I find it most efficient to recycle old materials and use up stuff laying around the house when constructing something new. This cuts down on things sitting in storage and gives new life to something I may have been reluctant to get rid of but would never use the same way again. I often find exactly what need for for a new project among the detritus of old project pieces.
For example:
Here is the coral set from A Murmured Tale that served as the backdrop for the musicians.
This set sat around the warehouse for a while, and it has finally found it’s renewed purpose in The Ship of Fools.
First it had to be cut up into pieces…
Now it has become the mast of the Ship of Fools!
Another example of recycling old sets and costumes:
Here is the shrimp head from the first incarnation of, ‘A Murmured Tale‘ in Baltimore. It was made from cardboard and paper mache.
After being transported from Baltimore to Oakland, this piece needed serious repairs done for the next performance in San Francisco. After more paper mache was added in the repair process, it was too heavy to wear anymore, so I reconstructed the shrimp out of fabric and wire for lightness and comfort.
The original cardboard shrimp head was added onto and reborn as a strange creature who has participated in several of Chthonic Theater’s parades!
Harlequin Inspiration
The three main characters of The Ship of Fools comment, critique and at times disrupt the story as it moves along. They also manipulate the Fools, be they in mask or puppet form.
Harlequin and Pierrot
These roles are modeled after 3 archetypal characters from Commedia dell’arte, an Italian theatrical style that began in the 1500s and, “was characterized by masked “types”, the advent of the actress, and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. Compagnie, or companies, were troupes of actors, each of whom had a specific function or role.” -Wikipedia
First there is Harlequin, an agile and bouncy joker, very mischievous and always lusting after Columbine (or food). Columbine is Harlequin’s mistress, a flirtatious and tricky feminine clown. Pierrot is also in love with Columbine, but never wins a contest against Harlequin, so is often sad, spaced-out, confused, or just plain lost.
The costumes for our show are being created by Rachel Tietjen and Domenica Peterson. These are the preliminary design sketches:
sketch for Pierrot
sketch for Harlequin
sketch for Colombine
And here are some of the early stages of fabric being created for the show: