Welcome to Backstage Buzz, a collection of posts all about the behind the scenes world of professional theatre!
Click the dropdowns below to read more about what’s happening at the Hippodrome, around Gainesville, and on Broadway!
Hello everyone! My name is Ella, and I am the marketing intern for the Hippodrome Theatre! I wanted to create a project in accordance with the Hippodrome to dive deeper into the world of professional theatre and bring the community along with me. I am a Business Administration major and a Theatre Scenic Design minor at the University of Florida, so marketing at the Hippodrome is the best of both worlds for me! Through this project, I will discuss all different aspects of professional theatre, from the shows of the Hippodrome, to other Gainesville events, and some updates about what’s happening on Broadway in New York.
For the next few weeks I will put together some posts of what’s on my mind. Bear with me through this, I am not a professional journalist but I will try my best! These will include research based articles, interviews with local designers/production teams, and more. I will also do a weekly Broadway Designer Highlight to showcase those behind the scenes who help make shows on Broadway into hits! Each week will be a little bit different, and I’m very excited to bring you along. Stay tuned on the Hippodrome’s Instagram and Facebook pages so you know when new posts are out!
***Please consider making a donation or purchasing a FlexPass to the Hippodrome’s season to help support the arts!***
I think that there is no better way to start off this project than to ramble on about this year’s 77th Annual Tony Awards! I am a MASSIVE awards show fan, trust that I will be on my couch with a bowl of popcorn for all of them. Even though the Oscars, Grammys, and Emmy Awards are incredible, I don’t think that any of them compare to the Tony’s. The live performances from nominated shows and casts never fail to amaze me! Even if I have a show in mind that I think will win, the performances make me reconsider my opinions. Plus, these performances help fill the void of not having pro-shots or tickets to see these numbers live. Anyways, let’s get into what happened, who won, and my non professional opinions about everything!
I will say that I genuinely enjoyed Ariana DeBose’s opening number, and I am obsessed with the gold, flapper-esque outfit she had on. Past intros had a bit more energy, but I don’t think that this opening number was as bad as people are saying it was.
I always love seeing who is going to present awards throughout the night, and this year’s presenters did not disappoint! We started off very strong with Taraji P. Henson presenting the award for Best Actor in a Play, which went to Jeremy Strong for his role in An Enemy of the People. There was a ton of other incredible presenters as well, including but not limited to, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ashley Park & Renée Elise Goldsberry, Ben Platt, Julianne Hough, Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad, Jim Parsons, Jeffrey Wright, Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Nick Jonas & Adrienne Warren, and the iconic Elphaba duo of Cynthia Erivo & Idina Menzel. I thought that all of the presenters were great, and there were a lot of fun duos this year.
As I mentioned earlier, we were absolutely blessed with performances from nominated casts. I love getting to see these performances so close on camera! It’s not the same as seeing them live, but we make do with what we get. The performances started off extremely strong with the cast of Hell’s Kitchen, which featured Alicia Keys and Jay-Z performing “Empire State of Mind”. The performance from Merrily We Roll Along was outstanding (I adore Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez) and as an avid Grant Gustin fan, Water for Elephants was so much fun! The performances kept on impressing, with numbers from The Who’s Tommy, Illinoise, Stereophonic, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, and Suffs. We had three numbers from The Outsiders which, of course, went on to win Best Musical later on in the night. I think I’ve watched the rumble scene from The Outsiders’ performance at least twenty times, it’s that mesmerizing. Nicole Scherzinger also performed “What I Did for Love” as the In Memoriam segment of the awards. Overall I was very impressed by this year’s lineup of performances and I’m looking forward to what next year has in store!
It’s pretty well known who won the major awards this year, so I’ll just list those out:
Best Play – Stereophonic
Best Musical – The Outsiders
Best Revival of a Play – Appropriate
Best Revival of a Musical – Merrily We Roll Along
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play – Jeremy Strong (An Enemy of the People)
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play – Sarah Paulson (Appropriate)
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along)
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – Maleah Joi Moon (Hell’s Kitchen)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play – Will Brill (Stereophonic)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play – Kara Young (Purlie Victorious)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Daniel Radcliffe (Merrily We Roll Along)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – Kecia Lewis (Hell’s Kitchen)
Best Direction of a Play – Daniel Aukin (Stereophonic)
Best Direction of a Musical – Danya Taymor (The Outsiders)
Best Book of a Musical – Shaina Taub (Suffs)
Best Original Score Written for the Theatre – Shaina Taub (Suffs)
Something that I want to highlight is the awards that weren’t on the main broadcast, but are still absolutely essential: the designers’ awards! I am a theatre kid through and through, but I personally love the design aspect of theatre more than performing. I will list out those design awards here as well, so make sure to look into these incredible people who make the shows happen!
