Every Christmas Story Ever Told by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, John K. Alvarez (Creative Movement Practices, Dec 2023)
My Roles:
Directing Mentor, Lighting, Sound, and Projection Design
DIRECTOR - ALGY ALFRED
DIRECTING MENTORS - ANDREW ROBLYER, SARAH SNEESBY
LIGHTING, SOUND, & PROJECTION DESIGN - ANDREW ROBLYER
SCENIC DESIGN - SARAH SNEESBY & ANDREW ROBLYER
PROP DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION - JAMES DUNCAN
PRODUCTION PHOTOGRPAPHER - PIN LIM
Why This Show?
Creative Movement Practices selected this show when a previously planned project needed to be delayed. It was chosen because it was fun, accessible, and holiday-themed with minimal production needs to keep costs down. It was also selected due to the fact that they chose to pilot a director-mentorship model with a first-time director.
Lessons Learned
This was a relatively simple show, though there was a learning opportunity for all of us that involved a racially-sensitive topic in the show, which I worked with the director to navigate visually, but the impact was not as intended, and several patrons expressed concern about the imagery. It was an important reminder that impact =/= intention.
Concept
We focused heavily on projection design in lieu of most physical scenic elements beyond simple furniture and a Christmas tree. Sound design was mostly indicated in the script, and lighting was kept simple and used primarily to draw focus to the individual performers in different physical locations on stage.