Arrabbiata On Stage

A few weeks ago I was asked by Pat Hutchinson of the Belmar Arts Council to help out with a project that I had shown aptitude for previously.  She took on the responsibility for decorating much of the stage sets for an upcoming production of Spamalot at the Algonquin Arts Theater in Manasquan.  She particularly targeted known BAC muralists, but she could use help from anyone with daytime hours and painting experience.  As it happens I'm on spring break at one of my schools, giving me a little extra time for painting this week.

I do have some stage set experience, but more construction.  For several years my brother was involved with school plays where he works, in charge of the stage.  I was tapped several times for my expertise in building things, such as stretching canvas over large frames for backdrops, or designing platforms that could hold up to choreography on top of them.  Made a little money in the process.  Building things for this production is someone else's responsibility- we're just painting stuff.  For example, when I arrived in the early afternoon I was shown to the above piece of burlap, tacked down over plastic on the empty stage.  The goal- half a scary forest.

The first task was to lay out a grid of 3.5 foot squares with chalk.  (burlap really wears down a stick of chalk)  This worked out to 16 such squares over the large L shaped piece.  After that, Pat and I used big Sharpie markers to rough in a complex drawing of a group of trees, based on a gridded sketch on paper.

Pat mostly draw the canopy of leaves and spanish moss type growth, while most of my efforts went toward twisted tree trunks, branches, and vines.  Reminded me a lot of reading Swamp Thing comics.

After that it was time to paint.  Ralph took on the section with light green paint (above right), while I mixed a darker green (above center), and Pat worked on the trunks and branches (above left).  Other than a short break when Pat was almost killed by a falling piece of set construction, the process went smoothly.

We called it a day in the late afternoon, a combination of being tired, running out of the colors we mixed, and that we had to leave time for it to dry before the stage would be turned over to rehearsing actors in the evening.  This paint is just a first coat, to be covered with a variety of colors and textures in the coming days.