Best Scenic Design of a Play – David Zinn (Stereophonic)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical – Tom Scutt (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club)
Best Costume Design of a Play – Dede Ayite (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding)
Best Costume Design of a Musical – Linda Cho (The Great Gatsby)
Best Lighting Design of a Play – Jane Cox (Appropriate)
Best Lighting Design of a Musical – Hana S. Kim and Brian MacDevitt (The Outsiders)
Best Sound Design of a Play – Ryan Rumery (Stereophonic)
Best Sound Design of a Musical – Cody Spencer (The Outsiders)
Best Choreography – Justin Peck (Illinoise)
Best Orchestrations – Jonathan Tunick (Merrily We Roll Along)
I think that my very broad overview of the 77th Annual Tony Awards is coming to a close. My main thoughts about this year’s Tonys are that the performances were incredible, the nominations were highly competitive, and the winners were rightfully deserved. If you’ve made it this far into my rambling, I appreciate it! Make sure to check in next week for more of my unprofessional opinions about professional theatre!
Source:
One thing that I have always loved to do is watch interviews with designers and behind the scenes videos of Broadway productions. I don’t think there’s any scenic designer interview videos left on YouTube that I haven’t watched, so it’s time to take to the rest of the internet instead. Every week I will be doing some research into various Broadway Scenic Designers, and writing up a highlight about their work!
This week’s designer is David Korins! He is best known for his designs of shows such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Beetlejuice, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Korins has designed more than 25 Broadway shows, most recently being Here Lies Love and The Who’s Tommy. Along with his incredible success in theatre design, Korins has been the creative director for tons of concerts and live performances for big name musical artists. These artists include Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, Sia, Kanye West, and Andrea Bocelli, among others. He also won an Emmy award for Outstanding Production Design for his set of Grease: Live! which was broadcast on Fox and had about 14 million viewers. For this post, I want to focus on my favorite two shows that he’s designed: Hamilton and Beetlejuice.
Korins was nominated for a Tony award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for his work on Hamilton. Korins said that working on Hamilton “has been an unbelievably blissful experience, not just because the show was so successful, but because it was such a cohesive production. The creative team worked in lockstep – the lighting, the sound, the set, the choreography, the costumes – the whole thing is in service to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s unbelievable score. It’s a work of genius” (Korins, 2016). Korins explained that the set of Hamilton would have no time for scene changes, as it takes place in so many different locations and times. He decided to instead make the background of the show change to show the passing of time and the creation of America. It is not immediately noticed, but “the brick walls actually ascend eight feet between the first and second acts of the show. Additionally, the few carefully selected props on the stage change from rifles and buckets to maps and books” (Sullivan, 2016). As the story continues on and America gets built, the set starts to become less of a construction site and more of a completed structure.
(Photo: David Korins Design)
The turntable that is built into the stage is also a massive component of the design. It’s mentioned that “the cyclical nature of Hamilton, with scenes such as a swirling hurricane and the storied duel”(Sullivan, 2016) were the main motivators to utilize the turntable. Korins also explains that he made the set minimal because he did not want to steal focus away from the actual performance, especially since the pace of the show is so fast. He said that “I want to crystallize every moment for the audience and not layer on too many other things. So to me, it wasn’t about compromise, it was about being a better storyteller with less scenery” (Korins 2018). Even though his design for Hamilton did not earn Korins a Tony, it definitely helped project him even further into the spotlight of design.
One of my absolute favorite sets on Broadway is the set of Beetlejuice. The musical is based on the 1988 movie, which I repeatedly watch around Halloween. Korins talks about how he wanted to honor where the musical came from, so he put in some easter eggs that allude to Tim Burton’s work and the original movie. That includes the tombstones having other Burton character names on them, and the hills in the background of the set being sculpted in the claymation style that Burton used for The Nightmare Before Christmas. Korins wanted the set to have the same “handmade quality” as he put it, so the wallpaper is all hand drawn and the floorboards are hand painted. I think that the most impressive thing about this set is the way that it changes. The structure itself becomes three different houses: the Maitlands, the Deetzes, and when it becomes haunted by Beetlejuice. There are three versions of every piece of the house so that it can change for all of the versions. This includes the wallpaper, doors, stair railings, light fixtures, and more, all of which are changed live during the show by the stage crew.
(From top to bottom: the Maitlands, the Deetzes, and Beetlejuice’s house, David Korins Design)
One of my favorite easter eggs in this set is the picture above the Maitlands’ fireplace, which is actually a screen grab from one of the first shots of the movie. It shows the town with the Maitlands’ house in the background, which I think is a nice touch and nod to the movie. The house structure as a whole slides upstage and downstage, so it was important to Korins that it looks seamless. Because of this, the chandeliers don’t swing from the ceiling, they are stationary, which emphasizes how much thought has to be put into the mechanics of the design. Something that Korins highlights is the things that designers choose not to do. He explained that there was an original design of the show that didn’t include all of the crazy angles, and near the end of the design process is when they decided to change it to fit the Tim Burton style a bit better. This is a decision that definitely paid off, as there is no other set on Broadway that resembles Beetlejuice.
