"Dost thou not suspect my place?"

Our goal in designing sets has been to keep it simple. The words of Shakespeare often portray just as much, if not more, than any set we could provide. Instead we try to evoke an atmosphere and suggest various places and settings.

This year, we'll be suggesting both the dignified home of Leontes and the forgotten isle of Prospero. In previous years, we haven't had such a variety of sets sharing the stage, and as such, we'll be trying to keep them as conveniently "compatible" as possible.

As seen above, our basic setup involves archways held up by lightpoles across the stage. Two to four black boxes will be re-used from last year, which the actors can use for sitting or standing. The cyc curtain will be used as our backdrop. We've built up a somewhat-to-scale version of the set, as seen below.

 

Each performance will use a different archway to suggest the scene, from grassy withering vines to elegant silk hangings. We hope to be able to design a way to easily change out the arches between the two plays.The layout of the black boxes are also liable to change, depending on how much space each performance needs.

We can only hope to make a set that is engaging enough for all you actors to properly portray your characters. If any of you have any questions or comments concerning the set, please leave a comment! Thanks!