Scenic Design
This design for the Orlando Repertory Theatre's Youth Academy Production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The director asked for something basic where the kids could create the scenes from simple objects and their bodies. She also wanted something industrial, but noting too heavy and frightening. From those ideas I created a factory setting that was "whimsical industrial" by taping into some steampunk shapes and textures. The main walls of the set had large gears, switches, and knobs that the actors moved, lending itself to another one of the directors concepts that the oompa loompas were not just operating the machines but part of the factory itself. More gears and gadgets were hung around the walls of the black box theatre to fully enclose the audience in the magical world of Willy Wonka. Finally, the large gear platform center stage held several small lighting instruments hidden behind metal mesh in the recesses of the teeth. This gave the lighting designer fun lighting position that also further established the mood we created.
White Model
1' = 3/8"
1' = 3/8"
Final set under the lighting designer's main look.
A second look at the set, this time in the look created for the many scene changes.
The man gear platform under work lights.
The main gear platform with the hidden lights turned on.
Wonka's Ever-lasting Gobstopper Machine really worked. An actor on the other side of the wall poured a handfull of BBs into the clear tubing that corkscrewed down to a pot on the other side. The actor playing Willy Wonka then picked up another ball that was slightly larger for visual aid.
Charlie Bucket (left) and Violet Beauregarde (right) amazed at one of the Oompa Loompas (center) turning a set of the large gears on the set. The gears were build from pink styrofoam laminated to luan, and then painted once installed.