David Korins is one of the biggest designers in the industry right now, and my personal favorite. His ideas are genius, and it’s easy to tell that he cares about the process and the storytelling of his designs, not just creating a finished product. I would highly recommend looking into his other projects. Make sure to stay tuned for next week’s designer highlight!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Korins
Hello again! Today I want to make a quick highlight about the different events that the Hippodrome puts on that aren’t mainstage theatre productions. While we do offer some absolutely incredible mainstage shows, the Hipp hosts other fun events too!
I want to start off by highlighting the Hippodrome’s basement sessions! These are held, obviously, in the Hippodrome basement and serve as a way for local artists to showcase their music. These sessions give musicians a chance to grow their audience and play around with new music forms. The entrance prices are typically a sliding scale of $8 – $15 at the door, with all of the door sales going to the performers. The Hippodrome’s bar is open to serve throughout the night, and local vendors come in as well. The most recent Basement Session that was held was our Pride Edition session this past June which featured local LGBTQ+ artists. We’ve also held sessions to promote recycling of plastic bags, celebrating Hispanic Heritage month, costume parties, and more! Keep up with the Hippodrome’s social media pages to stay up to date about upcoming Basement Sessions, and check out photos from past events by going to “Events” > “Basement Sessions” on our website.
Next we have to highlight the Hippodrome’s Cinema! This is Gainesville’s only art-house cinema, which shows independent films, hard-hitting documentaries, critically-acclaimed world cinema, throwback classics, and additional signature programming throughout the year. One of my personal favorite things about the Hippodrome’s Cinema is how we broadcast shows from National Theatre Live. These are live, satellite broadcasts of performances happening at the Royal National Theatre in London that you can watch right here in Gainesville! Our next showing is going to be a National Theatre Live broadcast of Fleabag starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge on August 17th. Each ticket for this show is $20, and they come with a glass of wine or equivalent drink at our bar. We also offer a club known as the Hipp Cinéastes, which is just a $25 annual subscription! If you are a part of this club, you save $2 on your cinema ticket, get a free small popcorn at every showing, and get previews and other special events at our cinema. You can sign up for this subscription on our website by going to “Cinema” > “Join the Cinéastes”. As if the cinema couldn’t get any more awesome, you can also RENT IT OUT for a private viewing party! The information on how to do that is at the bottom of the page once you head to the “Cinema” tab on our website. Make sure to follow the Hippodrome Cinema’s social media pages so you can stay up to date on when new films are coming! Our Facebook page is “Hippodrome Cinema” and our Instagram is @hippcinema!
And finally, we have to highlight the Hippodrome’s art gallery! Our gallery provides a space for artists to showcase their talents for the community, and we often engage the art themes to be similar to those of our current mainstage production. Right now there is an exhibit by Milan Hooper on display until July 22, so make sure to come see it before it’s gone! Our gallery hours and current exhibitions are available on our website under the “Art Gallery” tab. This is also where you can find information about submitting your own work for the gallery to display!
As always, make sure that you are following the Hippodrome’s social media pages (“Hippodrome Theatre” on Facebook, and @hipptheatre on Instagram) to keep up with all of our events! There is never a dull moment here at the Hipp, and we need your help to keep it that way. Support the Hipp by coming to our events, purchasing a subscription or flex pass, or by making a tax deductible donation on our website. Every little bit helps us continue putting on these amazing performances for our community!
For this week’s Broadway Designer highlight, we’re going to be learning about Heidi Ettinger! Ettinger is the first woman to win a Tony Award for scenic design, and has designed countless sets throughout the years. She also served as a producer for the original Broadway production of Into the Woods, one of my favorite musicals of all time. (I <3 Stephen Sondheim!)
In 1985, Ettinger was the first woman to win a Tony for scenic design for her work on the musical Big River, the musical based on the 1884 novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Since a lot of the show takes place on the Mississippi River, the set had to include the raft and river as a focal point. Ettinger mentioned that she actually traveled to Missouri to gather inspiration for the set of another musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. She explained in an interview with Linda Winer that there are images and cliches in our minds that unconsciously inform our opinions of how something looks, which inhibits you from bringing a new perspective and fresh ideas to a piece. Ettinger mentioned that traveling to Missouri helped her determine what not to add to her design. David Korins also mentioned in his design for Beetlejuice the things that he elected not to add, which I think is an awesome way to approach a design.
Scene from Big River
Ettinger also won a Tony award for her work on The Secret Garden in 1991. Her set was made to resemble a Victorian toy theater, as it included paper dolls, pop-out figures, and nods to the collages of Joseph Cornell (an American filmmaker). Ettinger said that she both produced and designed for The Secret Garden, along with the first-ever female creative team. The show was also nominated for Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Costume Design, and won Tonys for Best Book of a Musical and Best Scenic Design.
