The Design of Scenery and Art of Scenic Transition for a Production of City of Angels

Home , Flat (theatre), Peter Stone, Tech (Smash), Worlds Collide (tour)

THESIS

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

Shane Paul Cinal, B.A

Graduate Program in Theatre

The Ohio State University

2015

Thesis Committee:

Dan Gray, Advisor

Mary Tarantino

A. Scott Parry

Shane Paul Cinal

2015

Abstract

City of Angels is a musical written by Larry Gelbart, Cy Coleman, and David Zippel,

which was produced by The Ohio State University Department of Theatre in

collaboration with the School of Music in the fall semester of 2014. This document

discusses the process of designing the scenery in collaboration with the production team.

The scenic design process involved consideration of the design aspects for City of Angels,

including the Director’s concept in relationship to analysis of the text as well as the

technical elements of the production’s design. This document narrates the scenic process

guiding the production of the large-scale, film noir-inspired musical presented in Thurber

Theatre to tell the story in a cinematically inspired performance.

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this thesis project as a whole to my mother, Jackie Cinal.

For always being there on this journey with constant and continual love and support.

iii

Acknowledgments

Natalie Cagle; for her friendship and inspirational attitude.

Dan Gray; for his faith, support and encouragement throughout my graduate tenure.

Chad Mahan and Chris Zinkon; for no matter how times I fell on my face, they were still there to give me another push.

A Scott Parry; for his continual encouragement, friendship and enlightened conversations.

Mary Tarantino: for the guidance offered and the recognition of constant art being made.

Vita

29 December 1985 ...... Born – South Bend, Indiana

2004...... High School Diploma, Academic Honors; Washington High School; South Bend, Indiana

2009...... B.A. Theatre and History, Major English, Minor Indiana University-Bloomington; Bloomington, Indiana

2013...... Department of Theatre, The Visit, scenic design

2013...... School of Music, Carmen, scenic design

2013...... Department of Theatre, The Tempest, scenic design

2014...... School of Music, The Rape of Lucretia, scenic design

2014...... School of Music & Department of Theatre, City of Angels, scenic design

2012 to present ...... Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University

Italicized items are the creative projects done at The Ohio State University

Major Field: Theatre - Scenic Design.

Table of Contents

Abstract ...... ii

Dedication ...... iii

Acknowledgments...... iv

Vita ...... v

List of Figures ...... viii

Chapter 1: The Producing Situation ...... 1

Chapter 2: Show Synopsis and Script Analysis ...... 7

Chapter 3: Research and Design Evolution ...... 29

Chapter 4: The Production Process ...... 59

Chapter 5: Evaluation ...... 75

References ...... 82

Research Image Citations ...... 83

Appendix A: The Director’s Concept ...... 84

Appendix B: The Scenic Plot ...... 94

Appendix C: Digital Scenic Renderings ...... 98

Appendix D: Scenic Transition Cue Sheet ...... 111 vi

Appendix E: The Props List ...... 121

Appendix F: Scenic Drafting Packet ...... 127

Appendix G: Scenic Budget ...... 140

vii

List of Figures

Figure 1. Thurber audience seating ...... 3

Figure 2. Thurber Theatre ground plan ...... 4

Figure 3. (Production Photo) Oolie bursts into the Inner Office ...... 10

Figure 4. (Production Photo) Buddy interrupts Stine’s writing process ...... 11

Figure 5. (Production Photo) Gabby and Oolie, "What You Don't Know About Women"

...... 13

Figure 6. (Production Photo) Buddy educates Stine in "The Buddy System" ...... 15

Figure 7. (Production Photo) Stine, “Medium shot of a public phone booth.”...... 16

Figure 8. (Production Photo) Stine and Donna mirror Stone and Mallory ...... 18

Figure 9. (Production Photo) Stone breaks from the film to confront Stine...... 20

Figure 10a. Oolie in "You Can Always Count on Me” ...... 21

Figure 10b. Donna in “You Can Always Count on Me” ...... 21

Figure 11. (Production Photo) Carla reads from the film's Warehouse scene ...... 22

Figure 12. (Production Photo) Gabby explains, “It Needs Work” ...... 23

Figure 13. (Production Photo) Stone confronts Alaura in the film's final scene ...... 25

Figure 14. (Production Photo) Stine and Gabby enjoy their Hollywood ending ...... 26

Figure 15. Examples of textures and composition in Double Indemnity, 1944...... 31

Figure 16. A Tribute to Film Noir; digital rendering ...... 32 viii

Figure 17. Images of L.A and vantage points ...... 33

Figure 18. Detail view of backside of Hollywood sign ...... 34

Figure 19. Research image of noir detective office. Note: chair, desk, filing cabinet ..... 35

Figure 20. Initial scenic sketches of the Hotel and Office Units ...... 38

Figure 21. An AutoCAD drawing of the Shutter Curtain in its four configurations ...... 41

Figure 22. Rendering: Hotel, Buddy's Office, Outer Office scenes ...... 42

Figure 23. Research image of a hotel room ...... 44

Figure 24. Initial sketch and tracking of Buddy's Unit ...... 45

Figure 25. Refined sketch of Stone's Apartment unit ...... 47

Figure 26. Refined rendering of the Bel-Air Mansion with adjacent Room ...... 49

Figure 27. Research image of noir brick in dressing room ...... 53

Figure 28. Digital rendering of how projections might work together...... 55

Figure 29. Mahan explains the guide knives to practicum students ...... 62

Figure 30. Completed Pergola unit on track ...... 65

Figure 31. Paint sample for the noir wainscoting ...... 67

Figure 32. On set for Publicity Photos ...... 71

Chapter 1: The Producing Situation

I was assigned City of Angels as my scenic design thesis at the beginning of spring semester 2014. I was advised that it was to be a large scale production, utilizing technology and automation and eagerly began my design process. Director A. Scott Parry emailed his concept to the design team prior to our first production meeting on February

10, 2014. His concept for City of Angels articulately described the approach he would take in mounting the production and the many design requirements. The production team reviewed the calendar at that first meeting, indicating that we had nearly nine months to discuss, collaborate and produce the design of the show, set to open on October 30, 2014.

From this February meeting, I was given nine weeks to design a functional show which was scheduled to start construction at the beginning of the 2014 fall semester.

The budget for City of Angels’ scenery was originally $10,000 with an additional prop budget of $2,500 However, as the design developed and the needs of the production grew, the producer approved an increase in the scenic budget to $12,000 in order to fully realize the design and its technological needs. My nine week journey of design began with heavy visual and thematic research and concepts which developed through constant conversation and collaboration with the production team, with particular attention paid to scenic mapping with the director. Through this, the design evolved into an environment appropriate for the caliber of such a large-scale, multi-locale musical. With final approval 1 from director A. Scott Parry and Associate Chair for Production, Mary Tarantino, the scenic design continued to develop into a design packet comprised of a twenty-six plate story board, a mapping of the design and transitions of the show, as well as construction drawings, a props list, and scenic transition documents.

Evaluating this packet of design information, technical director Chad Mahan and automation coordinator Chris Zinkon were able to make a detailed estimate of construction costs and formulate plans to execute the build of the design in a proper timeframe. Since automation played a crucial part in the success of the scenic design,

Mahan and Zinkon planned to reconfigure the current automation tracking system below the show deck of the Thurber stage floor to allow for the intensive needs of the production’s automation. Also, because of the construction requirements of the show,

Mahan and Zinkon decided to build the additional automation winches, show wagons and portals during the summer, prior to the official start of the scenic build and scenic studio practicum hours.

After the installation and completion of the set in the Thurber Theatre, a two week technical rehearsal process began with crew watch on October 17. The show opened

October 30 and performed until November 9 for a total of eight performances.

The Thurber Theatre is unique and challenging. The seating capacity is just over six hundred in a continental format and does not include a balcony or inset aisle ways.

(see Figure 1) The rake of the seating is a gradual 9.5 degrees and does not raise far above the stage floor. The seating fans out in a broad curve which results in extreme

sight-lines. The average audience member is seated 40'-0” away from the downstage edge

of the apron.

Figure 1. Thurber audience seating

The Thurber orchestra pit and apron extend 11'-0” from the plaster line of the proscenium arch. The portal of the proscenium arch is 35'-0” wide and 21'-0” high and opens to a stage with a 49'-0” depth and wing space extending approximately 20'-0” in

either direction. (see Figure 2) Thurber Theatre harbors a number of resources and amenities which include eight trapdoors in the stage floor leading to the trap room 10'-9"

below the deck. The trap room area would later be accessed for a pneumatically driven piston to raise a microphone to appear from the floor. This subfloor covers the majority 3

of the playable space and terminates at the upstage edge of the orchestra pit. By utilizing

a hydraulic powered lift, the pit can either be raised to stage level, meet the level of the

audience, or lower to pit level. The apron wraps around the orchestra pit and extends 9’-

0” on either side forming wing space in front of the house. This wing space includes four

massive caliper doors on either side of the stage that mask lighting positions as well as

providing additional performer entrances.

Figure 2. Thurber Theatre ground plan

The Thurber Theatre stage fly systems are comprised of two different rigging system types. Line sets one through ten are single purchase systems operated on the stage floor in the stage right wing. Line sets eleven through thirty six are double purchase systems which are operated from a pin rail 20'-0” above the stage floor. All of the line set

battens are 50'-0” in length, and extend 7’-6” beyond the proscenium opening on either

side. There are four motorized electrics for lighting equipment. Downstage of the proscenium arch hangs a motorized truss suspended from a massive drive rod winch fastened to the face of the 2'-0” thick cement wall above the portal opening.

As the scenic designer of City of Angels, I was tasked with thoroughly analyzing

and researching the script to create a world that would be visually engaging for the

audience, yet still practical in its fundamental notions to tell the story. It was imperative

that my design achieve the scope of director A. Scott Parry’s vision of the show. I worked extensively with Parry from the first production meeting to opening to ensure that the scenic component was both visually engaging as well as practical to his needs for staging.

In our discussions, we were strategic in meticulously walking through the script’s actions

to thoughtfully map out the show's details on how the scenery best served the story. The design process became more challenging for me when my advisor, Dan Gray, took an

emergency medical leave one week prior to our first production meeting.

Without an official mentor to guide me during the design process, I relied on advice from other members of the design faculty and drew on my own previous

professional experiences during the design stages of the production. Dan Gray returned to

advise me during the production process at the beginning of the fall semester 2014.

The scenic needs of the script were large and intricate. The ultimate success of the

show relied on all members of the design team to effectively communicate every nuance

of the show’s details with each other.

Stage manager, Riley Hutchison took adequate notes in production meetings and documented the progression of the work flow moving towards opening night. My relationship with him was essential in assuring that the scenic transitions as designed were working during the rehearsal process. His understanding of all the nearly forty scenic shift cues throughout the show was paramount. We worked together to make sure all pertinent information in tracking not only scenery, but actors, props and costumes was well communicated. Costume designer Natalie Cagle and lighting designer Andy Baker were significant members in the conversations about the show’s function and aesthetics.

Our discussions revolved around how the world of the show was to be presented in relation to the clothing and the lighting, not only in terms of the form of the show, but essentially the functionality of the designs. Collaboration and communication were key between myself and these two designers. Sound designer Zach Ivans was also key to these conversations as sound was not merely amplifying voices and instruments, but also crucial with the numerous sound cue voice overs that played in sync with scenic shifts.

Assistant Professor Alex Olizewski and Associate Professor Janet Parrott would also be integral members of the production due to the media and video components of the design, specifically the opening/closing credit sequences, projected location backdrops, and a music video.

As stated earlier, Chad Mahan was technical director along with Chris Zinkon who served as the automation specialist and coordinator for the production. Both parties were invaluable resources in ensuring that the scenery was constructed on time, within budget and maneuvered safely, according to the scenic design as envisioned.

Chapter 2: Show Synopsis and Script Analysis

To begin, City of Angels is not a standard book musical with a singular narrative.

With a script by Larry Gelbart, music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by David Zippel, it is a musical that pays homage to the film noir and detective genre of the 1940s, set against a backdrop of sultry jazz musical styling. The show breaks the creative mold in its over- whelming abundance of action and multiple subplots weaving within the story structure, combining two distinct narratives that reflect each other thematically. Book writer, Larry

Gelbart sets up this arrangement by using Los Angeles—which is affectionately referred to as the City of Angels as the backdrop of the story. He comments on the allure of Los

Angeles in the foreword in the script, “just how theatrically marvelous that marvelously theatrical city was…qualities that made the town that made the movies seem like a movie itself.” (Gelbart, 3). He effectively gives us this treatment along with Coleman and Zippel in City of Angels.

The dual narratives interweave the story of a novelist, Stine, penning his book into a screenplay while simultaneously the detective film he is writing, centering on

Detective Stone, weaves in and out throughout the production. These scenes of the film and real life play simultaneously as they reflect each other in both plot and character. Not only do certain situations reflect each other in the story, but art imitates life as the majority of the cast play roles in the two worlds of the show, aside from Stine and Stone.

For example, the actress portraying Stine’s wife, Gabby, also performs as Stone’s

girlfriend, Bobbi, in the film. I found this dual casting an interesting conceptual device. It

also served as greater inspiration as to how the scenic units could be referential to each

other in both of the two worlds. The terrace locations in both worlds and even some of

the bedroom scenes could reflect each other stylistically. In order to properly delineate

between these two worlds, they are affectionately referred to as the “real” world and the

“reel” world. However, in conversion the “reel” term was replaced with film, for better understanding.

The original production opened on Broadway in the Virginia Theatre on

December 11, 1989. It went on to win the Tony Award in 1990 for Best Musical, Best

Score, Best Book, and Best Scenic Design. It was also nominated for Best Costume

Design and Best Lighting Design. The creators of the script made a show that read as a

fast paced movie and our production needed to visually reflect that. In Parry’s Director’s

Concept, he requested that scenic elements transition smoothly between one another.

Additionally, they had to work together when the script called for two or more scenes to

be played simultaneously.

The show’s critical achievement was due to the script’s effectiveness in creating

such a challenging storyline and then executing it appropriately, producing a show that

mimicked a sense of “movie magic” on the stage. To add to this, the structure of the

musical was set up to be fast moving, as a movie itself, with scenes changing literally by

the minute, rarely returning to a previous location.

City of Angels gives the audience a view into the movie making industry with the main plot revolving around Stine penning a screen play with scenes from the film playing concurrently as live action before the audience within the narrative plot. Though the script was originally written for both narratives to be played in the 1940s, Parry made the decision to update the real world narrative to 2014. This approach would further delineate the two worlds of the play more clearly, visually, for the audience because of the complex structure of the piece. The following synopsis of the show given in this section reflects this contemporary approach to the text.

The musical begins with a jazzy overture, which essentially served to be the

“opening credits” for the production’s film. At the conclusion of this overture, three loud gun shots are heard, transporting the audience instantly into the drama. The curtain rises on a bare hospital corridor at night, revealing Stone on a gurney. A traditional standard voice-over of the cool private eye expressing the situation of dying, and death involving a

“woman…that kind of death is for suckers.” (Gelbart, 21) This sets up the trajectory for the rest of the show. We transition through another voice over into a flash back taking us weeks earlier, to Stone’s detective office with a normal morning greeting to his secretary- with-a-heart-of-gold, Oolie. Stone’s inner office appears parallel to his outer office showing the two characters going about their normal routine. (see Figure 3) Oolie bursts through his door to usher in a rich, beautiful woman named, Alaura Villiers. Alaura claims she wants Stone to find her missing stepdaughter, Mallory. Their inner thoughts and expectations of each other are revealed through the song, “Double Talk.” Against his better moral judgment, Stone accepts the case. Oolie escorts the alluring stranger out as

9 keystrokes are heard. A man appears in his hotel room working on his laptop. The three noir characters suddenly back up, "rewinding" and replaying the scene as before, but with text changes, establishing the screenplay within the plot convention.

