"The South Jersey town of Oakbranch is replacing the old schoolhouse. Two local elders have been selected to decide on a person after whom the new building should be named. As they come together, they rediscover the circumstances of their first meeting- a time when the school was first integrated and the region earned its nickname, “The Mississippi of the North”.  Within the brick walls of the century-old building, a long-suppressed moment in the town’s history surfaces and threatens to change the memory of the town and these people, forever."

 

                            - Summary courtesy of Cape May Stage

 

This production was part of the rolling world premier of How to Make a Rope Swing, written by Shawn Fisher. The design, though seemingly straight forward, an old school room, required a lot of detail and thinking. I wanted to create a detailed environment for the actors to draw from and I wanted every inch to tell the story of the old classroom.  It was a joy to create the space and see the actors find use for every hand print and leftover note and artifact.

 

In addition to the design, I also did all of the scenic painting and set dressing.