Set of Secret Garden
In her interview with Linda Winer, Ettinger talks about the difficulties of establishing herself in the male dominated industry of scenic design. She said that there’s a preconceived notion that women are more comfortable with costumes, makeup, and lighting than the “hard materials” like steel, mechanics, and wood. She also said that many production companies were uncomfortable with giving the biggest chunk of the show budget to a woman. Despite these setbacks, Ettinger has made a name for herself in the scenic design industry and made history for her achievements!
I highly recommend watching Ettinger’s interview with Linda Winer on CUNY TV, it will be linked below in the sources. Heidi Ettinger is such a big inspiration of mine, and I hope you will look further into her incredible career. Make sure to come back for next week’s Broadway Designer Highlight!
Sources:
CUNY TV Interview: https://tv.cuny.edu/show/womenintheatre/PR1004617
Welcome back to another Broadway designer spotlight! This week’s designer is the amazingly talented David Rockwell. Rockwell is the founder and president of the Rockwell Group, a design practice with over 250 people that is based in New York City. His design group also has satellite offices in Madrid and Los Angeles!
Before we talk about Rockwell’s theatre accomplishments, we have to highlight the other design jobs that he’s completed. After founding the Rockwell Group in 1984, he developed the Imagination Playground, a play space that was designed to encourage creativity and teamwork in the children who played on it. He spent 5 years researching child development and types of play, and opened up the first location in New York City in 2010. Since then, smaller, more portable models were made and shipped to places such as Bangladesh and Haiti, providing a play structure to more than 13,000 children.
As far as theatre goes, my favorite set designed by Rockwell was for the 2016 production of She Loves Me. This musical is one of my favorites, and my high school produced it during my junior year! Rockwell’s set is one of the coolest that I have ever seen, and it moves seamlessly. At the start of the show, the stage is set with the exterior of the parfumerie in which the show takes place. It has facades of buildings on the left and right which are shown in perspective. These side buildings are still incredibly detailed, with molding and backlit windows making the background feel just as alive as the main structure. As soon as the opening number is complete and the characters make their way inside the store, the structure unfolds to reveal the interior. The walls open up and the selling counters come forward, which is amazing to watch!
The set unfolding to reveal the interior of the building.
Once we reach the interior of the parfumerie, the attention to detail is expressed even more. There are tons of shelves and nooks with perfume bottles, intricately painted molding and designs on the walls, and the spiral staircase that extends up to the second story balcony and office. The colors are vibrant and draw your eye across the entire stage to take in everything. Even now that I’m looking at the set for the millionth time, I’m noticing more perfume bottles and other little decorations around the set that I don’t normally pay attention to when watching the musical. Rockwell won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for his work on She Loves Me, and it was rightfully deserved!
Obviously Rockwell has worked on much more than just She Loves Me. Other sets that he has designed include Hairspray, The Rocky Horror Show, Legally Blonde, Catch Me If You Can, Kinky Boots, and Falsettos among others. In addition to set design, Rockwell has designed restaurants and hotels globally for Nobu Hospitality, the 93rd Oscars, the Walt Disney Family Museum, the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, and many more. Rockwell has written a few books about his works, and has become an incredibly successful and accomplished designer in the world of theatre and architecture. I have linked below a few websites and videos about his work, so make sure to check out some of the things he’s worked on. I will see you next week for our next Broadway Designer Highlight!
Sources:
https://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/she-loves-me
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11571-rockwells-nouveau-broadway-turn
The Gainesville Community Playhouse is currently running a production of In the Heights that runs until August 11. As an avid Lin-Manuel Miranda fan, I am extremely excited to see this show come to life for the Gainesville community! I am absolutely thrilled to say that I was able to get in contact with a designer for this show and ask her my questions about her process and ideas.
In the Heights takes place in the vibrant and fun neighborhood of Washington Heights in the heat of the summertime. The characters each have different dreams that they are trying to achieve, such as Usnavi’s desire to travel back to his birthplace of the Dominican Republic, Nina’s struggle to tell her father that she dropped out of college, and Vanessa’s desire to become a big name fashion designer rather than stay at her job at the neighborhood salon for the rest of her life. The characters’ stories all intertwine, and the intense heat of the summer adds to the stress of the situations that everyone is in.
The designer that I want to highlight is costume designer Jamaili Tyler! Costumes are an essential part of any show, as they help to set the time period, the personality of the characters, the time of year, and more defining characteristics of the show without having to explicitly say them. Here is what Jamaili had to say!
Once you’ve read the script, how do you begin your design process?
It depends on how much the director is involved. If they have design concepts that they want me to follow I start there. If not, I research the time and setting of the show. I also will view recordings of other shows if they are available. I never copy other shows, but they are good to watch for inspiration.
Each character has a different dream that they want to achieve, and they live quite different lives from each other. In what ways did you design each character’s costumes to show their personal motivations?
For In the Heights it depended on the character. For some, I based it off of watching them in rehearsals, how they came dressed and naturally moved while they delivered their lines. For others, we had to create a character (flight attendant, construction worker, homeless man, mechanic, nurse, prostitute, waffle house worker) and dress them accordingly.