Figure 3. (Production Photo) Oolie bursts into the Inner Office

The man behind these edits is revealed to be Stine, an author of popular detective novels starring Stone, which he is now adapting for his first screenplay with movie mogul, Buddy Fidler. The scenes in Stone’s office are actually the scenes straight from

10 the author’s screenplay. Stine’s phone rings, introducing Buddy Fidler into the scene, relaxing in his office chair. (see Figure 4)

Figure 4. (Production Photo) Buddy interrupts Stine’s writing process

Buddy scolds Stine for his recent edits including flashbacks, stating, “That’s kicked. It’s tired. Flashbacks are a thing of the past.” (Gilbart, 32) Hanging up with

Buddy, Stine reflects on his own working situation and the toll it is having on his creativity in a reprise of “Double Talk,” singing about the fast-paced excitement of working in the movies, however weary he is of Buddy’s suggestions,

This mad adventure I’ve begun

Is unlike anything I know, It’s gonna be a lotta work And lots of fun And pots of dough (Zippel 35)

Stine returns to re-write the Office Scene as the scene resumes action. From here the scene restores to Stine's hotel room as we learn the artistic concerns are worrying his wife, Gabby, who wishes Stine would stick to writing novels. She pleads with him to return home to New York with her as she, herself, is packing. He reassures her that he will be taken care of in Hollywood. She also expresses her concern about Stine’s previous occurrence of infidelity that she discovered previously, hinting at a recurring theme of promiscuity. He won't listen, reflecting Stone’s own stubbornness. The interplay between the “real” world and “reel” world come clearly into focus as Gabby and Oolie lament the blindness of men in the song, “What You Don't Know About Women.” (see

Figure 5)

Figure 5. (Production Photo) Gabby and Oolie, "What You Don't Know About Women"

Returning back to the film narrative, Stone appears in his dreary apartment set up during another voice over referring to his pathetic state of living. Emanating from a radio, Jimmy Powers, a radio crooner and a group of backup singers known as the Angel

City 4 (AC4), overlap this scene brightly advising “You Gotta Look Out For Yourself.”

This takes on a certain irony as two thugs, Big Six and Sonny, break down Stone’s door and rough him up for accepting the missing girl’s case. The action of the beating is interrupted by Jimmy Powers and the AC4 breaking the scene visually, performing the number live, as if to censor the fight by means of this entertainment. The musical group fades out as the action restores to the Apartment scene and the reveal of a beaten up

Stone. The thugs advise Stone to drop the case.

Stone ends the scene in another characteristic voice over, as the actions cuts to

Buddy’s Office where he had just read the screenplay pages of the previously played

13 scene. His secretary, Donna, enters, played by the actor who is playing the film’s Oolie.

Buddy gives his thesis of a movie, “Give me pictures. Paint me scenes. Movies are shadows. They’re light, they’re dark…” (Gelbart, 51) (see Figure 6) He educates Stine on this practice with “The Buddy System.” With the push of Stine off stage, Stone is revealed out cold in his apartment, where he is awakened by LAPD Lieutenant Muñoz— an officer of Latin American descent who was formerly Stone's partner on the police force but now holds a major grudge. He criticizes Stone about the fact that trouble always seem to come whenever a dame is in his life and has also never forgiven Stone for

"getting away" with a previous unexplained murder. Muñoz exits as Stone reminisces about this through a voice over about his love and heartache for a lounge singer named

Bobbi, who Stine has based on Gabby.

Figure 6. (Production Photo) Buddy educates Stine in "The Buddy System"

The apartment dissolves to a flashback of Stone and Bobbi from years past at the

Blue Note Lounge. While Bobbi takes a break from singing on stage, “With Every Breath

I Take,” Stone proposes but Bobbi desires stardom more than marriage. Time shifts to the

next night backstage in Bobbi’s dressing room where Stone catches her with a

Hollywood producer, Irwin S. Irving, based on and portrayed by the actor playing Buddy.

With tempers flared, a gun goes off along with a scream.

Stine appears back in his hotel room discussing the flashback scene on the phone with Gabby. Buddy’s assistant, Donna arrives, to break the news of Buddy’s disapproval of the dressing room scene. They talk about Stine basing many of the characters in his novels on people in his life, craftily cementing that notion within the show. He also reveals that Donna is his inspiration for Oolie. He asks her out to dinner and after she leaves, he begins to write the following scene of Oolie at a phone booth. (see Figure 7)

Stine speaks aloud while typing, approaching the scene cinematically: “Medium shot of a 15 public phone booth at the corner of Sunset and Anywhere…cut to close up of Oolie,”

(Gelbart 64). Stine’s room disappears, focusing attention to the phone booth. On the phone, Oolie tells Stone the background and whereabouts his new client, whose real name is revealed to be Alaura Kingsley.

Figure 7. (Production Photo) Stine, “Medium shot of a public phone booth.”

As she hangs up, the phone booth fades away as the terrace of the Kingsley mansion appears with Alaura, dressed for tennis. She is being oiled up by her step-son,

Peter. Stone confronts her, angry about the beating he got for taking on her case. She appeals to him saying that Mallory must be found and that her “husband is not known for

16 taking no for an answer.” (Gelbart, 68) She guides him off the terrace into the solarium to meet with her husband, wealthy industrialist, Luther Kingsley, an elderly man stricken with polio and encased in an iron lung. Stone also meets Dr. Mandril, the quack spiritualist attending him and concurs that Stone will find Mallory. Threats, blackmail and greed hover over Stone’s morale, but with Alaura's considerable charms and bankroll, she succeeds in keeping Stone on the case and in the sexually charged number,

“The Tennis Song.”

Through a voice over, Stone theorizes that Mallory must have run off. Stone thrusts himself into the low-life, bottom of the barrel world of LA’s seedy underbelly in his pursuit to find the "missing" stepdaughter. In the number, “Ev'rybody's Gotta Be

Somewhere,” a scene that recalls a film montage, narrated by the AC4, we follow Stone from character to character by way of vignettes highlighted by the song’s verses. By the end of the number, Stone finds his way back to his apartment, fruitless, only to find

Mallory waiting in his bed as the AC4 appear with final punchline, “Ev'rybody's Gotta Be

Somewhere!” (Zippel, 80) Mallory, covered by Stone’s bed sheet attempts to seduce him, who somehow manages to resist her temptation. Simultaneously, as Mallory finishes her song by pulling Stone into bed, Stine appears, taking comfort with Donna in bed. These two scenes playing alongside each other reinforce the parallel between Stine’s personal story and the fiction he is writing. (see Figure 8) Stine expresses some guilt about the evenings’ “events” but as referenced before, this is Hollywood and not all motives are pure.

Figure 8. (Production Photo) Stine and Donna mirror Stone and Mallory

The scene returns to Stone’s apartment. Stone manages to resist temptation just before a photographer breaks in and snaps a photograph of him with Mallory as she runs off with his gun. Reoccurring themes are voiced over by Stone, “Another dame. Another gun. Will I ever learn? Will I ever forget? Is my life going to be one, long flashback?”

(Gelbart, 86) Through this voice over, Stone’s apartment fades away as the scene flashes back to the City Morgue, post Dressing Room scene as Bobbi views Irwin lying dead on a gurney. Stone is freed from any charges, much to the dismay of his Munoz, his former

18 partner with a vendetta, who gives a speech of minority oppression. As they exit, the scene instantaneously changes to Buddy laying on the gurney, getting a massage. Buddy disapproves of the script’s moral compass and dictates a new rewrite to the scene altogether while it is being shown concurrently on stage. Dr. Mandril is now shot instead of Irwin. Buddy leaves pleased with himself as Stine follows reluctantly. The Morgue scene is “replayed” with Dr. Mandril on the gurney and Stone finds himself framed for the killing and gleefully arrested by Muñoz in an over-exaggerated fiesta-style musical number, “All You Have To Do Is Wait.” Stine appears again in writing mode as the aforementioned political speech given by Munoz is now replaced with a new one indicating jealousy of Bobbi as a new motive. At this moment, a new layer is added as

Stone, Stine’s own creation, disgusted with him, breaks out of the film world to magically confront Stine about abandoning his artistic integrity. (see Figure 9) The two claim responsibility for each other’s success as Act One ends with the show stopping number, “You're Nothing Without Me.” Stine has the last word, accentuating it by him saying “Fade Out” (Gelbart, 103) as the act finishes.

Figure 9. (Production Photo) Stone breaks from the film to confront Stine.

Jimmy Powers opens Act Two with the AC4 recording “Stay With Me.” During

the recording session, the scene shifts, presenting a room playing the previous scene’s music video. This introduces Carla Haywood, Buddy's wife, though she is recognized as the “reel” world’s Alaura Kingsley from the first act. She reads from a copy of script for

“City of Angels”, and it is revealed, appropriately, that she is to play Alaura in the movie.

Returning to the “reel” world, Stone, waits in jail and is greeted by Oolie, who seems to be doing more than her fair share of the case. She retreats to her bedroom as she laments her relationship with men in the song, “You Can Always Count On Me.” (see

Figure 10a) Disgruntled, she turns out her light and the audience is immediately brought into the bedroom of her alter-ego, Donna. Stine is discovered also in her bed. He dresses and leaves after another tryst while Donna remains to finish the song. (see Figure 10b) 20

Figure 10a. Oolie in "You Can Always Count on Me”

Figure 10b. Donna in “You Can Always Count on Me”

Stine arrives at a lavish Hollywood party given at Buddy's house. In an attempt to get away from the crowd, Stine retreats to a private room of the house to call Gabby, only to find that she has discovered his affair with Donna. Simultaneously, we see Stone being released on bail mysteriously as focus again shifts to Stine in Buddy’s room. He is introduced to a young, eager starlet, Avril, who in turn is the film’s Mallory, and to Carla, the film’s Alaura. As he reads a warehouse scene from the film to Carla, that scene is enacted simultaneously. Stone is tied up by the same two brutes that broke down his door in Act One and is now facing a ticking bomb. (see Figure 11) Stone narrowly escapes as

Stine and Carla to go back to the party. The flamboyant composer of the film’s soundtrack entertains the party guests at the party with “Alaura’s Theme,” which will introduce the character in the film.

Figure 11. (Production Photo) Carla reads from the film's Warehouse scene

As the music builds, the party fades away to reveal Alaura in her bedroom now surprised by Stone. They heatedly embrace as the scene gives way back to the real world of Buddy in his office, furious that Stine has left to New York to patch things up with

Gabby. Back at their New York apartment, Stine delivers an elaborately composed excuse, however, Gabby isn’t buying it in her song, “It Needs Work.” (see Figure 12) She subsequently sends him packing.

Figure 12. (Production Photo) Gabby explains, “It Needs Work”

We see Stone now frantically trying to clear his name and figure out how to solve the case. He is led to a brothel where he is stunned to find Bobbi, now working as prostitute. It is revealed that she is the one who shot the producer and ran away, while

Stone took the blame. Together they mourn the loss of their relationship with a reprise of

“With Every Breath I Take.”

Back at the phone booth, Oolie has made her own discovery: Alaura is not who she claims to be and has already murdered one rich husband and plans to do away with

Luther. Just as Oolie hangs up the phone, Stone arrives at the solarium, the film’s last scene as Alaura is feeding Luther his final meal. (see Figure 13) In a very melodramatic exposition, Alaura reveals her plot to have Peter kill off Mallory while Alaura would do the same to Dr. Mandril, Luther and Peter. Stone and Alaura grapple for a gun just as shots ring out and Alaura falls dead. Stone is wounded and we are apparently back to where the show started.

Figure 13. (Production Photo) Stone confronts Alaura in the film's final scene

Shifting focus back to the real world, Stine is left alone and frustrated with both his failing marriage and rejection from Donna, who he learns was behind many of the rewrites of his script. In an all too allegorical fashion, Stine faces the collapse of his real and fictive worlds. His emotions take over as he ponders his place in the world in the song, “Funny.” He arrives on the movie set to find that Buddy is already filming the final solarium scene with a screenplay that has too many plot holes. He also discovers that the talentless Jimmy Powers will play Stone, just as the “real” Stone, a personification of his conscience, appears, pushing Stine to defend his work. Stine finally confronts Buddy and gets himself fired.

It is here that the director, opted for a more positive and believable ending to the show. Originally in the script, Stone “re-writes” Stine’s ending, where Gabby magically returns back to Stine and forgives all. Parry wanted the forgiveness to come believably from Gabby, rather than dictated by Stone. Gabby sneaks on set in disguise while the final scene is being shot. As Stone and Stine celebrate in their own little world, “I’m

Nothing Without You,” Gabby reveals herself and forgives Stine as they enjoy their much deserved “Hollywood ending”. (see Figure 14)

Figure 14. (Production Photo) Stine and Gabby enjoy their Hollywood ending

The show itself is a monstrous feat of many scene locations and transitions of the dual “real” and “reel” worlds which could overwhelm any reader of the script and more-

so any audience member. As designer, I was anxious as to how I could appropriately tell

the story visually with these transitions in mind, but at the same time embraced the

challenge. Complicated as the script’s plot is, it seemed a clever convention given the

cinematic nature of the noir genre as well as the vastness which is the Hollywood

machine. I appreciated the craftiness of the text and how both worlds worked together

and reflected so much. The text had nice play with its double meaning, “But never

understands the girl who lies beneath the covers,” (Gelbart, 41) This lyric stuck out to me

in particular as I annotated in my script as whether to interpret it as lying in bed or telling

lies. Lines such as this helped reinforce how the two worlds reflected each other

positively or negatively. The need of scenery to reflect these similarities was going to be

very crucial with tying plotlines together for the audience not just linearly, but

symbolically as well.

As scenic designer, I wanted to properly articulate the world of the show given these two distinct worlds for City of Angels. The set should not just be a mirror image of

itself for each world, but as the text gives way to identifying features, components of the

set would share elements of silhouette and texture. There would be no major stylistic

differences for the individual scenic units because each exist in their own real type of

world. Also, important to this production was how these units worked with each other in

terms of scenic transitions. To me, it became a major study of function guiding form. The

cinematic feeling was going to be a crucial element for this production. Not only did

scenes have to transition from one to another, but stylistically, scenes had to essentially

melt or even magically appear given their context. It became vital to me that my design 27

allow for effortless transitions to enable the director’s staging and that I would design for

the scenic locations as well as the scenic transitions. My work began by first drafting out

a scenic plot of the entire show and focusing on the major components of what made each

scene a particular scene. Emphasizing the size and number of scenes and transitions, the

director and I agreed on the idea of never seeing the full picture of a scene, but rather a

fragment, similar to how attention is given on a particular area and framed by shadow in the film noir genre. For the scenic design, the goal was to guide the eye to the core of a scene as the rest would seem to fade away within the vastness of the stage, leaving the audience to fill in the rest with their imagination. This would create a sense of lost-ness

for characters in the chasm that is Hollywood and the rough streets of L.A. or even within

themselves.

Chapter 3: Research and Design Evolution

Prior to delving into any sort of research, I felt the need to strategize about my

approach to the many scenic shifts of this production and wanted to consult with the

director about the scenic needs for the story. In our early conversations, Parry expressed

his desire to re-work the script—keeping the “reel” world in the 1940’s film noir style,

while updating the “real” world to 2014. He expressed confidence in my skills to create

the many looks for the show, but really needed me to focus on creating a practical, usable

set. During a phone conversation in early February, Parry mentioned, “A room is a room

is a room. With a desk or bed, phone, and door. For City of Angels, what are the key

components of a room that would define it as that specific room?” We also discussed at

length the idea of the stage itself being representative and not a recreation of L.A. and the

fact that these characters and moments are all literally or figuratively lost within the

constructs of its vacuosity. The scenery would indicate location and the rest of the

information would be expanded with costume and light. The scenery also needed to be practical for the staging to be fluid, seamless and cinematic.

