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