What is your personal favorite costume that you designed for this show?
I loved them all so much because each actor used their costumes to highlight each character so well. I enjoyed the task of designing the prostitute’s costumes because of the challenge of conspicuously portraying her character through costume without being offensive and keeping the show family-friendly. Patrons have told me they enjoyed the trio of hair stylist’s costumes the most.
Have you designed costumes for any other shows? If so, which ones?
Yes, I have designed costumes for other shows.
Crowns, The Color Purple (Teen Edition) – The Star Center
Dreamgirls (assistant to costumer) – Gainesville Community Playhouse
Black Nativity – The Actors’ Warehouse
While I myself have never gotten too into the construction of costumes, I do think that they are fascinating to learn about! You can tell so much about a character just based on what they are wearing, even if they don’t speak a line. As I mentioned before, Gainesville Community Playhouse is running In the Heights until August 11, so make sure to head to their website linked below to get tickets and check out the amazing costumes that Jamaili designed!
GCP Website: https://www.gcplayhouse.org
Every show at the Hippodrome is exciting, engaging, and an overall amazing experience. While the actors are performing the show live, they are, of course, not the only talent that goes into making these shows successful. The shows become even more full of life and energy when all of the technical designs come together. Without the costume, scenic, lighting, props, and directors, shows would only be the actors standing in their basic clothes on an empty, probably dark, and silent stage. This is why I love technical theatre so much! It’s the aspect of the show that truly breathes life into the rest of the performance. For this article, I wanted to talk to those who designed the technical elements for the Hippodrome’s upcoming production of Perfect Arrangement. Since it opens on August 30th, these designers are in their busiest time! Once the show opens these designers are, mostly, completed with their labor of love and get to watch it come to life.
Let’s start this off by talking about what Perfect Arrangement is. It’s a show that takes place in the United States in the 1950s, focusing on two U.S. State Department employees named Bob and Norma. They are told to identify “sexual deviants” within their department; however, both Bob and Norma are gay and have married each other’s partners as a cover. The show feels like a fun sitcom that perfectly blends together the serious themes along with the laughs. Previews run from August 28th to August 29th, and the show officially opens on August 30th. It runs until September 22nd, so you have plenty of time to come enjoy it!
The first element that I want to focus on is costumes! Our fabulous costume designer and costume shop supervisor Erin Jester leads the development of the costumes for Perfect Arrangement as well as many other productions at the Hippodrome. I am so lucky to be able to chat with Erin every once in a while when she pays a visit to the marketing office, and I’m very happy to report that she was able to answer a few questions that I had for her.
What was your inspiration to begin designing costumes? What got you interested?
I’ve always loved costumes and fashion. I’ve watched a lot of bad movies just because they had beautiful costumes. However, I didn’t grow up around theater and didn’t realize that costume design was a career path. It was actually a visit to the Hippodrome’s costume shop in 2015 that sparked my interest in pursuing costumes full-time.
What was your favorite costume that you designed for Perfect Arrangement?
Barbara’s first look, which is a skirt suit with high shoulders and a nipped waist, in an unusual green color, with a big hat. The play is set in 1950, which was a transitional period both for fashion and culture, so her silhouette is very 1940s but with a highly specific flair. Barbara is supposed to be larger than life, a trendsetter, and utterly impeccable, so I knew I needed to make a statement with her first appearance in the show. We built the entire look, including the hat, in house.
What is your overall process for designing your costumes? How do you take what’s in the text and turn it into an image/design?
Every designer starts with the text. Design must support and never get in the way of the acting. Directors give us their overall vision for the show, then it’s up to us to figure out how to illustrate time and place, character traits, alliances, and plot arcs visually. Costumes, scenery, lighting and sound all have to come together to make something seamless that supports the director’s vision.
What is your favorite show that you’ve ever designed costumes for and why?
The Revolutionists, by Lauren Gunderson, which the Hippodrome produced in spring 2022. The backdrop of the play is the French Revolution, but the dialogue is modern, so we designed a show in an interstitial space that was very much of the late 18th century, but also out of a concrete time and place. For example, my costume design for Marie Antoinette included a huge wig and ornate gown, but the front of the skirt was open to expose her legs. I bleach painted a skirt with protest slogans. Another character wore fishnet tights and combat boots under her period-correct dress and jacket. For me, it was the perfect balance of period and fantasy.
I was also able to sit down and talk with Warren Goodwin, the Technical Director for Perfect Arrangement, as well as many other shows that the Hippodrome has put on. The technical director does essentially what the name says, they oversee and direct the technical elements! This role focuses heavily on the scenic side, as Warren oversees the construction and load in of the set. He is responsible for ensuring that the scenic designer’s renderings are properly and accurately transferred from design to stage, while keeping in mind the budget, labor, and materials that are available. Below are some highlights from the conversation we had!
How did you become interested in working in the technical side of theatre?