Much of the set’s design would rely on crafting the show’s multiple scenic transitions for this fast paced journey and creating an overall cohesive world that would engage the audience. Parry urged me to play with the “multi-dimensionalism” of the

story’s layers when thinking of the scenic transitions. I created an expansive scenic plot,

(in Appendix B) a scene by scene mapping of the show, which included information

about locale, characters, props and musical numbers. Also included on this plot was an

indication of scenes in the “reel” world and the “real” world.

Creating the scenic plot allowed me to understand the complexity of the show and

gave other members of the team an understanding of its traffic flow. Each act had

approximately twenty scenes, the majority of which we would rarely re-visit. Knowing

that the cinematic element was going to be crucial to the design aesthetic, I began approaching my research by watching films from the noir genre with this given information at hand.

Realizing a large success of the show was visually articulating a look of film noir, the costume designer Natalie Cagle and I met to begin our research by screening Billy

Wilder’s Double Indemnity (1944). (see Figure 15) Being highly regarded as a prime example of the film noir genre, we both felt it was a good place to start. Cagle and I would pause and take notes while analyzing the film, paying particular attention to how scenes were composed, the textures and patterns of fabric and surfaces, and remarking how these pieces would look if they were colorized. I paid attention to the film’s cinematic nature of panning, zooming and composition, vocabulary that I had adapted to explain the intention of specific scenic shifts. Cagle and I also watched the iconic Sunset

Boulevard together to gain a stronger sense of the Hollywood world of the 1940’s. From this film I found inspiration in textures, fabric and drapery and how these surfaces related to light, which would later be discussed with Andy Baker, the lighting designer.

Figure 15. Examples of textures and composition in Double Indemnity, 1944.

I wanted to capture the visual quality of camera angles for the design. I searched for visuals that encompassed film noir’s feel with its angular views into a particular room, framed by shadow or close-up. Working in a limited grey-scale color palette to achieve the noir look, I also felt that painted texture was going to play a major part in emphasizing this “reel” world as well. Noir was not just black and white treatment, but greyscale, that without color depended on textures to help give visual information to the scene. This element combined with light, shadow and angle is what established noir characteristics. In design meetings, I tried to encourage the term “noir” rather than black and white into the team’s vocabulary for this reason. Stylistically, I also wanted to be selective in these views, as if each scene that takes place is seen from a different vantage

31 point. A main piece of inspiration for the design was a digital illustration, A Tribute to

Film Noir, showing a figure in the mist near a shadowed building. (see Figure 16)

Figure 16. A Tribute to Film Noir; digital rendering

Initially, I was drawn to this image due to the extreme perspective represented, but the more I studied it, the more inspiration I found in the image. I enjoyed the duality of its asymmetry. The graphic and mysterious quality of the image further reinforced the quality of texture for me. Even though it was a dark, hazy photograph, I still saw a good deal of information in the surfaces and environment. These details were emphasized by light sources; they not only selectively lit an area, but also illuminated and dictated a sense of space and location as well. There was a mysterious quality that I found captivating in regards to the building as it seemed to virtually disappear into the night

sky. Thematically, I liked that even though there was a figure seemingly alone on the left,

there was another emerging from the fog on the right. From this image I wanted to

accentuate an idea of loneliness in the vastness that is L.A. —being lost literally along the streets of L.A. as Stone is, or metaphorically as Stine is with his creative integrity. This is true not only for these particular characters, but for the other characters involved with

City of Angels as well. I would return to this photo many times during the design process for visual encouragement.

The director’s concept also proposed to update the “real” world to take place during 2014. In conjunction with the noir research, initial research for the “real” world began with images of the world of Los Angeles as it is today. Being a glamorous city full of people on the move, stardom and bright atmosphere, I looked at contemporary imagery that reflected this as well as unconventional vantage points. (see Figure 17)

Figure 17. Images of L.A and vantage points

As my research for the “reel” world seemed to go in an iconographic direction, I decided to draw inspiration from the main icon of all: the Hollywood sign. I came across images of the backside of the infamous sign. (see Figure 18) I liked the idea that it gave the spectator another, perhaps even unknown view of something familiar. Everyone is familiar with the front view of it, but I was drawn to what was behind the image that everyone assigns to L.A. I wanted to draw the parallel of what made up the sign to the inner workings of the Hollywood movie making machine and Stine’s role trying to fit into it.

Figure 18. Detail view of backside of Hollywood sign

Preparing the preliminary designs for a March 17 deadline, I decided to approach the design of scenery rather stylistically. Stemming from the convention of a film’s

vantage point, individual scenes would be evocative or archetypal of location. By doing

so, it would bring focus to a scene or given moment while at the same time expressing a

film noir quality. For example, Parry and I discussed what made a detective office a

detective office: a desk, a light, and the window with horizontal blinds. My research for

each specific location throughout the course of the production focused on this treatment

of archetypes. (see Figure 21) This theory was also applied to the “real” world scenes as well; a hotel room could easily be implied by a bed with a tacky bedspread and a sign above that says “No Vacancy” or “Hotel.” Other approaches to further contemporary visuals included taking notes to update specific props, such as changing typewriters to

MacBooks, and notebooks to iPads for instance.

Figure 19. Research image of noir detective office. Note: chair, desk, filing cabinet

It was not only imperative for the scenery to integrate the two worlds

appropriately, but it also must be cohesive with other aspects of the overall design as

well. Cagle and I collaborated on our color palette and agreed that for the “real” world,

costumes would be very bright and bold with colorful patterns to emphasize color. The

scenery pieces would be muted to accentuate color in the costumes, but also allow lighting to easily “grey” the paint treatment out for particular scenes where set pieces would be employed in both worlds. However, in the “reel” world, scenery would be graphic in its grey tones, and costumes would have a soft, sultry color palette of blacks, greys, creams and whites.

The design team agreed early on to keep the action of the story confined within the framework of the proscenium. Characters would not venture out of the world being created with the one exception when reality broke. The two worlds collide when the author Stone is confronted by a product of his own imagination at the end of Act One, in the number, “You’re Nothing Without Me,” making the moment even more significant.

Scenic shifts would be a prominent part of the design and many of the scenes would play on one of six automated wagons because of the intimate nature of most of the scenes involving only two or three characters. Over the course of designing the scenery, I wanted to be conscious of our budget and labor resources and approached the scenic units in a fragmented fashion. With the many scenic transitions, this would serve a practical purpose that one could easily re-dress or switch out certain units more efficiently if they were limited pieces of scenery. My aim was to focus on the transitions as well as the scenic visuals and keep the audience engaged by giving them a visual treat with each

scenic transition and be referential. During the course of design and transition revisions, I

found it difficult to get a full feel of transitions because I did not know what the

underscoring of the transitions were. I could only assume how they might work based on

the musical numbers neighboring the scenes.

Working extensively with the script and scenic plot, much effort during the design

development went towards determining which scenic locations could be doubled up, or

replaced and tracked through. From initial sketches of the fragmented scenery, (see

Figure 20) members of the design faculty advised me to push the design with fuller realized scenery, remarking that the design looked more like a musical revue rather than a fully fleshed out story. The design was further influenced artistically and conceptually when Resident Technical Director and production automation specialist Chris Zinkon expressed the need to train the scenic practicum students in conventional construction tasks, such as flat construction.

Figure 20. Initial scenic sketches of the Hotel and Office Units

In my initial design presentation on March 17, I proposed diagonal tracking and pivoting wagons as part of the design. During the course of subsequent meetings, Mahan and Zinkon responded to the tracking system, expressing concern for some of them as

this revealed sight line issues and the possibility of requiring the masking to shift off

during performances to allow for entrance and exits of the diagonal units. I was

comfortable with simplifying these to better accommodate our resources. I received

further advice from assistant professor Brad Steinmetz, who stepped in as my temporary

advisor. He pressed me to work away from the concept of a stage as a void, again

remarking the minimalistic look seemed inappropriate and lacked a cohesive component.

I incorporated a corrugated metal surface treatment into show portals to help frame the

space and have more of an established appearance to the scenic environment.

During a production meeting on March 24, as I presented revised drawings of the

scenery, the team remarked on how many scenes there were to go through and questions

of how the pieces moved and related to each other arose. I quickly became overcome by

questions about the need for all the scenery and locations, if it could be simplified and if any of the physical scenery could be replaced by projections instead. Another suggestion was that the set be a unit with turntables. Andy Baker and I remarked about the concept of shifting scenes being in a vacuous void and wanting to pursue this idea.

As mentioned earlier, my goal was to compose each of the forty four scenes with fragmented scenery supported with selected prop elements. At the same time, I knew I wanted to fill in the rest of the void with something expansive. I considered film’s angles of light, focusing or panning locations and also my initial research image. Light would already play a massive part in the production. In collaboration with the lighting designer,

I wanted in some way to manipulate a lighted cyclorama to help track location but also anchor the scenes within the show. The idea came in the form of what would be referred to as a “shutter curtain.” This would consist of two large automated panels positioned horizontally, electronically configured to create distinct framing compositions for the cyc.

However, after much discussion, having two pivoting panels proved to be cumbersome engineering-wise and Mahan suggested that I could attain the desired looks with just one pivoting panel (the upper) in conjunction to a ground row. The layered stage portals

(essentially a series of inner false prosceniums) would bring in the stage space visually, replacing the bottom automated panel. A ground row would span the length of the stage

at 3’-0” high, and the shutter curtain would need to be about 40’-0” wide and 20’-0 tall to work within the confines of the portals’ framework.

Technical director Mahan questioned the practicality of the shutter curtain for the show, as did Zinkon, the automation specialist. Both raised the issue of weight of such a feature, estimated to be in excess of 1,000 pounds and the necessity of the unit in relation to the other scenic units. I explained the curtain, how it supported the story arc throughout the duration of the show, and how it reinforced lighting as a physical entity throughout the course of the show. It was meant to be an iconic graphic representation of film noir and the movie industry. The transitional phases of the curtain and its symbolism was important for me as designer in visually tracking through the show.

The shutter curtain would have four iterations to define the worlds (see Figure

21): 1) a horizontal formation for when the “real” world narrates the “reel” world, 2) diagonal orientations for the “reel” world, 3) fully opened for the “real” world, 4) closed off when we step out of any sort of world, such as Stine and Stone’s confrontation, or recording sessions. I collaborated with Baker about how we might vary the cyclorama utilizing the shutter curtain. He agreed that it was something that could be achieved and I continued with the design process in this direction.

Figure 21. An AutoCAD drawing of the Shutter Curtain in its four configurations

As I was working simultaneously with creating the story board and making notes on transitions, Mahan advised me not to think of the scenic transitions but to focus on the composition of what I wanted to see. I explained to him that much like a lighting designer would not only focus on the individual moment but also on the timing of crossfades and transitions; the automation required the same consideration as the scenic compositions.

Tracking through the show, the design team relied on working with a printed version of the ground plan with labeled pieces of paper representing the different units. Not only could we track the show efficiently this way, but also delegate offstage storage spaces for the show’s many units.

The first major scenic unit introduced is Stone’s Outer Office during a voice over of Stone, setting up the flashback and initiating the first true sense of film noir. Drawing from Parry’s advice, the given text and my research from the noir films, I designed a

large wagon to support a wainscoted paneled wall, with a secretary desk, chair,

telephone, typewriter. With enough room for the three performers to act comfortably on

it, a section of wall with a door was set perpendicular to the wainscoted wall to further

divide the space from the inner portion of the office. Other functional pieces were a coat

tree for Stone’s trench coat and a suspended, functional fluorescent light fixture to define

the room and help provide mood. The position of this unit would track on from down

stage left to center because the piece had to work in tandem with Stone’s Inner Office

which tracked on center stage left in the next scene. The Inner Office also had to play in conjunction with two other locations as well, Buddy’s Office and Stine’s Hotel. Attention had to be paid to the composition of this as well. (see Figure 22)

Figure 22. Rendering: Hotel, Buddy's Office, Outer Office scenes

As Stone walked through the door, the Inner Office would track on upstage left of

the Outer Office, creating the desired film panning effect. Stone’s Inner Office would

track on with a wainscoted half wall, his desk, two chairs, and a filing cabinet complete

with dead plant to hint at his neglectfulness. A large flown window with horizontal

blinds, evocative of a detective’s office completes the composition. Stone’s Inner Office

would take center stage as the Outer Office remained slightly onstage left to give the

audience two views of the office. The wagon dressed for the Inner Office could be easily

redressed and utilized for other scenes later in the show.

Stine, a guest to Los Angeles, is staying in a hotel room where he has been

writing his screenplay. For the musical number, “What You Don’t Know About Women”

the Hotel unit mirrors the Outer Office unit, drawing parallels to the musical’s two

storylines. We made the decision to place the Hotel unit downstage right while looking at

the ground plan to plot where wagons could travel on and off within the theatre

architecture. Mahan, Baker and I established that since action appears in the hotel so

often, it would be anchored in the stage right decking because that area would be the

most difficult to get to with the loft and arbor rail impeding the space. In our favor, Parry

and I decided that we would use Stine’s hotel room to scenically anchor Stine as a

character. Doing so allowed us to manipulate some other scenes to take place in the hotel

as well. For example, in Act 1, Scene 12, the location was set in Stine’s office. During

conversations on April 1st, Parry and I altered it to take place in his hotel room to get the most out of that scenic unit. We saw this issue with Donna’s bedroom as well, appearing

once in the first act and again in the second where Stine and she have their affair. We

43 agreed it would also be fitting to have this scene play in Stine’s hotel room. The room was inspired by the dated patterns of hotel bed comforters to bring in some semblance of color to establish the hotel as part of the “real” world. (see Figure 23)

Figure 23. Research image of a hotel room

The back wall to the Hotel unit was designed with a vertical blinds on the window, which could be removed for Act Two, as well as a perpendicular wall with a door, that mirrored the door in Stone’s Outer Office unit. In the first iteration, the blinds were designed to be open to see a hotel sign that would fly down simultaneously whenever the wagon tracked on, mirroring the hanging light in the office. Working with the line set schedule, Baker, Mahan and I decided that there would not be enough room for this feature. Instead, the sign would be driven by a pneumatic piston, horizontally positioned on the back of the second portal stage right. This saved on space but still allowed for a muli-layered scenic effect. The sign would also be internally illuminated.

This development would also be in the my favor. Refining the design to Buddy’s Room in Act Two to utilize the Hotel unit as a base, the blinds were modified to look like they were closed, to accommodate for masking a door to be used in Buddy’s room. This provided a location for a costume quick change. A scene transition from Act 1 Scene 12 required the actress playing Donna to leave the hotel and reappear on stage approximately six seconds later as Oolie. To make this change successful, Oolie’s costume was attached to the back portion of the Hotel unit allowing for the change to occur behind the closed blinds without the actress leaving the stage.

Buddy’s Office unit would reflect his character as the show’s antagonist, constantly interfering with Stine’s writing of the script. The original idea was to track a desk unit and chair from an upstage area to an area downstage in order to interrupt scenes being played while Stine works on the script. (see Figure 24) In essence, Buddy’s Office unit intentionally impeded the show’s visual flow.

Figure 24. Initial sketch and tracking of Buddy's Unit

When modifications were made to simplify the tracking, the unit was downsized to a tracking desk that Buddy would ride along with in his chair. The desk would also be

accompanied by n expansive flown window that could take up vertical space when his

unit would stand alone. When the stage space was being taken up by the Hotel and Outer

Office units, such as in Act 1 Scene 6; Buddy’s Office chair would act alone as his

anchor without the desk and be played in between the Hotel and Outer Office. The

hanging window visually connected the scenes. The desk also had to be designed for the

character of Mallory to ride along under it, hidden from the audience. This was for a scene where an angry Buddy, unknown to the audience, is being orally serviced by the starlet, until she pops up revealing herself to complete the visual gag.

