SCENIC
Hand Drafting
Class Assignment
Drafting for the Stage
West Virginia University
Fall 2021
In this class we learned the fundamentals of hand drafting, including all of the tools necessary to create accurate draftings by hand.
Additionally, for our design projects, we were given the chance to design our own set for the show "Rumours." We created a ground plan, section, elevations, and a perspective drawing for our set.
For Rumours
For Rumours
For Rumours
For Rumours
For Rumours
3D AutoCAD Projects
Class Assignment
CAD for the Stage
West Virginia University
Spring 2021
With previous experience in AutoCAD, including a User Certification, I was able to take an advanced AutoCAD course as a freshman and learn how to 3D model in AutoCAD.
Sweeney Todd
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Set Design
International Thespian Competition
Summer 2020
After doing months of meticulous research, I began building my set for Thespian Districts Competition. I earned Best in Show after competing against 19 other designs, receiving perfect scores from all three judges. I then competed with my piece at the Virtual International Thespian Festival and received a Best in Show with a Superior rating.
The full model has a backdrop that was printed on canvas, curtains, and legs to resemble a real theater.
This two story platform on castors was designed after 18th century London. The 8 foot by 12 foot platform stands 16 feet tall.
In this picture, the model is shown looking through the window at the street below, since this is a requirement of the script.
This model was built in 1/48th scale, where 1/4 in = 1ft. The proscenium stage has an opening of 38 feet by 20 feet, with a depth of 30 feet.
The first floor is Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop, which is 10 feet tall. The second floor is Sweeney Todd Barbershop, which stands at 6 feet tall to represent the literal shortened height that would come from the roof, and the figurative feeling of the world weighing down on Sweeney Todd.
My original design included two two-story platforms on castors that held both Sweeney Todd's Barbershop and Judge Turbin's house. The castors give the platforms the flexibility to roll around and create a city street, while also being able to focus on a specific building, which would not have been possible with the traditional turn table design.
Judge Turbin's house, on the left, would have Johanna's bedroom on the second floor and a living room area on the first floor that would be mostly blockaded by the stairs leading up to the second floor.
In one of my first attempts at using AutoCAD, I made a rough sketch of my set design for Sweeney Todd's building.
After learning more about AutoCAD, including learning a completely different Architecture Program, I drew a second sketch that demonstrated Judge Turbin's house.
I used this picture to get the feeling of the poor city streets that Sweeney Lived on.
I used this picture as inspiration for the interior of the barbershop, including a chair, a mirror, and a counter.
The stairs were created using mat board platforms and staggered sides, while each step was a small piece of wood that was cut to the right size. The railings were made of small wooden dowels.
In this picture, I am meticulously staging my model for the pictures that would be sent to the competition.
Noises Off
Technical Director
Seminole High School
April 2020 (Cancelled)
Before our production was canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19, my high school worked with a local theater to purchase a design for a two-story platform on castors that would be used for our respective productions of Noises Off. Before stopping halfway through our construction, I oversaw the building process; organizing the student volunteers and worked with a professional set builder to bring the design to life.
The set builder from a local theater is going over the designs with me and how to best organize our volunteers and our time to maximize our few set build days.
The design called for several standard-size platforms and custom-size platforms that get bolted together to form each of the two floors. Here we are laying out the completed platforms on our stage to bolt them together.
Some of the wagons had unique angles and the designs were a little unclear, so I used my experience with AutoCAD to draw the set on my computer to easily figure out the missing angles we needed to know.
The first part of the staircase to the second floor being built.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Jr.
Scenic Painter/Stage Manager
Theater West End
Winter 2019
In addition to being the production's stage manager, I was also tasked with painting these key parts of the set, because the production staff was so small.
Cut out of a sheet of plywood, I painted Snoopy's dog house with its distinguishable bright red and wavering lines.
While the set piece was borrowed from another theater, I painted touch-ups on it to complete the look the director wanted.
Frozen Jr.
Scenic Designer/Painter
Theater West End
Summer 2019
Over the summer, I was asked to help with the set for Frozen Jr, and I was given the opportunity to bring one of my designs to life. After building it, I also did all of the painting to make the wood pattern.
Scale sketches of the shop counter, which is about 4 feet tall plus the height of the platform, which was already built at the theater.
Originally, the set was going to have Elsa's throne on the other side of the platform, as shown in the drawing, but there were some issues with stage hands and moving the platform with the thrown on in time, so the platform ended up being shop counter.
Drawing the Frozen Jr. set was my first attempt at using AutoCAD for design.
I worked with a set builder to make my set a reality. It was my first time seeing one of my designs come to life.
Since the production was short-staffed, I was also the primary set painter for this production as well.
First, I painted the set to give the look of worn wood, and then painted the lettering on.
The show was a success and the set is even being borrowed by other companies who are putting on the show.
The School for Wives
Set Design
Thespian Competition
Fall 2018-Spring 2019
In my first attempt at Set Design, I chose this classic piece of French Farce by Moliere. I brought my set design to the District Thespian Competition where I received a Superior rating and won Honorable Mention. This qualified me for the State Thespian Competition, where I received a Superior rating.
The School For Wives tells of a wealthy noble who raises a young girl to be his wife, but not everything turns out as he plans. The play follows the Aristotlean rules of theater, which means they have consistency of time, place, and problem. All of the scenes in the show take place either inside or outside of Arnolphe's courtyard.
In addition to the main building, I included gates with walls, trees, a ladder, and a fountain. The gates with walls allowed the audience to feel like they were inside Arnolphe's courtyard.
Originally, I had designed a circular balcony with columns. I did more research and found that most balconies of the time were wrought iron and rectangular. I then modified my design and made this balcony out of jewelry wire.
In this picture, the escape stairs for the balcony are visible. I researched ADA requirements for stairs and made a to-scale version with railings.
The first sketch of my design after doing my preliminary research.
To scale drawing of the top view of design. The balcony in this drawing is circular, while the balcony that was built is rectangular, as I changed my design as I did more research.
The cardboard proscenium theater had a 38 feet by 20 feet opening and a depth of 30 feet. The main set was constructed out of foam board, which was spray painted with textured paint and then sponge painted to give it depth.
Since Arnolphe was a wealthy aristocrat, I included a lot of windows in my design. Glass was very expensive to produce and was often use to display wealth and power. However, there were no large windows, they had to be made up of a lot of smaller window panes.
The main inspiration for my design is the Vaux-Le-Vicomte, which is a real building in France that was built only one year before the play, The School for Wives, was written in 1662.