I got into theatre by chance. I knew the Hippodrome’s master carpenter at the time, Andy Hughes in 2004, who was looking for help with the shows they were currently working on. I was really needing some work so I decided to help out, and I was asked to stay after that! I became the master carpenter and then technical director later on.
What are some specific skills that you think are essential for a technical director to have?
A technical director’s most important skill comes down to creative problem solving. You have to be able to do things as if you’ve always known how to do them. There are times that you have to learn almost overnight how to properly construct something. You have to be very flexible with construction, rigging, working a budget, and approaching a new skill without becoming too overwhelmed.
What would you say was the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far in this production, and how did you overcome it?
At one point in the show there is a door that has to swing open on its own. I had absolutely no idea how we were going to make that work, which was stressful. One day I was just walking down the hallway and the solution just sort of dawned on me. It is so crucial to have patience with yourself and be confident that you will figure out what to do.
What is your favorite show that you’ve ever worked on and why?
In my time as tech director I’ve had two favorite shows that I’ve worked on here at the Hipp. The first one would be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in which the set of the show was all on me. The set almost looked like something out of the movie Tron, with lit up grooves on the floor, geometric puzzle piece like panels on the back walls, and furniture that blended in with the walls before sliding out to be used. My other favorite is Fahrenheit 451 which the Hippodrome produced in 2022. That set was more based on projections rather than a physical set, but it’s still one of my favorites.
Do you have any fun behind the scenes photos you’re willing to share?
Here’s some photos of the set that were taken recently.
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Another designer that I was extremely grateful to hear from is Robert Robins, the Production Manager and Lighting Designer for Perfect Arrangement. Robert has also worked on many Hippodrome shows in the past, and the work that he does for the Hippodrome is spectacular! Lighting is one of the most integral parts of theatre. The colors of the light conveys emotions, time of day, tone of the scene, and more. The scenic and lighting design go hand in hand, as a set becomes even more alive once the lighting plot has been applied to it.
What was your inspiration to be a lighting designer?
I have always been fascinated by light. I remember the colorful strip lights in my Sunday school auditorium when I was 7 or 8. Theatre was a big part of my early education as a child from a small private school on a farm 60 miles outside of Detroit!! So I have always had a touch on it. I wanted to run the followspot in High School and help with the lights as well as act. I was attending Santa Fe Community College and walked by the auditorium. I heard something on stage, so I walked in the front door and saw what I think was a rehearsal for a dance performance. The lighting was changing intensity, there were a few different colors and something just went off, like a big bell inside my head. I wanted to learn how to work with light. I went on to attend the University of Florida and studied, earning a BFA in Theatre Production.
Once you’ve begun a project, how do you initially start formulating your design?
I start by reading the script a few times. Then meet with the director for general concept and scope. Then production meetings with all the creative team.
Do you have a favorite lighting sequence in the show? If so, which one?
Way, way too many to keep track of. That would be 1000’s and 1000’s of cues and looks!! I think back to productions, not necessarily a string of lighting cues. A few that come to mind are the productions of M Butterfly; HAIR; A Walk in the Woods; Euridyce; Million Dollar Quartet; etc.
Your designs have an effect on every single other aspect of the show. How do you work with other designers to make sure that everyone’s visions come to life?
Collaborative production meetings and tech rehearsals. Being flexible. Asking questions.
How would you define a great lighting design? What parts have to be completed for a design to be considered done and perfect?
Never, ever perfect. From good, complete paperwork, to execution of cues/looks, to collaboration with my fellow designers and creatives.
Do you have any behind the scenes pictures from Perfect Arrangement that you can share with us yet?
No pics from Perfect Arrangement yet. But any Hipp production photos on the mainstage have my lighting!! Any from the last 39 years!!
Usually when I work on a show (especially for UF’s student theatre club @floridaplayers), I design the props! Props can usually be defined as anything that a character interacts with or moves around the stage, like a tv remote or a box. Props are one of the elements that helps to immerse the audience in the story. If you were to watch a show, and a character starts pretending to brush their hair without a hairbrush prop, it immediately takes you out of the story and reminds the audience that what they’re watching isn’t real. I am very happy that I was able to meet Elaine Shoaf, the props designer for Perfect Arrangement when she stopped by the marketing office last week. Elaine is so incredibly crafty and creative, and I am very excited to share what she had to say about her work!
What made you want to pursue technical theatre, specifically props?
I grew up in a theater family, with my older brother being an actor, playwright and filmmaker, so performance arts have always been a part of my life. I tried my hand at acting when I was younger, but when my interests shifted more towards visual art I found myself much more comfortable on the production side, mostly doing advertising and scenic art, with some prop work in there. I took a ten year break from most theater work before starting at the Hipp for the 50th season, but am glad to be back in it!
What types of factors do you consider when selecting props?