Stone’s apartment was another location constantly being referred back to through

a series of flashbacks. The first iteration of the design was to have two wagons (one with

a stove, the other with a bed) that would join together at center, tracking on, one from

stage left and the other from stage right, flanked by a large wall with a door. The units

would then break apart during the fight scene. The amount of scenery for this was too

cumbersome, especially since the script called for the door to break open on stage. I

altered the design to a cleaner look, consisting of a single larger wagon, housing a partial

wall with a door that would open on its hinges, a stove on the stage right side of the

wagon and a twin bed on stage left. (see Figure 25). This unit would play with a large

vertical flown wall with an open window anchoring it as the apartment. The open

window was for a visual gag at the end of the musical number, “Ev’rybody’s Gotta Be

Somewhere,” where the AC4’s heads appeared through the window. The simplification

of the units still allowed the pieces to be composed to build his scene, but also have it

break apart for a musical number or “fade out” for the sultry flashback of Bobbi, Stone’s

girlfriend, in the Blue Note Lounge.

Figure 25. Refined sketch of Stone's Apartment unit

The Blue Note Lounge, Act 1 Scene 10, was the first real flashback of the show and a romantic one at that. I wanted to emphasize this nightclub scene and reveal it

beautifully in the transition out of Stone’s Apartment. The nightclub was introduced over

Stone’s narration as his Apartment unit split; the wagon with the bed track off as the large

wall flew out. As if a cinematic dissolve, the units would reveal Bobbi in silhouette

reminiscent of my primary inspirational image. The scene would give way to her slowly emerging from upstage while a giant section of soft drapery would lower simultaneously as a microphone would appear magically from beneath the stage floor, composing the scene and introducing the musical number, “With Every Breath I Take.” The shift would be layered, complex, but beautifully appropriate for the number and be emblematic of the show’s film dynamic. The idea of the shift was exactly what I had envisioned for the production. The scene established Bobbi as a nightclub singer and Stone’s girlfriend, and

I chose to anchor her with a curtain and a microphone which was emphasized by Baker’s use of a spotlight.

The terrace scene, though short, was still important in establishing the character of

Alaura Kingsley, whom when we first meet her, seems to be a concerned stepmother. On the terrace, she is seen lounging, being oiled up by her stepson, Peter. I wanted to keep focus on this action, so I approached the unit with a balustrade to indicate a sense of height, an outdoor chaise lounge, and large patio umbrella to further extend height. A two-dimensional pergola would be flown in to frame the scene and provide additional volume. (see Figure 26) The unit would also be used later to reference Buddy’s

Hollywood party at his mansion. Playing with this reference from different vantage points, the pergola would only be half visible during the Alaura scene, but moved fully onstage center for Buddy’s mansion. The pergola in its onstage position also served the same purpose to visually connect the multiple Act Two onstage scenes together, just as

Buddy’s Office window did in the first act. The wagon in Act Two would be redressed

during intermission with a baby grand piano so that the flamboyant character, Del De

Costa, could appear to play during the scene to entertain the party guests.

Figure 26. Refined rendering of the Bel-Air Mansion with adjacent Room

First designed as a large piece to look like the ironwork of a greenhouse in forced

perspective, the Solarium design seemed out of place with the rest of the linear lines of

the other scenic units. The Solarium had to be an important visual standalone piece but

also work in relation with other scenic units on a fully dressed soundstage with the full

cast in the ending scene. The design of it was simplified to save on space with the line set

schedule and was decided that it would be simply tracked on.

Oolie/Donna’s Bedroom would prove to be challenging for Act 2 Scene 4 and 5.

After Oolie visits Stone in jail, she sings the number “You Can Always Count On Me” as 49 she travels back to her bedroom, goes to bed, and turns out the light. After a quick vamp, an alarm rings and a light is switched on to reveal Donna in bed with Stine in the “real” world. Previous solutions involved shifting comforters, folding walls over, or flying out/in a different wall for each scene. The director and I decided to make the change as simple as possible. The unit would primarily be a bed, tracked on, with simple graphic grey-ish pattern wallpaper and a comforter controlling the color, shapes and texture to support the 1940’s noir world. The switch would be carefully choreographed in the dark.

As the actress made her costume change and tucked the Oolie costume under a fixed sheet, Stine would flip the comforter over, revealing a colorful side. Crew members would also remove a black and white painting from over the bed, revealing a preset identical color version. Through an open window frame in the unit, they would replace the 1940’s style alarm clock with Donna’s Ipad, a prop which helped anchor her character to the contemporary world. Baker would do his part by making the lamp on the nightstand have two light sources: a cool source for Oolie and a warm source for Donna.

The nightstand also had to have a functioning drawer in which the actress could strike her structured wig during the quick set and costume change.

Parry and I resolved an issue for another location, a room in Buddy’s L.A. estate.

Buddy’s room was onstage for a large portion of Act Two. It was onstage in conjunction with the terrace unit for the Hollywood party and smaller scenes referencing the film scenes being narrated by Stine. Since no scene takes place in the hotel during Act Two, this unit would be redressed as Buddy’s room; complete with a flat screen TV and with the blinds removed, would reveal a set of practical French doors. The perpendicular hotel

wall with its door removed, opening up the unit more and providing visual variety.

Originally scripted, Act Two opens with a recording session of Jimmy Powers which

transitions into Scene Two with Carla listening to the song via a record player. Playing to

our contemporized conventions and to make the scene feel more 2014, I specified a large

flat screen television on the scenic unit play a music video of the Jimmy Powers number.

I coordinated with costume designer Cagle regarding costumes for the music video as well as scheduling a video shoot with the production videographer, Janet Parrott,

Associate Professor. Inspired by the Carla character that Cagle designed, the unit would have an upholstered chaise lounge, covered in tiger print to enhance color in the scene as the “real” world. The unit would also be fully re-dressed to serve for a later scene as

Alaura’s bedroom, replacing the flat screen TV with a large swaged curtain and covering over the tiger print chaise with a zebra print, further establishing the noir theme while also emphasizing the Carla/Alaura connection.

The only scene that did not take place in Los Angeles was Stine and Gabby’s

New York Apartment. With so many of the scenes in City of Angels taking place in bedrooms, it seemed only appropriate to situate this location as such. The unit would be a wagon with a bed on it, backed by a large brick wall. The brick referenced a stereotypical

New York loft as well as referenced the brick of Bobbi’s (Gabby’s noir persona)

Dressing Room. The wall would also have a large window with a view of the New York skyline, accompanied by a flown silhouette of a fire escape, definitely evoking New York

City.

In earlier versions, the Red Room, a brothel that Bobbi runs off to in the film, was

going to be a double-sided unit with a scummy exterior on one side and pivot to a lavish

sultry interior exposing the scantily clad Bobbi. The scene shift also had to give the

actress playing Gabby/Bobbi enough time for a quick change. Revising this unit to be

simpler in transition and more cost effective, I was inspired by the large swath of drapery

backing Bobbi in the Blue Note Lounge of Act One. I designed the Red Room similarly

to have a large curtain with a black and white damask pattern that would fly in for the scene. As a short scene played in front of the curtain, a bed with a black bedspread with a

gray tone flower pattern carrying Bobbi would track on behind it. When ready, a

prostitute would pull on a large silver rope tassel causing the drapery to swag open,

revealing Bobbi in bed. A gray toned wooden header unit was designed at the top of the

drapery to house the mechanism that would cause the swag to open. The swag would

close as Stone leaves Bobbi alone at the end the scene.

Overall, the majority of the units remained fragmented. For Bobbi’s Dressing

Room unit, I emulated specifics of brick and the wooden door with the typical star on it. I

wanted the vantage point to be that of Stone looking into the doorway as he discovers

Bobbi in the lascivious act with Irwin on a chaise lounge. (see Figure 27) Behind the

lounge was a dressing screen to allow the actress to remove her dress and hang it up on.

This same unit would also be pivoted and redressed for the Warehouse scene in Act Two.

The other side of the dressing room door would be distressed and framed by broken

wooden beams inspired by my research.

Figure 27. Research image of noir brick in dressing room

To indicate a warehouse, barrels and crates would be positioned with a practical industrial hanging light flown down to cap and illuminate the scene. The unit would also be used as the recording studio, tracking on Jimmy Powers and the AC4 with music stands and microphones. Other small scenes were easily dictated by a simpler unit as well. For the Phone Booth, a period appropriate phone booth would track on and be illuminated on the inside. For the jail, Parry and I decided to indicate this with a bench and a single hanging light fixture, the same fixture used in the Warehouse. This provided enough information to suggest the jail. For the morgue and hospital scenes, I collaborated with the lighting designer to establish these locations with two hanging fluorescent fixtures, hung at alternating heights to suggest visual perspective, reinforced by the shutter curtain. One of the fluorescent fixtures would be utilized for capping Stone’s

Outer Office unit. The lights would be flown to be on the same horizontal plane for the

quick shift between the morgue scenes in the film, revealing Buddy getting a massage in the “real” world.

Beyond the musical opening credit film sequence during the overture, I incorporated the production team’s desire for projections by suggesting that the negative space of the cyc exposed from the shutter curtain could be treated with media, ideally still images to support the action playing on stage. Initial sketches conveyed this by simply treating the area with texture or graphic elements that merely suggest locations (i.e. windows or brick pattern) for the “reel” world, and for the “real” world, these images would be more photo-realistic to anchor the scenic unit. These images evolved through

the duration of the design process into being more photographic, and also used only for

the “real” world scenes, possibly blending together when the two worlds interact. (see

Figure 28) I offered research material and concept sketches to the projection designer,

Alex Olizewski, for reference as he developed the design. Projection images would be

used in backing the Hotel unit, a New York City skyline for the New York City

Apartment, the Hollywood hills behind Buddy’s office window and an L.A. landscape for

Buddy’s mansion.

Figure 28. Digital rendering of how projections might work together.

As stated in the Director’s Concept, the musical’s overture was intended to be the opening credits of a film, front projected on a movie screen, downstage of the main curtain. On April 10, Olizewski presented video clips to the design team. We agreed that this opening credit sequence was going to set the style for our production: graphic, sexy, edgy, but still appropriate for our film noir motif. We discussed James Bond style opening credits with their sexy, artistic quality and how that could work with a modern point of view for the film noir look, not simply a recreation. This bought us to look into some images of the movie Sin City. The design team felt that the contrast and graphic style of the film was very referential for modern take on film noir.

A large part of the design implementation involved specifying line sets. Thurber

Theatre has a system of thirty-five line sets with the scenery occupying eighteen of them for hung and flown pieces such as the two curtains, Stone’s Apartment wall, the Pergola,

the Solarium, the NYC Fire Escape, two windows, three hanging lighting fixtures, three

sets of scenic portals, the RP Screen, and the Shutter Curtain. In consultation with Baker,

we reserved line sets 11, 12, 25 and 27 as electrics for lighting equipment in addition to

the four motorized electrics. Baker spoke about how he was going to approach the “reel” world scenes with cool hues and shadows to help isolate and frame the locations within

the space and also provide a profound noir feeling. He also remarked how he would

utilize the flown light fixtures provided by scenery as primary sources of illumination for

those scenes.

I presented these ideas in the form of refined sketches on April 14, as I continued

to draft and revise the scenic units and props as Steinmetz had advised me to work away from sketches and build a white model for a more three-dimensional sense of the space. I did so and presented a white model to the design team; however we found it difficult and time consuming to work with the model as it took longer to set the individual pieces up in the model then the actual scene itself. The white model was set aside and I decided that I would render the entire show digitally as story boards. (see Appendix C) Doing so forced me to work outside my comfort zone as I normally work by hand. This proved more efficient for the many looks for the show and quicker than sketching them. I took the

AutoCAD draftings of the units, imported them into Photoshop, made design decisions on color and texture, and subsequently rendered each scene. I rendered projection moments into the images to communicate to Olizewski the style, quality and position of the projections for given scenes. The design team scheduled a rear projection screen test for the next week to show proposed images in relation with lighting. The media designer,

56 lighting designer and I spent roughly two hours looking at different projectors as well as lighting treatments. We preferred the results of larger splayed projected images blended with LED light fixtures because of color the lighting provided both with and without the projection images present.

I was granted an extended design deadline to rework the line set schedule, the scenic/wagon units, and how these would be composed for each scene. I presented a final drafting packet of the show with partial digital renderings and full props list at a production meeting on May 19. Mahan would draft construction drawings and schedule the build of the show. Zinkon and Mahan would re-install the tracking system during the summer term. They also planned to start work on the wagon construction before the summer semester. Over the course of the summer I would finish all the digital renderings of the show.

The overall scenic design encapsulated the strong dynamic of movement and sensory overload that is the technical behemoth of City of Angels. Framing the scenic environment with three concentric portals of satin black corrugated aluminum established a sense of contemporary industrialism that is the Hollywood machine for the “real” world, but also appropriate for the cool and sultry nature of the film world. Within the portal confines, the graphic statement imposed by the multi-faceted shutter curtain would be indicative of location, guiding the audience through this complex musical journey. The multiple scenic units playing against the shutter curtain would serve as representations of the many scenic locations within the story. The artistic composition of the scenic units

57 shifting in relation to the shutter curtain would hopefully engage the audience throughout the whirlwind journey that is City of Angels.

Chapter 4: The Production Process

On August 10, 2014, two weeks before the official build began, I arranged for a

meeting with Mahan and Zinkon in the scenic studio at the Drake Events Center for a check-in, knowing that construction was taking place during the summer. This was a

chance for me to gauge the scope of the progress of construction and to catch up with

other members of the production team. I first met with Mahan and Zinkon to discuss the

installed tracking in relation to the position of the portals. The steel framing of the

wagons, the portals and the large shutter curtain were already welded and ready for students to attach the corrugated aluminum to them. The largest wagons for the show

were going to be 6’-0” deep, 12’-0” wide, allowing for roughly two inches of clearance

between the wagon and the portal. Mahan showed me a sample of the portal frame and

material to inquire if I wanted to see the corrugated paneling on the front as facing or on

the back to expose the metal framing structure of the panel. Although I very much liked

the look of the paneling on the back, I was concerned it was going to have too much of an

industrial look and did not want to distract from the action onstage with the busy

composition of the exposed framing of the portals.

During this visit, I also met with production manager, Sheree Greco, who was

new to the Department of Theatre and not completely familiar with the scenic design. I

walked her through the design materials and transition sheets so that she was up-to-date

with the information. We discussed the amount of scenery and props being used in the

production and where they would be located around the stage space. She also inquired

more about the automated wagons and flying pieces in order to prepare Riley Hutchison, the student stage manager. I explained to her that many of the pieces would be moving

simultaneously but there were also many moments where the pieces would have a layered

transition. Our conversation led to the needs of the rehearsal space including rehearsal

props and how to successfully accomplish transitions through the show. I assured Greco

rehearsal props would be available for first rehearsal as well as rehearsal and actual

furniture when it became available. I would also provide the stage manager with

complete storyboards and ground plans to ensure designs were well communicated to the

assistant stage managers and cast.

At this time, I scheduled a meeting with associate professor Janet Parrott, the

production’s videographer, to discuss our plan for the music video shoot. I supplied her

with a music video, “A Beautiful Day” by Michael Buble, which was done in the style of

a lyric video. The video simply played the lyrics to the song along with complementary

graphics and images of the singer as well. I felt that this direction would be most

appropriate for our needs because the video needed to be simple and shot in one day.

Parry then joined this conversation to discuss specifics and we agreed on September 6th,

2014, for the video shoot that would take place on the adjacent Bowen Stage.

