadowy, film noir feel.  We also chose to isolate the playing areas a bit in Sicilia, especially for certain moments to create a darker or lighter mood.  The first half of the show culminates in a storm on the shores of Bohemia, where we see a dramatic shift in lighting.

Act I, Scene i; Leontes and Polixenes have a fencing match

Act I, Scene ii; Leontes' palace

Act I, Scene ii; "Too hot, too hot" soliloquy isolation

Act II, Scene i; Hermione's chamber, Leontes' and company enter

Act II, Scene i; Leontes lurks in the shadows

Act I, Scene ii; Paulina visits Emilia in prison, Hermione has given birth

Act II, Scene iii; Paulina goes to Leontes' chamber to plead for the life of Hermione's newborn

Act II, Scene iii; Leontes' makes a decision on the child's fate

Act III, Scene ii; Leontes oversees the Royal Court

Act III, Scene ii; Hermione pleads her case

Act III, Scene ii; Servant announces the death of Mamillius (their Prince)

Act III, Scene ii; Hermione, having fainted is removed from court

Act III, Scene ii; Paulina tells Leontes that Hermione is dead

Act III, Scene iii; Antigonus and Mariner reach a stormy Bohemia with the child (Perdita)

Act III, Scene iii; a Bear attacks Antigonus

Act III, Scene iii; a Shepherd and his son find Perdita

The second half of the show begins in springtime Bohemia, sixteen years after the first half ends.  We wanted Bohemia to be warmer and have a softer feel than Sicilia.  This was accomplished by using the bottom hung front wash gelled with a pale, warm pink (R333) and a the top hung wash used at a low intensity to fill out the space and reduce shadows.  The high hung strip lights were gelled amber to further fill out the space.  We flew in ribbons and flowers and added texture with SourceFours gelled fuchsia and gobo-ed with a Rosco twist to augment the sheep shearing festival.  The end of the show returns to Sicilia, but it is still spring time, so although the color pallet was the same as Sicilia in the first half, I allowed for softer and slightly warmer light, bringing in a bit of the Bohemia side lights.

Act IV, Scene i; Time and Chorus tell of 16 years passing

Act IV, Scene ii; Polixenes and Camillo wonder about Florizel's (their prince) activities

Act IV, Scene iii; Autolycus serenades the audience

Act IV, Scene iii; Autolycus prepares to trick the Clown

Act IV, Scene iv; the sheep shearing festival begins

Act IV, Scene iv; a sheep shearing dance

Act IV, Scene iv; there is a peddler at the door, he should come in singing!

Act IV, Scene iv; Autolycus (as peddler) sells his wares

Act IV, Scene iv; Autolycus entrances the ladies

Act IV, Scene iv; the satyr dance

Act IV, Scene iv; Polixenes and Camillo (in disguise) question Florizel and Perdita

Act IV, Scene iv; Polixenes reveals himself as king

Act IV, Scene iv; Camillo has a plan for Florizel and Perdita's escape to Sicilia

Act IV, Scene iv; the Shepherd and the Clown plan to prove their innocence to Polixenes

Act IV, Scene iv; Autolycus, disguised as a noble and having swindled the Shepherd and Clown is relieved

Act V, Scene i; Leontes visits the graves of Hermione and Mamillius

Act V, Scene i; Leontes meets Perdita (his daughter) and Florizel

Act V, Scene ii; Autolycus pleads for forgiveness from Gentleman Clown and Gentleman Shepherd

Act V, Scene iii; Visiting the statue of Hermione at Paulina's home

Act V, Scene iii; Hermione's statue is revealed

Act V, Scene iii; "If you can behold it, I'll make the statue move indeed"

Act V, Scene iii; "O, she's warm"

Act V, Scene iii; Family reunion

Act V, Scene iii; a new union

Act V, Scene iii; Leontes remembers Mamillius

Act V, Scene iii; Hermione and Leontes share a moment

The Foxy Widow

Senior Capstone Project: Set Designer, The Foxy Widow

The Foxy Widow is a commedia dell'arte piece which the director wanted to produce as though a troupe of performers happened upon the space and decided to perform.  She wanted to have two units that could be configured in limitless ways to create a variety of playing spaces.

It was decided that there needed to be ramps, steps and arches with curtains to give the actors as many options as possible to play.  Because the actors were playing a traveling troupe, all of their props and costume pieces needed to be carried in the units, so the creation of drawers and trunks were necessary.  The units were treated with a wood grain of burnt sienna and yellow ochre.  The arches had double curtains on both sides, the inner set made of middle weight white muslin and the outer set made of a black cherry rayon-polyester blend. The curtain hardware was masked with a scalloped pelmet that was trimmed with a gold woven cord.

The floor treatment was of particular interest to the director as she wanted to create the illusion that the troupe was performing in an Italian piazza.  It was decided to create an inner piazza of square silver/gray limestone bricks and an outer piazza of green flagstones.

Wide shot of arch units and floor

Ramp side of unit with both curtains closed

Stair side of unit with red curtains drawn, drawers and trunks open

Units configured into an alley

Downstage corner of floor, square stones and flagstones

Detail of square limestone floor treatment

Detail of wood grain on units