First consideration is always durability, especially for a long run. Those props can take a beating after a few weeks! The period the play is set in is obviously important, so there is a good amount of research and creative fabrication to make sure everything looks of the time the story is set. Then just as important as the rest is the character and actor the prop is meant for (if it is specific to one). Does the prop look like something the character would use and/or own? Our costume department is often a great help with this from a visual standpoint, and they frequently assist me in the right direction. But also, how can I best fit the prop into the actor’s practice and style of performance? I try to think of these things when creating/acquiring items for a show.
What types of materials do you prefer to work with and why?
Anytime I can sculpt I’m pretty happy. I love working with polymer clay and papier mache in particular!
Props can range in size and weight, and even the smallest prop can be instrumental to the storytelling of the show. How do you keep track of what you have, what you need to get, and where everything is once you’ve got them all?
It’s very much a team effort with Stage Management! For my part, I always start a show with a checklist of all the props I need to find/build, so I can keep track of what has and hasn’t made it into the building. Stage management and I stay in communication throughout the production process to make sure all props and duplicates are and accounted for and that I am aware of any additions to my list made during rehearsals, and once the play opens they really take the lead, making sure everything is organized and preset for the show!
What is your favorite prop that you’ve ever made and why?
That’s probably a tie between the flame thrower for Fahrenheit 451 and the Jacob Marley puppet for A Christmas Carol. The former was absolutely shooting in the dark (pun intended), as I had never really constructed anything like it in my life. I have some background in puppetry, so Carol was a great way to scale up with the skills I had acquired through mask-making and marionette work.
If you have any pictures of your favorite Perfect Arrangement props that you’d be willing to share I’d love to include them!
I don’t have a ton of finished work for PA yet, but I do love this tray and have some fake food to start!
Of course no show can exist without a director! The director is in charge of bringing the playwright’s vision to life on the stage through their own interpretation of the text. The director oversees the designers and actors, ensuring that the show stays true to what they have in mind, while still permitting others to have their creative freedom. The director for Perfect Arrangement is Tim Altmeyer, an associate professor at the University of Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance! He’s appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, and a visit to his page on the UF SOTD’s directory can show you all of the incredible work that he’s done! I’m truly honored to have been able to ask him some of my questions about his time on Perfect Arrangement!
What motivated you to pursue directing?
Well, I’m an actor first and foremost. I’ve spent the bulk of my professional life embodying characters’ lives in service to a story. And that’s what a director does—but instead of serving it from the inside, the director serves a story from the outside. Directing allows me to bring my understanding of how to serve a story from its interior to attend to how a story looks and feels to an audience looking in. I like to think (and hopefully not deludedly) that’s my superpower as a director.
Have you directed many shows in the past?
Like I said, I call myself an actor. At the Hippodrome alone, I’ve appeared in over a dozen productions, but I am not an inexperienced director. Perfect Arrangement is my third production as director at the Hipp (after Other Desert Cities and Stage Kiss). I’ve also directed projects in New York City and Dublin, IR, as well as several productions at the University of Florida.
Balancing the vibrant and upbeat vibe of the show along with the serious and emotional aspects must have been tricky. How were you able to find a balance?
Balance is found by trusting and serving the story. The playwright has provided us all the jokes, the shifts in tone, and fully rendered characters through which the play’s complicated questions are revealed. By faithfully following the map the playwright has given us, we find our way home.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge you’ve encountered with this show?
No challenges. Just joy. And massive inspiration by the theatre that—despite its overwhelmingly daunting fiscal challenges—has heroically continued to produce stories that not only entertain but move and provoke.
What is one thing that you hope the audience will take away from this show?
A few things—that identity matters—that truth matters—and that thoughtful, professional theatre matters.
It’s quite easy to come see a show and only remark on the amazing job that the actors did on stage. The endless hours that these designers and directors spend working on these shows is seen, yet often overlooked by the audience. My hopes when creating this article was to shine a spotlight on those who do not grace the stage during the show, and emphasize the importance of their dedication. Head to the “Theatre” tab > “IGNITE – Season 2024/2025” > “Perfect Arrangement” to purchase your tickets and see these designs in person! Make sure to come see Perfect Arrangement during its run at the Hippodrome to demonstrate your support of the arts, and please consider purchasing a subscription or flex pass. Every dollar you donate and every event you attend makes a difference and supports the future of the Hippodrome!
Welcome back to our FINAL Broadway Designer Highlight! Our designer this week is Rachel Hauck, yet another Tony nominee and winner. In addition to her specific design work, Hauck also was a key asset in the creation of the first ever off-Broadway collective bargaining agreement for the United Scenic Artists Union.