The first official week of the scenic construction started August 25, 2014. The

technical director and I purchased doors and trim for the show at Lowes. Rather than

using stock doors, we decided to purchase pre-hung doors attached to a frame because it

would decrease the amount of labor required for building and installation. I also

submitted a paint order so that color mixing and painting could start simultaneously with

the rest of the build. Scenic Studio Practicum students helped load in the rest of the steel

and lumber order that would be used for the construction phase. The plan was to build,

assemble and install all the portals, the ground row and the shutter curtain by September

12.

Work was confined to the scene studio the week of the September 2, as there was

a rental on the Thurber stage where work could normally be done. The work for this

week consisted mainly of covering the wagon frames, as well as fitting and installing the

guides and tracking knives for the wagons on the automation tracks. (see Figure 29) The corrugated aluminum paneling was cut for assembly of the ground row, shutter curtain and portals for the next week.

Figure 29. Mahan explains the guide knives to practicum students

Due to size of the portals and shutter curtain, these units had to be assembled and painted on the Thurber Theatre stage floor prior to being rigged and flown. These units required three coats of satin black paint. This was intended to diminish the amount of touch ups needed from the rigging and movement of the pieces. The portals were installed on September 12th and the shutter curtain on September 15th. With these in place and the wagons built, Parry and I walked the stage so that he could get a better sense of the actual stage space with the tracking and portals. Over the weekend, Steinmetz and I went to a local antiques dealer to pick up the phone booth. It was while picking it up that

I realized it did not have a phone on the inside, so I had to order a payphone to be installed in the booth as well. While the shutter curtain hung in its down positon, students

set up the projection systems against the back wall of Thurber Theatre that would be used

for the background images projected onto the RP screen.

During the first week of rehearsal, Parry, Baker and I met to discuss the scene of

“Ev’rybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere.” Originally the scene was designed to be on an empty stage with seedy characters in isolated pools of light. With the constant movement of the scenes in the production, having this quick moving film montage inspired musical number and not having scenery seemed to stop the visual momentum. Parry, Baker and I decided that this montage should reflect the vignette nature of the show; by anchoring each performer with a specific scenic prop. This would involve careful tracking and modifying specific props such as a rolling trash can, a rolling street sign, a porno vender stand, etc. This change also included a live dog following a fire hydrant, tracked stage left to stage right. This was additionally beneficial to us as we discovered the need to track the wagon catching device from stage left to stage right to pick up Stone’s Apartment wagon for the end of the scene. By tracking the device with the fire hydrant attached, we accomplished both.

By September 18, build on the Oolie/Donna bedroom unit began in order to facilitate it as a testing unit for the tracks because of its relatively small size. To simulate wallpaper, I wanted to cover the wall with a patterned fabric to save time stenciling and painting a wallpaper pattern. I also ordered Buddy’s chair to get it to rehearsal so the actors could rehearse with the movement of the rolling chair. I took this time to prepare paint samples and the Oolie/Donna bedroom fabric for a lighting test with Baker and some costume pieces pulled by Cagle. We were pleased with the graphic style of the

paint samples in relation to lighting color and costume. I was concerned about the bedroom fabric because I did not realize until after I had purchased it from the local fabric store that there was a great deal of green in it. However, with the coordinating

lighting and costume elements, the green hues shifted towards black and worked equally

well when it was used in the “real” world for color, meeting the design team’s goals.

As construction was happening, sheets of lauan were laid down to cartoon out the

pergola. The success of this piece relied on the laying out of perspective points to

accurately represent this look of this three-dimensional visual in two-dimension. To accomplish this goal, I drew the perspective by dropping the lines from a measured perspective point, screwing a length of tie-line to it and completing the drawing using this device. The pieces were then cut out, assembled and ready for me to paint during the weekend (see Figure 30) so that it could be installed on September 22, during the fourth week of construction. Concurrently, Buddy’s desk was finished just as his previously ordered office chair arrived. We tested the chair with the actor to figure out how it would

be tracked with the built desk. Already “fitted” to ride on the inside of the desk, we tested

the actress playing Avril to see if she was comfortable on the inside of the desk with the

actor sitting in the chair, which she was. The chair was given to stage management for rehearsal purposes. Window frames for Buddy’s office and Stone’s office were welded and rigged, only awaiting molding to be attached at a later date.

Figure 30. Completed Pergola unit on track

The Dressing Room door unit and the NYC Apartment were built and painted as

well. Upon attaching the NYC Apartment wall to the wagon with the bed, we discovered

that the wall flat tended to sway back and forth while the wagon moved. This issue was

solved by installing a jack designed to look like a modern bookcase against the wall flat

to brace the unit. This diminished the sway when tracking. Parry and the design team decided on a change for the beginning of Act Two. Originally conceived as a recording session, we realized it would make more sense for the show’s 2014 conceptualization to be a modern music video shoot. The performers would wear the same costumes onstage

as they did in the music video and perform the same choreography on a wagon with the

shutter curtain closed behind them. The wagon would be tracked off in time as the music

video appears, continuing where the scene left off, thereby providing a stronger visual

through-line.

At this time, I was working through my lists of props and dressing. Outstanding

items consisted of a folding screen for the dressing room, the large umbrella for the 65

terrace scene, comforters, beddings, and other miscellaneous hand props. I had finally

sourced the fabric for the Blue Note Lounge and the Red Room curtains. Mahan

suggested sourcing fabrics from Rose Brand, a large national company, to be

manufactured by them. He was concerned about the time it would take to order the fabric

and construct the curtains in house. Finding samples from the Rose Brand catalogue, I

contacted them for a bid. The estimate came back to be $500.00 for the 20’x10’ half

fullness curtain for the Blue Note and $1,300 for the 16’x12’ half fullness Red Room

curtain. The added expense for the Red Room curtain was because the drape needed to

swag open during the action. Mahan agreed to the Blue Note curtain, but decided against

having the Red Room curtain contracted by Rose Brand.

During the following week of September 22, Stone’s Office and Apartment wall units were completed and ready for painting. I provided a paint sample and instructed students on the paint process for the Office walls. (see Figure 31) While they accomplishing that task, I went ahead and painted Stone’s apartment wall for the wagon.

As the unit for Stone’s Apartment was finished, Parry approached Mahan and me about a development that happened in rehearsal. The action of the play required the door to be kicked open on the hinges. However, the action did not seem substantial enough. Parry inquired if the door could fall downward from the frame instead. After measuring the space between the door and the bed, it was agreed and Mahan made the adjustment by hinging one of the heavier doors found in stock on the bottom and created a lock which held the door upright until released by the actor.

Figure 31. Paint sample for the noir wainscoting

Much of the week of September 29 through October 3 was focused on laying out

and building the Solarium and the Fire Escape units to be rigged. Instead of tracking the

solarium on manually, this unit would also be tracked on with automation. Mahan and

Zinkon figured it was a more appropriate route, to diminish work for a stage crew

member and so the unit could track consistently in time with the music and other units

that accompanied the transition. The solarium and fire escape were ready to be installed

and rigged for the following week.

As the pre-ordered props were being delivered, I continued to acquire other props.

I was instructed to order a new chaise lounge since one of the two options in stock was not in good condition and we did not have time to fix it. This new lounge would be covered in black velour and used for the Dressing Room. It would also be used by the two prostitutes in “Ev’rybody’s Gotta be Somewhere.” While a practicum student and I

recovered another chaise lounge for Buddy’s Room in tiger print fabric, another student

stitched fabric over a comforter for the hotel room.

The design team attended a run through in Drake’s Harbor Room, the designated rehearsal space. I situated myself next to the lighting designer so we could discuss shutter movement and positions during specific scenes in more detail. We could only go into minimal detail because much of the design was reliant on the timing of the automated pieces that were not present in the rehearsal room. We acknowledged much of this would have to be worked out onstage during tech. The run-through did offer me information on how the actors were maneuvering through the scenic units and how props were being handled. It also allowed me to visually track the show’s speed with the given actors in place, gauging how accurate the scenic paperwork was and what adjustments needed to be made. After the run through, I met with Parry and the stage manager to discuss props that were no longer being used and to update them with props that were still in process.

The next week, the Blue Note curtain arrived and was hung in position on stage.

Construction began on the walls for the Hotel room. It was base painted in a faint salmon color and then over sprayed with two shades of grey so that when it was being used as the

Hotel and Buddy’s room in the “real” world, it would pick up more of the warmer tones from the light. When it was used as Alaura’s bedroom, it could easily take on the cooler color intended for the noir look. I selected an industrial warehouse hanging light fixture that would be used for the Warehouse/Jail scenes and two hanging fluorescent fixtures that would be used for the Morgue scenes. The issue in pulling the stock fluorescent fixtures was that it was difficult to install the LED strips Baker and I had agreed to use in

68 them. The decision was to construct two fluorescent light fixtures that were drafted in the design packet. They were painted and rigged during this week as well. The baby grand piano used for the Bel-Air party was also acquired and delivered. Casters were installed at the base of the telephone booth which allowed it to travel across the stage as well as

360 degrees, allowing it to move freely when off the track. Also, paint had to be stripped from the upper portion of the unit that read “Sprint.” It was then handed over to electrics so they could install a wireless light source in the top of the unit.

During the rest of the week we focused on touching up the existing units and cleaning out the scene studio and the wings for wagon and large prop storage. Mahan solved the major challenge of mapping out the many scenic wagons and large props backstage by delegating specific locations for these pieces to live. I worked on the major prop pieces for “Ev’rybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere” and the iron lung was fabricated by

Steinmetz. The fabric for the Red Room arrived on Thursday and the next day during studio hours, I cut and sewed the panels that would make up the fullness of the curtain.

That evening, I dyed the fabric to gray it a bit more and sprayed it with a gray paint to further tone it. Once the header piece was completed, the drape could be installed.

Onstage rehearsals started on October 13, 2014, as the Scenic Studio tasks focused on adjusting and touching up on existing units and installing a black out curtain to block the sunlight from the upper windows of the scene studio. The loading dock doors between the Thurber stage and the scenic studio had to remain open during performance to access the scenic units. The wagons were in usable condition for the onstage rehearsals, but could not be automated. Instead they were manually pushed on and off by

stage management for purposes of rehearsal. The fire hydrant was built on its base and

the jail bench was fit onto a low-profile wagon to track on and off, then both were painted to fit in the noir color palette. The baluster for the Terrace unit was outsourced from a

local foam company. It was attached and installed onto the terrace wagon unit, foam coated and then painted. The patio chaise lounge was painted and placed in position on

the wagon. Publicity photographs were scheduled for this week, and the director

requested to do a split screen composition of both worlds on stage. We decided to use the

“real” New York City Apartment located stage right, situated Stone’s noir Apartment

unit at stage left. (see Figure 32) It became a priority to get both these units dressed and photo ready. Stone’s bed still only had rehearsal sheets on them, so we used the Red

Room curtain fabric to dress the bed for the photo shoot. My evenings consisted of

watching onstage rehearsals to aid in re-staging of the scenes and clarify scenery shifts as

necessary to the cast. I took my own to-do notes and tracking information. As time was quickly running out, and some pieces were still yet to be built, Mahan requested I simplify Alaura’s bedroom swag and the Warehouse and I did so.

Figure 32. On set for Publicity Photos

Crew watch took place on October 17, 2014 and introduced the stage crew to the space. Mahan and I walked them through the stage area, as well as the fly rail and scene studio to get them familiar with the space. We also showed them the many scenery pieces and explained to them how to move them and work with the knives to properly install them into the track. They then sat and watched a run-thru rehearsal so they could get an understanding of the show. The evening of Sunday, October 19, 2014, a four-hour long paper-tech took place. Parry, the production manager and the designers placed all cues in the script with the stage manager. Baker gave lighting cue notes and placement as well as

Ivans for sound. I gave cue placement based on my paperwork, which for the most part went in time with much of the sound and lighting cues.

During the work calls of tech week, October 20, 2014, all functional doors were installed into the walls since the units were being automated during the evenings. The

large flat screen television was installed Monday morning to sync up with sound and video. Due to the time constraints, Mahan and I, with Parry’s approval, decided to make the Warehouse unit even more minimal by proceeding without the door and wall flat and

rather indicate it with crates and barrels with a chair for Stone as he is bound and gagged.

The first night of tech was very slow and difficult in part because student performers and run crews were getting used to flying the scenery in time with the tracking scenery. This could only be remedied with more time and practice with the fly rail operators. This was also the first time for performers on the automated scenery. A few practice runs were made so they could get used to the speed and movement of them since they would be acting on and around them as they were being tracked. Zinkon and

Mahan were going to write the automation cues during the tech, but as adjustments were being made and re-made, we decided it would be a much better use to time to roughly write in the automation tracking time before hand and to adjust later. This would also be the first time in seeing the media images on the RP screen as lighting and media made their adjustment accordingly to one another. It was also discovered at the extreme sight lines, one could see a wedge of the RP appearing between the shutter curtain and ground row when the shutter curtain was positioned at an extreme diagonal. This was improved by placing another set of masking on each side and reworking the angular orientation to not surpass a height of 7’-0” to prevent the wedge from appearing.

At the second tech rehearsal, October 21, we also experienced a major issue with actor placement on scenery. As Stone was being beaten by Big Six in the bed, the unit was tracking off stage left. In this action, Stone’s head was hanging over the threshold of

the bed. As the unit tracked off, because there was only two inches of clearance between

the wagon and the portal, his head hit against the side of the aluminum portal. We attended to him for his safety and stage management reminded everyone about the extremely tight clearance of the wagons and portals in relation to their bodies and costumes.

Tech rehearsals became more refined as crew and cast members alike got more accustomed to the transitions and their expectations. There was one issue with automation resulting in a stage left wagon being thrown off track because the guide knife was not fully being positioned in the track. Construction continued during the day. The

microphone piston was installed into the stage deck, the Hotel sign was completed and

rigged to its pneumatic piston on the second portal stage right. As tech rehearsals went

on, projections for many of the scenes were not working visually in their location

anchoring role and we found some of the images inconsistently blended with the many

projectors originally envisioned. The solution was found by switching out and then

minimizing the number of projectors from seven to three. They were eventually cut

except for Buddy’s mansion terrace and Buddy’s Office scene which had the iconic

Hollywood hills image. These was agreed to be salvaged due to the fact that the scene

looked empty without the Hollywood sign framed by Buddy’s window and the terrace to

balance it.

One thing I noticed during tech rehearsals that that under stage lighting and

shadows, some of the paint treatment was not reading as well as I had anticipated. I

consulted with my advisor and lighting designer about this problem and painted white

73 highlights to some of the “reel” world elements to make the graphic quality pop more.

During the course of the next few days, I worked on props, adjusting and affixing dressing to the various interior units.

Prior to dress rehearsals, I applied a clean coat of satin black paint to the floor.

During that week, Alaura’s bedroom swag as well as the hotel vertical blind piece were both built and fitted into place on the Hotel wagon. Moulding was attached to walls and the windows and Dan Gray aided me in working out the mechanism to install the Red

Room curtain to swag. Given the limited time, we were not able to attach the large swag that was supposed to go on the front of the curtain. Another loss due to the lack of time was the terrace umbrella for the Kingsley terrace.

During the day of final dress, the winch operating downstage left became broken and a part had to be shipped overnight in hopes to fix the situation for preview. For the final dress rehearsal, Mahan and Zinkon manually operated all units tracking on from downstage left. The part arrived the morning of the October 29 and automation winch was fixed just in time for preview. The show opened successfully on October 30, 2014 with no further automation issues or scenery problems for the remainder of the run.

Chapter 5: Evaluation

City of Angels was by far the most challenging and involved production I have ever worked on in my design career. Reading the script and knowing the show’s requirements and the departments’ expectations, I felt that a lot was riding on the success of this show. I have always been confident in reading a script and evoking a world in which the text can live. I am also the type of designer who prides himself in constant communication and collaboration with the director and design team—perhaps to excess.

