I have built a set previously for Gallery 7 for the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I applied for a set design contract for an elementary school, Vancouver Talmud Torah, for this same show, and also built it. It was slightly more work than I expected, and I expected a lot! But it turned out very well and they had a great run at the Norman Rothstein Theatre in March 2023.
I visited the venue, then worked with the director, Keri Smith, to come up with an original design, and after a few tweaks we had a solid plan in place.
The main plan was a set of moveable stairs that stayed on the stage throughout the show (partly due to space constraints). Scenes were built around these, using their versatility. Following are some set build pictures and a few from the stage as well.
Steps: 2×2 framing, 3/4 aspen plywood steps, 1/8 mahogany skins
King Tut backdrop: canvas, carved styrofoam
Well and 2D sheep:
Logs and campfire:
Tent: I saved this til the end because I couldn’t figure out how it would work. With some help from my friend Charlene it got done!
Floor: I painted a rented vinyl floor to look like sand. Then gave it a clear coat of satin varathane so the set could slide on it. It was a lot of work and there were a few hiccups, but it worked out surprisingly well!
In the theatre: I also made large screens to hide the musicians. Thanks to Lighting Designer Victoria Bell for a great look!
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