The work that Hauck is most recognized for is her design of the musical Hadestown, in which she won a Tony award for Best Scenic Design in a Musical at the 2019 Tony awards. Hadestown tells the story of Eurydice who goes to the underworld to escape the poverty and harsh weather that she currently lives in, and her lover Orpheus who comes to rescue her. The show takes place in a jazz bar, which somewhat changes throughout the course of the show. The walls are a bluish green color, and transform into the sky when Orpheus and Eurydice are outdoors. The more you look at the set, the more you begin to see the industrial features of the bar that parallel the industrial work conditions of the underworld. The stage extends two extra rows into the audience to make it feel more interactive, and the bar is in the shape of a semicircle to “hug the audience”. Hauck mentioned that “it should feel like the bar is a cog in the giant machine that is Hadestown”, and the bar later opens to expose the depths of hell. It was said that “The simple design echoes the romanticism, conflict, desire, and loss all wrapped up in Hadestown”. At the end of the show, the stage resets to look like it did at the beginning. Hauck said that “it’s the circular nature. You’re right back where you started as soon as it ended, and we’re going to try again”. In the first song, “Road to Hell”, Hermes says that “Someone’s got to tell the tale, Whether or not it turns out well, Maybe it will turn out this time”. The show is constantly being retold in a circular sequence, and this is shown through Hauck’s design. Similar to the design of Hamilton, turntables are also an incredibly important aspect of the storytelling of Hadestown. When Orpheus follows Eurydice down to the underworld, five lights descend from the ceiling and other dancers come up and move them around. These lights are symbolic of the factory conditions in the underworld. Overall, Hauck’s set is a marvel to look at, and I am constantly looking for more details! I’ll put some photos below of the set so you can see how detailed and versatile it is.
Hauck also designed the original set for What the Constitution Means to Me, which the Hippodrome is performing from October 11 to October 27! The play discusses themes like domestic abuse, immigration, women’s rights, and the history of the United States. The show varies in its time period, switching back and forth between the main character’s modern self and her fifteen year old self who participated in Constitutional debate contests. The set is designed to be an American Legion hall where Heidi Schreck, the main character and playwright, participated in debates. It includes banquet chairs, a flag for the Legion post of Wenatchee, Washington, the American flag, a maroon carpet, and wood paneling on the walls. The most noticeable and memorable element of Hauck’s set, however, is the wall of 163 photos depicting American Legion members, showcasing veterans from every United States conflict since World War I. Since the play revolves around the effects that the Constitution and its legacy had on the women of Schreck’s family, Hauck said that she wanted the set to be “as intense as the stories she tells” by surrounding Schreck with the men who symbolize the Constitution’s ideals. The photos also contain “TV producer Norman Lear, who served in World War II, and whose daughter Kate Lear is a co-producer for the show’s Broadway run.” There are also a couple photos of the actors who’ve played the onstage Legionnaire in the play. The Legionnaire just sits and observes the show from the stage, a “flesh-and-blood part of the set”, until he has a monologue late in the show. Hauck also elected to not add a door to the set, making it a “trap” as she put it. Schreck has begun to think of the photos, and those who wrote the Constitution, “sometimes as oppressors, sometimes as allies”. Hauck’s set may seem simple and straightforward; however, a deep dive into her intention and choices gives a much deeper meaning than what first meets the eye.
This was our very last Broadway Designer Highlight! Thank you so much for reading and learning along with me about all of these fabulous and talented designers. I truly hope that you’ve gained a newfound appreciation for the research and dedication that these designers put into their work, and you continue to support all aspects of the arts. Go out and support your local theatres, you’re helping more than just the actors! Make sure to come see the Hippodrome’s production of What the Constitution Means to Me to support the future of the Hipp, and consider buying a subscription or flex pass. Check out the links below to read more about Rachel Hauck and her work!
Sources:
https://playbill.com/article/the-2-worlds-disguised-in-1-set-for-broadways-hadestown
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadestown
https://www.rachelhauckdesign.com/hadestown-london
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCWZsq6TIUY
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/theater/what-the-constitution-means-to-me-set.html
https://www.rachelhauckdesign.com/constitution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_the_Constitution_Means_to_Me
Hello everyone! As my time as an intern at the Hippodrome comes to a close, I wanted to say thank you for your support! I have learned so much in my time here, and have met some truly incredible people. My time at the Hippodrome is something that I will always carry with me, and I am so grateful for this experience.
The operations of the Hippodrome would not be possible without the dedication of those who work here and their love for the arts. When coming to a show at the Hipp, you see the box office team, the bar, the actors, and many more people who love presenting the arts for the Gainesville community. You may not see the designers, the directors, and those who work in the third floor offices, but their love for the community is also what allows the Hipp to continue its legacy. This legacy cannot continue without the support of the community, which is why I strongly urge you to support the arts. By coming to a show, you are supporting not only those who work on the shows, but also those who work to maintain the building and operations of the Hipp.
I strongly encourage you to make a donation to the Hipp, come to see our shows this season, purchase a subscription or flex pass, or attend a cinema showing or basement session. Even if you are unable to do any of those things, spread awareness about the Override the Veto campaign and continue to support the arts. We can’t do this alone!
Once again, thank you for reading and showing your support for Backstage Buzz and the Hippodrome. Please continue to support the arts and those behind the scenes who also work tirelessly to bring shows to life!
Ella 🙂