It was a process that challenged me not only as a designer but also as a person. In my work, I try to focus on the script first and foremost and what the story it is trying to tell. I ask questions such as “What does the play want?” or “What does the play need?” City of

Angels is a show that wants and needs a lot.

As Parry mentioned in his concept to the team, this musical is “a technical behemoth.” Excited and scared, I wanted to take the opportunity to focus not simply on the design of a set—walls, a floor, hanging elements, but also to bring in the art and magic that comes with transitioning from scene to scene. City of Angels, being a multi- scene, large scale musical, allowed me the opportunity to push myself as a designer and take risks to focus beyond the scenic element. The whole theatrical experience was

motivated by movement; not just physical, but emotional, drawing the audience in. For

this show, I feel an applicable word would be “journey.”

Through the duration of the production process, I was fixated on the idea of journey. The journey for Stine in trying to make it as a writer in Los Angeles. The journey for Stone trying to find Mallory and solving a case. The journey that the production team was undertaking to bring this complex production to fruition. Lastly, a journey for me as a developing designer and person. I had a lot personally invested in this piece. My focus was on movement. Trying to tell the story of City of Angels scenically, I desired to make it captivating in terms of movement since we were constantly moving from scene to scene. It also needed to work in the sense of the cinematic nature of the scene shifts and the department’s resources.

Early on, the production team recognized the complexity of the show. Throughout the duration of this design and execution, I constantly battled the ideas of quantity and

quality, wanting especially to manage and balance these. I spent countless hours sifting

through personal notes about the scenic plot wondering how to get through this show. It

was also difficult for me as a growing designer lacking concise guidance. When it was

announced a week before the first production meeting that Dan Gray was going to be on

medical leave, I grew anxious and scared at the start of this venture, though I tried to

remain optimistic and enthusiastic. In response to feeling lost, I relied on the rest of the

faculty and staff’s advice through the design process.

Recognizing the sheer magnitude of the show, I tried to be smart about my design

choices. I felt it safe and appropriate to approach the scenic design and its many

transitions as a study in function over form. The fragmented form the design took served not just a practical purpose in that we had many different pieces to build, but stylistically

as well. It allowed me to compose the different scenes in a moving, layered manner.

Though the scenes were merely a snippet of location, the fragmented scenery gave way to

an overarching visual element. The cinematic scenic shifts succeeded telling the story as

the scenic elements built around them as a single entity. As a fully functioning body,

there had to be a through-line, a heart-beat keeping it together. The heart of this scenic

design was the shutter curtain.

Through the many stages of the design process, I felt assured and confident in this

device’s graphic nature to help the audience maneuver through the journey of the show.

Reflecting on past productions I have designed, I found that a sense of movement always

found its way into my design work. Even when criticized for relying on the shutter

curtain too much as a crutch, I acknowledged it as the statement piece for this production.

Scenic automation played a huge role in the success of the scenic design. The

capability of movement for this production was thankfully achieved by the Department of

Theatre’s resources of winches and pneumatic pistons. The scenic design’s reliance on

automation allowed me a great experience to have extended conversations with Mahan

and Zinkon about transition and automation possibilities. Through these conversations, I

have acquired an arsenal of knowledge and familiarity with automation, its strengths and

limitations as well as how to utilize the technology to create a magical environment. I only wish to have had more time with the automation instead of scrambling to get props

77 finished and scenic pieces painted. A lot of the cueing and adjusting of the automation happened without me in attendance.

Working with Director A. Scott Parry prior to this production benefited me greatly. There was a trust in each other in our collaboration that allowed us to explore potential ideas, work with them and know the limitations. I valued the time I spent with costume designer, Natalie Cagle and lighting designer, Andy Baker and my collaboration with them in producing the design of the show. Constant conversation and discussion with Cagle gave me a stronger sense of who these characters were that were inhabiting this world. This helped me make design choices on what shape Oolie/Donna’s bedroom would take and delineate comforter selections for many of the bedroom room scenes.

Being driven by light within the scenery, I consistently engaged with Baker on ideas of practical lighting, moving practicals, and even scenic manipulation of light. I wanted there to be a strong unison between the scenic and lighting because there was so much interplay between the two elements.

Reflecting on the show, I have many mixed emotions during the process.

Collaboration with the director and design team was important for me in designing the show, but I wanted other members of the faculty to be happy with the scenic design. In production meetings, I took criticism to heart but doing so also made me feel overwhelmed at times and I became frustrated with myself and I noticed that frustration in my demeanor.

I felt overwhelmed with this scale of the production as well. The show was pushing the limits of my abilities as a designer. It was further complicated by my desire

for the choreographed scenic shifts. Due to limited staffing resources, I also had to act as

scenic charge and props master. Managing these facets, I felt pulled in many different

directions and I had a hard time keeping focused on projects at hand. I tried my best to

maintain a professional composure. Though at times I was unsuccessful, I tried to be

patient with myself on this educational expedition even though it made the process more

tedious. I was fortunate to be supported by Mahan and Zinkon, two very talented

technical directors, over-seeing the build and the technical components with care and

dedication. It was also encouraging when Gray and Steinmetz lent their artistic abilities to

scenic and prop pieces as well.

With patience, I came to terms with my own limitations as well. Working on near

exhausted levels put me at less than my best performance in the role of scenic designer. I

understand the limitations of theatre and production schedule, and even with careful

planning and dedication, there were cuts that had to be made. Attending to the terrace

umbrella too late in the process, we could not confidently present it on stage without

being a detriment to the lighting and the scenic crew and actors who would have

interacted with the piece. For the Blue Note Lounge curtain, I wanted it to have a magical

sparkling quality, but because the fabric we ordered was grey velour, I was going to spend an evening attaching reflective sequins to piece to make it vision of beauty to frame Bobbi in the nightclub. Cagle, being a good friend and colleague, encouraged me to go home, assuring me that a good night’s sleep was more important than a sparkly curtain. I could have remedied this by spending more time in delegating work to students.

The long process of tech during the evenings and notes of props and finishing pieces and

adjusting automation cues during the day, I sometimes could not trust my own eyes or inclinations.

I could not have been more pleased with the scenic transition for the flashback of

Stone’s Apartment into the Blue Note Lounge. I could not contain my excitement while the shutter curtain drastically changed its orientation as Stone’s wagon tracked off in sync

to the raising of the apartment wall to reveal Bobbi in a striking pose. As she walked towards to audience as a vision of beauty while the Blue Note composed around her, it was such a profound wow moment. In hindsight, I feel like I could have painted to the wall paper pattern on the Oolie/Donna unit more successfully and efficiently then the fabric. However, I felt the scene was a rich example of the designer areas working harmoniously for a desired effect in the production. The simplistic nature of the bedroom unit against defining silhouette sculpted by the shutter curtain, paired with a thoughtfully crafted engineered costume design, the lighting design’s dynamic usage of color temperature, properties artistry in the switching of a painting, and the important sound of the alarm going off, cueing Donna to wake up; all these elements engaged with each other in this for a beautiful stage composition and transition. This collaborative theme presented itself successfully over the course of the show, making it truly a cohesive experience.

It’s moments like this I think about the importance of design to me; in that it is a journey, an adventure, an experience. I am thankful for the opportunity to have this experience to work on this production that allowed me so much and taught me a great deal about my process, my limitations, my strengths and myself as a designer. It is my

hope that I have succeeded in being a collaborator with my production team. This journey is not meant to be taken alone. Rather than an end of a journey, I hope this merely a path taken; a challenging production that will serve as a bridge to future endeavors.

References

Buble, Michael Buble. "It’s A Beautiful Day." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 05

Mar. 2013 Web. 9 Apr. 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RglMIKG0GFw

Coleman, Cy, and Larry Gelbart. City of Angels. New York NY: Applause Theatre,

1990. Print.

Double Indemnity. Dir. Billy Wilder. Perf. Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward

G. Robinson. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1941. DVD.

Maltese Falcon, The. Dir. John Huston. Perf. Humphrey Bogard, Mary Astor and Gladys

George. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1941. DVD.

Sunset Boulevard. Dir. Billy Wilder. Perf. William Holden and Gloria Swanson

Paramount Pictures, 1950. DVD.

Gilbart, Larry, Cy Colman and David Zippel. City of Angels: Original Broadway Cast

Recording. Dir.

Michael Blakemore. Sony Music Entertainment Inc. 1990. CD.

Research Image Citations

Figure. Source.

16. https://www.behance.net/gallery/569167/A-Tribute-to-Film-Noir

17. https://s-media-cache- ak0.pinimg.com/236x/11/61/f0/1161f05043c4a269b58d2222fd4b37b3.jpg

http://yumeo.cocolog- nifty.com/photos/uncategorized/2013/11/11/dsc_6043.jpg

18. https://s-media-cache- ak0.pinimg.com/236x/98/a3/9c/98a39c74d7a16f7e9dc995402da8d7e2.jpg

19. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/- ZWmQO2Xc3dM/Tpo80aTobcI/AAAAAAAAATw/haToz7yWjGs/s1600 /Detective__s_Office_by_etwoo.jpg

20. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/- ZWmQO2Xc3dM/Tpo80aTobcI/AAAAAAAAATw/haToz7yWjGs/s1600 /Detective__s_Office_by_etwoo.jpg

23. http://www.articlesweb.org/blog/wp-content/gallery/how-to-get-cheapest- hotel-rooms/how-to-get-cheapest-hotel-rooms-12.jpg

27. https://theaterwords.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/img_2286.jpg

Appendix A: The Director’s Concept

The Ohio State University Department of Theatre and The Ohio State University School of Music Biannual Musical Fall 2014 City of Angels Music by Cy Coleman Lyrics by David Zippel Book by Larry Gelbart DIRECTOR’S CONCEPT Background 05FEB14asp

Opening on Broadway in late 1989 and winning 6 Tonys including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score, City of Angels is a fast-paced musical comedy that weaves together two reflexive plots set in the heart of the Los Angeles film industry, one in real life and the other on the big screen. It is an homage to the film noir genre and relies heavily on jazz elements from the same period of 1940s America.

Cy Coleman, probably best known for his score of the Neil Simon musical Sweet Charity, was a Bronx born Jewish jazz pianist who become intimately involved in the Broadway theatre scene in the 1960s and 70s. He both composed and produced a number of shows but found his most commercially successful and long-lived in 1989 with CoA.

David Zippel had intended on attending Harvard Law School when he was sidetracked into lyric writing in NYC with the Broadway performer Barbara Cook. His first commercially produced musical was CoA for which he won a Tony Award. He went on to write lyrics for other shows by Marvin Hamlisch, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Alan Menken with Disney.

Larry Gelbart was the creator of the hit television show M*A*S*H* and also famously wrote the screenplays of Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman and Oh God! with George Burns. His first Broadway musical in 1962 was the smash sensation A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim for which he won a Tony Award. His next was CoA.

Structure and Style

The structure of the musical is an alternating one of a black and white period film noir genre movie that is being written in a modern color world. Stine, a successful NYC writer who is known for his period mystery novels starring Detective Stone, has been hired to come to LA to adapt his most popular book “City of Angels” for the big screen. In his doing so, we see onstage various scenes of the film played in black and white as well as scenes of the process of making the film in color. Sometimes scenes of the film and of real life play simultaneously as they reflect each other in both plot and character. It is an extremely fast-paced piece with scenes changing literally by the minute. What follows is a brief rundown of the scenes and songs with a short description and location. Included are indications of “b/w” and “c” showing film or real life.

Scene by Scene –

Overture -b/w The Movie – the opening credits play of the completed film City of Angels

Act I

Scene 1 -b/w Hospital Corridor – Hospital Orderlies with a wounded Stone on a gurney Scene 2a -b/w Stone’s Outer Office – Oolie and Stone’s introduction Scene 2b -b/w Stone’s Inner Office – Alaura and Stone meet: “Double-Talk” Scene 2c -b/w Stone’s Outer Office – Alaura’s farewell Stone/Oolie ‘freeze’ / Scene 3 -b/w/c Buddy’s Office (the shoeshine) on a phone call / Stine’s Hotel Room (writing) and the first rewrite --- Buddy/Stine: “Double-Talk” Scene 4 -b/w Stone’s Outer Office – Oolie/Stone resume the now rewritten scene Stone/Oolie ‘freeze’ / Scene 5 -b/w/c Stine’s Hotel Room with Gabby (packing) – men leave Scene 6 -b/w/c Outer Office/Hotel Room: ‘What You Don’t Know About Women’ Gabby/Oolie

---applause break

Scene 7 -b/w/c Stone’s Apartment – making soup for dinner --- Sonny/Big Six arrival and fight while at the mic in the Recording Studio Jimmy Powers/AC4: “You Gotta Look Out For Yourself” – Gangsters exit leave a beat-up Stone on floor

Scene 8 -c Buddy’s Office (the haircut) Stine arrives, Buddy: “The Buddy System”

---applause break

Scene 9 -b/w Stone’s Apartment (resuming) --- Muñoz/Pasco questioning of Stone Scene 10 -b/w The Blue Note Nightclub Stage – Bobbi: “With Every Breath I Take” – at a mic

---applause break

Scene 11 -b/w Backstage at The Blue Note --- Irwin, cheating with Bobbi, is shot by Stone Scene 12a -c Stine’s Hotel Room --- Donna arrives, bad news, Stine invites her to dinner Scene 12b -b/w Oolie at a Phone Booth “...much more Pasadena than that” scene, plot thickens Scene 13 -b/w Kingsley Mansion Terrace --- Stone tries to resign from the case, is taken to... Scene 14 -b/w Kingsley Mansion Solarium --- Iron Lung 1, Alaura/Stone: “The Tennis Song” onstage --- Stone and Bobbi establishing love scene in a flashback

---applause break

Scene 15 -b/w The Streets of LA: “Ev’rybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere” (the search for Mallory) Scene 16 -b/w Stone’s Apartment --- Stone finds Mallory in his bed: “Lost and Found” ---applause break

Scene 17 -b/w/c Stone/Mallory ‘freeze’ / Donna’s Bedroom --- Donna tying Stine’s tie post-sex Scene 18 -b/w Stone’s Apartment – Stone/Mallory resume, an illicit photo, Mallory runs off Scene 19 -b/w The City Morgue – Irwin is dead and autopsy --- Muñoz racial prejudice speech Scene 20 -c/b/w Buddy’s Office – Buddy (the massage) changes the script and removes speech -- cut to Kingsley Mansion Solarium where Dr. Mandril is shot instead Scene 21 -b/w The City Morgue – Muñoz: “All Ya Have To Do Is Wait”

---applause break

-c on-the-side at Starbucks: Stone confronts Stine: “You’re Nothing Without Me”

INTERMISSION

Act II

Scene 1 -c The Recording Studio – recording session with Jimmy/AC4: “Stay With Me”

---applause break

Scene 2 -c Buddy’s Bedroom – Carla reads the script and her ‘bagel’ earrings Scene 3 -b/w Jail Cell – Oolie with the Kingsley double-cross plan “Good girl, Oolie.” on to... Scene 4 -b/w Oolie’s Bedroom – Oolie: “You Can Always Count on Me” which changes to... Scene 5 -c Donna’s Bedroom – Stine showers post-sex --- “Count on Me” continued

---applause break

Scene 6 -c A Bel Air Terrace – Dacosta at the piano, partygoers: “Double-Talk” Scene 7 -c on-the-side: Stine’s phone call to Gabby Scene 8 -b/w The Jail – Stone’s release from Muñoz Scene 9 -c/b/w Bel Air Terrace – Stine resume – Avril and Carla faux conversation A / Warehouse Stone is captured by Sonny/Big Six – a bomb explosion! Scene 10 -cBel Air Terrace – Jimmy at the party – Alaura’s Theme – not a dry seat Scene 11 -b/w Alaura’s Bedroom – Stone’s stormy entrance – Stone/Alaura “Shoot first!” scene then passionate sex ---applause likely...

