I was the Scenic Designer (as well as the Lighting Designer and the Stage Manager) for this original production of Dissent (by Cameron Houg) with Central Theatre Ensemble’s Ghostlight Lab Series in October of 2017. Below are some production photos from the show.
Photo Credit: Aaron Smart, Directed By: Cameron Houg, Costume Designer: Jackson Berhow, Lighting Design: Riley Allen
This production was a fun and no holds barred plunge into a small scale scenic design. Being still somewhat new to scenic design at the time, the whole experience presented a number of challenges. Once again, it was a student production without any faculty mentor attached, so the process was largely up to myself. There was also no scene or paint shop assistance, so I took on the roles of head painter and head carpenter for the show. The show also had a unique (to my experience) seating arrangement, an L-shape if you will (audience DS and SR), which led to some specific requirements for sight lines and spatial needs. In the end, the product is effective but not as strong as it could have been. Even though I put prep work into the show the summer leading up to it, I got stuck on one idea too early into the process, so the platform and stairs were not as wholly tied to the narrative as they could have been. I realized immediately following this show that I needed to explore a wide range of ideas during the design process. Also despite effort and training, the platform and stairs could have been painted more effectively. This will fix itself with more experience and training.