The artistic vision that I created with my good friend and director was to imagine the world of Seussical in the transitional period between the vaudeville and burlesque eras of live entertainment. The Vaudeville scene was a time when various acts and multitudes of different types of performances would be performed in a single night. We see that multiple characters bring types of performances that different characters bring onto the stage and how that allows the story to articulate itself. As we transitioned out of the vaudeville scene, the Burlesque scene took over the mainstream performance. While similar in nature Burlesque refers to the style of music and performance in which an act was produced. It produces an over-dramatization and a parody of a specific act, usually backed by elaborate costumes and stage designs. Through the scenic design, costume design, and sound design, we created a completely new image of what Seussical could look like.

          As the scenic designer, I began my work early. I created an inspiration board and quickly began sketching. One of the primary logistical needs was for the design was a second story. There is an abundance of overlapping stories and worlds (The Jungle and Whoville) that all happen at the same time. To avoid audience confusion I sought to create levels to better separate these worlds. Another main feature of the design was the rolling thrust stage that entered from the center. This area took a lot of inspiration from old nightclubs and cabarets. By implementing a smaller stage that could also move in and out, we were able to create more dynamic blocking and choreography and make each scene feel like it was its own work of art (similar to a vaudeville show). The stage entrances were masked with red curtains to also invoke the burlesque nightclub atmosphere. Lastly, a false proscenium was constructed to condense the stage as the venue was very large and the children were not very tall. This also allowed for small lights to be hung along the perimeter which were used in many light cues throughout.

This show was also my technical directorial debut. As the technical director, I was not only tasked with designing and overseeing the construction of the set, but I was also responsible for budgeting the entire show, hiring/recommending crew members, aiding in casting the show, making a cue script from scratch, calling cues during the show, checking in with lights, costumes, props, and sound to ensure that the designs fit the artistic vision, making schedules, and keeping all aspects of the technical design clean, efficient, and concise. While being the scenic design certainly helped, as the technical director I also had to ensure that the process of realizing the designs was effective and affordable. I translated the paperwork into daily routines that needed to be completed by my team. This is the biggest project I have ever worked on, but I can confidently say that it was executed not only effectively, but artistically as well.