Scene 12 -c Buddy’s Office – another phone call – Avril giving oral sex under the desk

---applause likely...

Scene 13 -c Stine’s NYC Apartment – Gabby and Stine confrontation: “It Needs Work” 87

---applause break

Scene 14 -b/w Margie’s Place (a brothel) – Stone looks for Bobbi Scene 15 -b/w The Red Room – Stone finds Bobbi: “With Every Breath I Take” reprise ---applause break

Scene 16 -b/w The Phone Booth – Oolie with the big solution “Drexel!” scene Scene 17 -b/w Kingsley Mansion Solarium – Alaura as Black Widow – Iron Lung 2 – does Stone really get shot? Scene 18 -c Stine’s Hotel Room – Donna’s big writing revelation – Stine: “Funny” Scene 19a -c Hollywood Soundstage – the big day of the shoot, Stine yells “Cut!” and gives the pencil to Buddy [film scene in color] Scene 19b -c On the Street – Stine/Stone: “I’m Nothing Without You”, add Gabby

The scenes run very quickly into each other and well as fast costume changes for all the performers. Every character in real life plays a character in the movie and therefore switch between black and white and color, as well as 1940s and 2014, many times throughout the show. That is with the exception of Stine and Stone, Stone being a separate person that Stine wishes he could be. We come to see that the novel written by Stine, and therefore the film, is simply a reflection of the writer’s actual real life and what he would want it to be.

Stylistically, jazz is the lingua franca here, with cool and smooth being operative descriptors for the film. Stereotypical in approach, the film sections are a Hollywood version, in all aspects of the term, of a great mystery novel. At every turn, we see Stine’s good writing become schlock in the hands of the film’s director, Buddy Fiddler, so the show, especially the film sections, should have a plastic, hallow feel to it. During the real life portions, we see a talented writer sell-out and philander and become a shell of the man he should be. It’s a tragedy of sorts for him and I think we should sense that the color scenes are somewhat harsh and uncomfortable. Each one should bring us more disappointment with Stine’s further demise. The first Act contains more film scenes to establish the plot of the movie and the concept, but the second brings more “reality” onto the stage where we then can focus on the true story that has been happening this whole time: the fall of an artist who is brought down by the lure of fame and money.

Production Elements

Perhaps one of the most difficult shows I can imagine to produce, City of Angels is a technical behemoth. The speed of the show is far and away the most challenging aspect overall. Many divergent scenes here require lots of separate costumes and massive shifts in time and place and in pigment and tone. Plus, we need an actual film for the overture scene...

Sets The multiple scenes listed above should easily arrive and easily go in blinks of an eye. They should reflect the feel of the moment as well as of a specific place. A phone booth scene is both a period phone booth in black and white and also a secretive and mysterious space, whereas a modern Bel Air party scene is expansive in its vistas and vacuous in its empty soul. Speedy color shifts in environment are also important. Sometimes a bed in the film becomes a bed in reality in a snap, perhaps by simply changing a bedspread. And

occasionally, seconds are all the time there is to make the change. Look at Act II, scenes 3, 4, and 5 especially for this sort of quick onstage manipulation.

Costumes There are rarely more than five minutes for any single character to make a costume change, most especially the ensemble multi-roles. The clothes they wear should help define who they are as a person, but even more importantly tell which world they live in. The period details should be extremely precise in the black and white film scenes, but the modern scenes can allow for much more flexibility in what the characters wear. However, this then requires a further look into each character to find how they can express themselves within a freer contemporary environment like today versus the 1940s. Sometimes costume changes of this nature must happen onstage in seconds. Again, I would suggest that you look at Act II, scenes 3, 4, and 5 for an example of this particular presto change-o.

Lights The challenge with this piece is the need to isolate many very specific areas with two distinct systems: both black and white and color. The film scenes should have definite noir aspects such as directional, single-source lighting, cool tones, shadow being as important as light, a mysterious and angular quality, expressionistic. The reality scenes should then heavily contrast this by providing a multi-angled, saturate color, warm hued, environmental approach. The transitions between these worlds will become an issue to pay special attention. We should make certain that the audience is aware of the difference in time and place, but not constantly shock them with sudden huge shifts of tone.

Sound This show takes sound to another level. As in a film, there are sound effects and voice-overs aplenty. These are important in how they are played back in order to provide the feeling of a cinematic event which then contrasts with the more straight-forward sound of the “real world.” This differentiation should be apparent to the audience in order to help then navigate between the two worlds sonically. Also important will be amplification of all the performers. This is a brass-heavy show and projection of voices will be greatly impeded by that. Personal mics for each performer are necessary for clarity in speech and singing.

Musical Numbers

Act I Overture Double-Talk (a) Double-Talk (b) What You Don’t Know About Women You Gotta Look Out for Yourself The Buddy System With Every Breath I Take Tennis Song Ev’rybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere Lost and Found All Ya Have to Do is Wait You’re Nothing Without Me

Act II Stay With Me You Can Always Count on Me Double-Talk (c) Alaura’s Theme It Needs Work With Every Breath I Take (reprise) Funny I’m Nothing Without You

Character Dramturgy

Principals:

Stine A nerdish book writer of mystery novels, a throwback who attempts greatness, a self- important and a guilt-feeling womanizer, a wanna-be celebrity who falls into the trap of wanting too much too quickly, a flawed hero and husband

Stone A film noir private eye, a dashing and wise-cracking manly man, a sentimental schmuck inside a tough-guy exterior with alcoholic tendencies, a stock literary and cinematic figure, an imaginary stand-in for Stine who’s in love with Bobbi (Gabby)

Bobbi/Gabby Bobbi – a seductive torch song singer, a woman scorned who cheats for fame, an eventual prostitute with a heart of gold Gabby – a wronged and put upon wife, an intelligent and educated woman, the only support of her husband Stine

Oolie/Donna Oolie – a standard issue 1940s secretary with a crush on her detective boss, a “good-girl” and a sometime sleuth herself Donna - a no-nonsense production assistant who does secret rewrites, serial dater sleep-around who never hooks the guy

Irwin S. Irving/Buddy Fiddler Irwin – a Hollywood producer who uses his position to get lots of positions on the casting couch, murdered quickly Buddy – a Jewish Hollywood producer, former NYC talent scout, a schmoozer and mass-market genius

Alaura Kingsly/Clara Haywood Alaura – the traditional “Black Widow” from every detective story ever written, seductive and deadly, no bark/all bite Clara – an aging actress of her generation, married to Buddy, gets all the great roles, knows talent when she sees it, sincere

Mallory Kingsly/Avril Raines Mallory – a spoiled snide teenager who gets whatever she wants, and does whatever it takes to get it, a bombshell Avril – a stock idiot blonde who gets all of her acting work while on her knees, vapid and without a lick of substance

Lt. Muños/Pancho Vargas Muños – angry at Stone with a darkened past, racially discriminated against, angry, wry sense of humor, sadistic Pancho – everybody knows him, everybody likes him to his face and hates him behind his back, a pretentious doofus

Jimmy Powers Justin Timberlake

Multi-Role Ensemble:

Male 1 Sonny, Peter Kingsley, Mahoney*, Cinematographer Sonny – former Brooklyn gangster, a wise-guy Peter – snot-nosed tennis playing brother of Mallory Mahoney – Irish cop, a stereotype

Male 2 Gilbert [+Shoeshine Boy, Nephew], Man on Phone, Commissioner Gaines, Guard, Party Boy Gilbert – whiney personal assistant Commissioner Gaines – plays by the book head of LAPD

Male 3 Officer Pasco*, Man with Camera, Porno Vendor**, Party Boy, Gene (Assistant Director) Pasco – tough-nosed beat cop, man of few words Porno Vendor – a sleaze-ball

Male 4 First Hospital Orderly, Dr. Sebastian Mandril, Madame**, Del Dacosta Mandril – a psychic and spiritual healer, a fraud Madame – a cross-dressing woman of the night Del – a flamboyant Liberace type

Male 5 Luther Kingsley/Werner Krieger, Big Six, Harlan Yamato* Luther – iron lung, a body in a can Werner – German weightlifter turned actor (Schwarzenegger) Big Six – bouncer, empty-headed Brooklyn gangster Yamato – Asian doctor, a stereotype

Female 1 Second Hospital Orderly, Anna, “B” Girl**, Party Girl, Bootsie [+Girl], Stand-In Anna – a Swedish masseuse Bootsie – a whore

Female 2 Margaret, “B” Girl**, Party Girl, Margie, Assistant Stage Manager [+Prop Man/Clapper Boy] Margaret – another Madame Margie – another whore

Angel City Four: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Baritone A studio vocal backup group, Hollywood hangers-on, partygoers, hip and stylish ass-kissing sycophants

* = sings backup Trio in “All Ya Have to Do Is Wait” ** = sings solo lines in “Ev’rybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere” [+...] = actual line assignments in script that are folded into the main character

Last Scene

I am planning a slight revision of the final scene, listed here below:

[starting at page 191 in the published script] STINE (quietly, provocatively): Cut.

BUDDY: What’re you, looking to get thrown off the set? Is that what you want? Is this some kind of New York, snot-nose revenge?

(STINE crosses to BUDDY and hands him an object from his jacket pocket)

BUDDY: What’s this?

STINE: My pencil. Now you don’t have to envy it anymore.

BUDDY (to STINE): I want you out of here! Out of this studio, out of this town, out of this business!

STINE: I accept! (To everyone) You’re all witnesses! We’ve got an ironclad, unbreakable, never-again, no-more- picture deal! (He tosses the script to BUDDY) It’s all yours. In every sense. It’s time I got back to the reality of fiction.

(The scene freezes and fades into relief as STINE crosses downstage followed by STONE)

STONE: You did it!

STINE: We did.

STONE & STINE (sung):

I’m nothing without you, Without you I lack what it takes. Unless we’re combined I have half a mind To blow all my chances and breaks .Without you I’m bupkis. A flop who keeps dropping the ball.

It’s time to stop quaking Start taking the lead And you are the singular buddy I need. I’m nothing without you, Without you I’m nothing...

(The music stops as GABBY, until now lingering in the background and disguised by a scarf and sunglasses, suddenly steps out of the tableau and is seen by STINE, while the music becomes much more emotive and sincere as STONE, unnoticed by GABBY, slowly withdraws to the side)

STINE (to GABBY): I’m nothing without you. No hero, a zero, that’s me. With you by my side There’s no better guide On how to be all I can be I’m nowhere without you.

GABBY: To doubt you is were I went wrong. The script calls for fusing and using our smarts,

STINE & GABBY: And greatness can come from the sum of our parts.

(The music abruptly stops as STINE and GABBY kiss passionately)

STONE (ironic, but sentimental): Well, what do you know? A Hollywood ending.

FULL COMPANY (sung): From now on I’m with you, And with you is where I belong. Final Thoughts (Curtain)

City of Angels is a fantastic show with an energetic score and an hysterical book. It is a supreme challenge that can yield wonderful results. I am thrilled to work on this show again and look forward to see what you all bring to the table. Research trip to SoCal anyone?

Appendix B: The Scenic Plot

CITY OF ANGELS gilbart, coleman, zippeL preliminary scenic plot A Scott Parry, director ; Shane Cinal, scenic Place: Los Angles, Hollywood, Various, Time: 1940’s

ACT PAGES LOCATION FURNITURE NOTES Prologue 20 The Stage X Overture, CITY OF ANGELS movie poster. I i 21 Hospital Interior, Gurney Bare, stark. Film Noir. Night Overhead light ~flashback~ I ii 23 INT Stone’s Office, Desk, Chair, Inner/ Outer office. Door to Day Phone, reveal ALAURA. Typewriter Step daughter missing. Double Talk Typewriter rewriting. Stine “on stage” typing (isolated desk?) cenral core. Specific location?

I iii 31 INT Buddy’s Office 3 phones. Stones office (Iii) out, Rewrites->flashbacks thing of the past. Progressive

I iv 36 INT Stone’s Office Iii Resume pick up from I ii. (Iii) Scene plays into I v

I v 38 INT Stine’s Bedroom Bed, suitcase, “Garden of Allah” Design door? aesthetic? Stine dresses, packs suitcase.

I vi 40 Stones office / Scenic units played mirror. Stine’s bedroom What you Don’t know about Women Shared door? Wall?

I vii 44 Stone’s Bungalow, Radio (pulled Dreary, night from wall) Bathroom offstage. Door (breaks of Bed on stage. Stove on set. hinges) Radio studio swings on to Stove to cook obscure fight, moves off. food Look out for Yourself (Edible) I iix INT Buddy’s Office Door, desk, hair Buddy gets a haircut. (Iiii) cutting utensils “movies are shadows, they’re light, they’re dark.” The Buddy System Waltz to Stine out door. 95

I ix Stone’s Bungalow, Groceries, Pours water on face day toaster, water. Stone on bed. ~flashback effect into next scene~

I x ‘The Blue Note’ Stage? Sultry, nightclub/ Lounge Microphone? With Every Breath I Take Stool at bar Small crowd transitions into next scene

I xi Backstage/Dressing Door, Bed, make Stone finds Bobbi in bed with room? up table, gun Irwin. Shoots him. I xii Stine’s office. Phone, Door Donna Enters. Stine narrates, PHONE BOOTH enters.

I xiii Kingsley Mansion Terrace, chaise Segment of a terrace to easily transition to  next scene

I xiv Solarium Iron lung w/ Signify solarium. mirror Cigarette. I xv The Search Day Angel City 4, Search for Mallory. Everybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere

I xvi INT Stone’s Place, Bed Dark, Shadowy, Night Mallory appears “naked” under the sheets Lost and Found

I xvii INT Donna’s Bed. Stine/ Donna –Love making. Bedroom “Streak of Morality that somehow eludes me”

I vxiii INT Stone’s Place Flash Bulb Continuation from I xvi. Camera ~flashback

I vxix City Morgue, night Gurney Isolated light, area? Wall pay phone Gurney double as iron lung?

I xx Buddy’s office Gurney doubles More changes to script. Too as massage table many morgue scenes. transitions back into morgue.

I xxi City Morgue, All You Have to do it Wait (I vxix continuation) You’re Nothing without Me

Stine/Stone Breaking barrier. Stine is visable through out or reveal? Typing

II i Recording Studio Mics? Stay with Me

Importance of this scene/location? What does it do to establish?

shrinks to gramophone of next scene

II ii Buddy’s Bedroom Cologne, script, Gramophone. gramaphone Talking about her character should wear? What does it establish?

shift to next scene

II iii Jail Cell Jail bars come down? “Good Girl Oolie”

II iv Oolie’s Bedroom bed You Can Always Count on Me next scene

III v Donna’s Bedroom (same as oolies)

Appendix C: Digital Scenic Renderings

Opening and Closing Credit Sequence

Act I. 1, 19, 21: The Hospital Morgue

Act I. 2, 4: Stone’s Outer Office

Act I.2b: Stone’s Inner and Outer Office

100

Act I.2c, 5, 6: Stine’s Hotel and Stone’s Outer Office

Act I.3: Stine’s Hotel Room, Buddy’s Office and Outer Office

101

Act I.7, 9, 16, 18: Stone’s Apartment

Act I.8, Act II.12, 18: Stone’s Inner and Outer Office

102

Act I.10: The Blue Note Lounge

Act I.11: The Dressing Room

103

Act I.12: Stine’s Hotel and Oolie at the Phone booth

Act I.13: Kingsley Terrace

104

Act I.14, II.17: The Kingsley Solarium

Act I.7b,15, II.1 Recording Studio, Streets of L.A

105

Act II.2 Buddy’s Room

Act II.3, 2b: The Jail

106

Act II.4: Oolie’s Bedroom

Act II.5 Donna’s Bedroom

107

Act II.6,7,9: The Bel-Air Mansion Party and Buddy’s Room

Act I.9b: The Warehouse

108

Act II.13: Stine’s New York Apartment

Act I.13, 14: The Red Room Brothel

109

Act II.19: A Hollywood Soundstage

110

Appendix D: Scenic Transition Cue Sheet

111

Scene Action Preshow & Overture Main Curtain IN Movie Screen Down Light on LS 7 IN Light on LS 8 IN Gurney preset R2 Stone Inner Office wagon in USL wing Stone Outer Office wagon in DSL wing Hotel wagon in DSR wing Shutter to diagonal A shift into Main Curtain OUT Movie Screen UP 1:1 Hospital STAGE 1 1.a Shutter to diagonal B 1.b Light on LS 7 OUT 1.c Light on LS 8 IN lower 1.d Stone Outer Office wagon ON from DSL (actor) Gurney off USL 1:2a Stone Outer Office STAGE 2 1.a Light on LS 8 OUT 1.b Stone Outer Office wagon shifts SL 1.c Stone Inner Office wagon ON from USL 2 Window on LS 19 IN 1:2b Stone Inner Office STAGE 3 1.a Window on LS 19 OUT 1.b Stone Inner Office wagon OFF to USL wing – Disconnect & convert to JP & AC4 1.c Stone Outer Office wagon shifts SR 2 Light on LS 8 IN 1:2c Stone Outer Office STAGE 4 1.a Hotel wagon ON from DSR 1.b Shutter to horizontal C 2 Hotel Sign ON (mid shift)

US dog tracks to USR wing – Connect Stone Apt wagon in USR wing 1:3a Stine Hotel STAGE 5 Window on LS 18 IN 112

1:3b Buddy Shoe Shine STAGE 6 Window on LS 18 OUT 1:3c Stine Hotel Shift into 1:4 Stone Outer Office shift into 1:5 Stine Hotel shift into 1:6 Office / Hotel STAGE 7 1 Light on LS 8 OUT 2.a Stone Outer Office wagon OFF DSL – Disconnect & move to Shop 2.b Hotel wagon OFF DSR 2.c Hotel Sign OFF 2.d Shutter to diagonal D 2.e Stone Apt wagon ON from USR 2.f Apt Wall on LS 22 IN

1:7a Stone Apt During – load AC4 wagon on DSL winch STAGE 8 1.a Stone Apt wagon OFF to USL wing 1.b Apt Wall on LS 22 OUT 1.c Shutter Curtain to Closed E 1.d AC4 wagon ON from DSL (PROP HOME)

1:7b JP & AC4 STAGE 9 1.b Shutter to diagonal D 1.c Stone Apt wagon ON from USL 1.d Apt Wall on LS 22 IN 1.e JP & AC4 wagon OFF to DSL wing – pull knife 2 Load Buddy Desk on DSL winch

1:7c Stone Apt STAGE 10 1.a Stone Apt wagon OFF to USR wing 1.b Apt Wall on LS 22 OUT 1.c Buddy Desk wagon ON from DSL 1.d Shutter to Full Out F 1.e Window on LS 18 IN

1:8 Buddy Office During – re-dress recording studio to Dressing Room wagon 113

STAGE 11 1.a Buddy Desk wagon OFF to DSL wing 1.b Window on LS 18 OUT 1.c Stone Apt wagon ON from USR 1.d Apt Wall on LS 22 IN 1.e Shutter to diagonal D

1:9 Stone Apt STAGE 12 1.a Stone Apt wagon OFF to USR wing 1.b Apt Wall on LS 22 OUT 1.c Shutter to diagonal G 2.a Blue Note on LS 13 IN (midshift) 2.b Mic Lift UP

1:10 Blue Note during – Disconnect Stone Apt wagon & send US dog to USL wing - Disconnect Buddy Desk wagon - Attach Dressing Room wagon to DSL winch - Attach Terrace wagon to US winch in USL wing

shift into 1 Dressing Room wagon ON from DSL 2.a Blue Note on LS 13 OUT (mid Dressing room ON) 2.b Mic Lift DOWN

1:11 Backstage Blue Note shift into 1.a Dressing Room wagon OFF to DSL wing 1.b Stine Hotel wagon ON from DSR 1.c Shutter to horizontal C 2 Hotel Sign ON (mid shift)

1:12a Stine Hotel during – Disconnect Dressing Room wagon from DSL winch - Attach Phone Booth wagon to DSL winch shift into Phone Booth wagon ON from DSL 1:12b Phone Booth shift into 1.a Stine Hotel wagon OFF to DSR 1.b Shutter to diagonal H 2. Hotel Sign OFF (mid Hotel wagon OFF)

1:12c Oolie on Phone shift into 1.a Phone Booth wagon OFF to DSL wing 1.b Terrace wagon ON from USL 114

1.c Shutter to diagonal I 2. Pergola on LS 17 IN

1:13 Kingsley Terrace shift into 1. Solarium on LS 25 tracks in from SR 2. Pergola on LS 17 OUT (Mid transition) 3. Terrace wagon OFF to USL wing (Mid transition)

1:14a Solarium shift into 1. Solarium on LS 25 tracks out to SR 1:14b Tennis Song during – Disconnect Terrace wagon & attach Hydrant shift into 1. Shutter to Closed E 1:15 Streets of LA 1. During US dog (Hydrant) TRACKS USL to USR - Disconnect Hydrant - Attach Stone Apt wagon to US winch in USR wing

shift into 1.a Stone Apt wagon ON from USR 1.b Apt Wall on LS 22 IN 1.c Shutter to diagonal D

1:16 Stone Apt shift into 1.a Stine Hotel wagon ON from DSR 1.b Shutter to Full Out F 2. Hotel Sign ON (Mid shift)

1:17 Stine Hotel shift into 1.a Stine Hotel wagon OFF to DSR 1.b Shutter to diagonal D 2. Hotel Sign OFF (Mid shift)

1:18 Stone Apt shift into 1.a Stone Apt wagon OFF USR 1.b Apt Wall on LS 22 OUT 1.c Shutter to diagonal A 2.a Light on LS 7 IN (Mid shift) 2.b Light on LS 8 IN (Mid shift) (ACTOR) Gurney in from USR

1:19 Morgue During – release Stone Apt wagon send dog SL and attach 115

Terrace Wagon shift into Shutter to horizontal C 1:20 Massage During – Terrace Wagon ON from USL – then leaves USL shift into Shutter to diagonal A 1:21 Morgue shift into 1.a Light on LS 8 OUT (SR?) 1.b Stine Hotel wagon ON from DSR 1.c Shutter to horizontal C 2 Hotel Sign ON (Mid shift)

1:22 Stine Hotel shift into Main Curtain IN Intermission Disconnect Phone Booth from DSL winch Stine Hotel wagon OFF to DSR wing Re-dress Stine Hotel wagon to become Buddy Room wagon in DSR wing (connect power & video to TV) Hotel Sign OFF Strike Terrace Chaise to Shop, add piano to Terrace wagon Re-dress Dressing Room wagon to become recording studio – attach to DSL winch Recording Studio ON from DSL Shift Pergola on LS 23 further onstage Position Jail wagon to OFF DSL Move Stone Apt wagon to the Shop Attach Oolie’s Bed wagon onto US winch in the USR wing Shutter to Full Close E

Act 2 Overture shift into Main Curtain OUT 2:1 Recording Studio shift into 1.a Recording Studio OFF to DSL wing 1.b Buddy Room wagon ON from DSR 1.c Shutter Curtain to Full Out F

2:2 Buddy’s Room During – disconnect Recording Studio and attach Jail Bench DSL winch shift into 1.a Buddy Room wagon OFF to DSR wing 1.b Jail wagon ON from DSL 1.c Shutter to diagonal J 2. Spot Rig Light on 7a IN 116

2:3 Jail shift into 1.a Jail wagon OFF to DSL wing 1.b Spot Rig Light on 7a OUT 1.c Shutter to diagonal K 2. Oolie Bed wagon ON from USR

2:4 Oolie’s Bedroom During – redress Recording Studio to Warehouse wagon shift into Shutter to Full Out F - Actors/crew? redress Oolie Bedroom to become Donna Bedroom onstage 2:5 Donna’s Bedroom shift into 1. Donna Bedroom wagon OFF to USR wing – release knife & send dog to USL wing 2. Pergola on LS 17 IN 3. Attach Terrace wagon & Piano to US winch & bring ON from USL 2:6 Bel-Air Mansion shift into Buddy Room wagon ON from DSR 2:7 Buddy’s Room shift into 1.a Jail wagon ON from DSL 2.b Spot Rig Light on 7a IN 2.c Shutter to horizontal C 2:8 Jail shift into 1.a Jail wagon OFF to DSL wing 2.b Spot Rig Light on 7a OUT 3.c Shutter to Full Out F 2:9a Buddy’s Room during – Disconnect Jail wagon from DSL winch - Attach Warehouse wagon to DSL winch in DSL wing shift into 1.a Warehouse wagon ON from DSL 1.b Spot Rig Light on 7a IN 1.c Shutter to horizontal C 2:9b Warehouse during – “Bomb explodes” Warehouse wagon OFF to DSL wing – release & move to Shop Spot Rig Light on 7a OUT shift into 1.a Buddy Room wagon OFF to DSR wing 1.b Shutter to Full Out F

2:10 Bel-Air Mansion during – Re-dress Buddy Room wagon to become Alaura’s Room 117

- Attach Buddy’s Desk wagon on DSL winch - Shift NYC Apt wagon to DSL storage position shift into 1.a Terrace wagon & Piano wagon OFF to USL wing 1.b Pergola on LS 17 OUT 1.c Shutter to diagonal K 2. Alaura Bedroom wagon ON from DSR 2:11 Alaura’s during – Disconnect Terrace/Piano wagon & move to Shop Bedroom - Attach NYC Apt wagon to US winch in USL wing shift into 1.a Alaura Bedroom wagon OFF to DSR wing 1.b Buddy Desk wagon ON from DSL 1.c Shutter to Full Out F 2. Window on LS 18 IN (Mid Shift)

2:12 Buddy’s Office shift into 1.a Buddy Desk wagon OFF to DSL wing 1.b Window on LS 18 OUT 2. NYC Apt wagon ON from USL 3. Fire Escape on LS 19 IN 2:13 NYC Apt during – Disconnect Buddy Desk from DSL winch - Attach Phone Booth to DSL winch in DSL wing shift into 1.a NYC Apt wagon OFF to USL wing – disconnect and move to shop 1.b Fire Escape on LS 19 OUT 1.c Shutter to diagonal L 2. Brothel Curtain on LS 16 IN

2:14 Margie’s Place During – actor Pushes BED on shift into Open Swag Curtain 2:15 Red Room End of scene – Curtain closes shift into 1. Bed moves OFF USL 2.a Brothel Curtain on LS 16 OUT 2.b Phone Booth wagon ON from DSL 2.c Shutter to diagonal H

2:16 Phone Booth shift into 1.a Phone Booth wagon OFF to DSL wing 1.b Solarium on LS 25 IN 1.c Shutter to diagonal I (actor) Iron Lung ON from USR

2:17 Solarium during – Disconnect Phone Booth wagon 118

- Attach Buddy Desk wagon to DSL winch in DSL wing - Disconnect Red Room Bed and attach NYC (backwards) to USL winch shift into 1.a Buddy Desk wagon ON from DSL 1.b Solarium on LS 25 OUT 1.c Shutter to Full Out F 2. Window on LS 18 IN (Mid Shift) Iron Lung exits USR

2:18 Buddy’s Office shift into 1.a Buddy Desk wagon OFF to DSL wing – Re-dress as Craft Service 1.b Window on LS 18 OUT 1.c Shutter to full Close 2. Solarium on LS 25 IN 3. NYC Apt (backwards) ON from USL wing 4. Re-dressed Buddy Desk wagon as Craft Service ON 2:19a Soundstage shift into 2:19b Streets of LA during - 1 Shutter to Full Open (Slowly) 2 Craft Service wagon OFF to DSL wing – pull knife and move to shop 3 Solarium on LS 25 OUT 4 NYC Apt(backwards) OFF to USL wing Finale Main Curtain IN at end of song shift into Main Curtain OUT Curtain Call after – Main Curtain IN Movie Screen IN House Lights up to half

119

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Appendix E: The Props List

121

x x x Dir

x x x Set Des Apprvd

e x x x Don

x x x x x x x x x x Rehearsal x x x x x

WorkNotes

Get a photograph of actress sheet covering Black and White Graining consumed each night Black/White

Status

table Notes

Multiple for Scene 1.3 In Hotel unit In Hotel File Cabinet. (repaint zombie prom desk) on Desk rolly chair Stores Cigarette Lights Alaura's Cigarette Snapshot of Mallory Pen. w/ Writes a check. Disposable "rings" sound Reused in 1.19, 21. Redressed as Iron Lung: 1.14, 2.17, 19 small on desk Pulled from 122

pull pull buy Pull Pull Pull Pull Pull Pull Pull Pull Buy Buy Buy Find Find Find Find Build Build Rent, Build, Pull/Find Find/Buy Find,Buy Pull/Buy?

InnerOffice Stine Stine Stine Stine Oolie Fidler Stone Stone Alaura Alaura Alaura 1stOrderly Character Stine's Hotel Buddy's Office Shoeshine boy 1st & 2nd Orderly.1st& Stone's inner office Stone's Inner Office Stone's Stone's Inner Office Stone's Outter Office Stone's Outter Office Stone's Outter Office

32 26 27 21 25 29 32 32 Page 21

1.3 1.2 1.2 Scene 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2

3 1 1 3 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 QTY Unit "City of 1 32 Fidler Build Angels" x Packing -- 1 1.5 38 Gabby Find needs clothes x shabby 1 1.7 45 Stone's Apartment Find bedding B/W x 1 45 Stone's Apartment Find x *pulled from smaller 1 45 build wall version 1 45 Stone Pull x 1 45 Stone Pull x clean and 1 45 Stone's Apartment Pull paint Opens, empties 1 build into Pot. empties Consumabl gelatenous e stuff 1 45 Stone's Apartment pull x 1 45 Recording Studio Reused Buddy from 1.4 Cutting 1 1.8 50 Gilber pull Fidler's Hair. x 1 1.8 Buddy's Office Pull/build? x x x x 1 1.9 55 Stone's Apartment Pull x in actors 1 1.9 Pasco mouth

1 1.9 56 Stone Pull 1 1.9 56 x paint 1 1.1 58 CS TRAP stand? Bobbi's Dressing FIX and 1 1.11 61 Pull Room Recover Bobbi's Dressing 1.11 61 Buy 1 Room x Holster-- 1 1.11 62 Stone Costumes? x Consumabl e - 1 1.12 63 Donna Build Loose- crumples edits? up x wooden 1 1.13 66 Kingsley Terrace Pull and painted Paint and Buy stand

123

1 1.13 66 Alaura Pull x x x x "oils up" 1 1.13 66 Peter ALAURA's x x x legs x hands to 1 1.13 67 Stone Build? x x x ALAURA x Houses Fitted over Luther. Gurney. 1 1.14 Luther Build Mirror fixed We see this atop action ALAURA 1.14 takes from 1 71 Stone Pull x x x b STONEs lips x 1 1.18 85 a MAN Build? practical x 1 1.18 87 Mahoney Pull x 1 1.18 87 Gaines Build Signs 1 1.18 88 Stone Buy? costumes 1 1.18 Pasco Pull x x x x 2 add Like 1 add Donna buy Shane's 13 2.2 Buddy's Room Pull 1 3 Recover 13 2.2 Carla Pull 1 3 1 2.2 x 13 2.2 Buddy Pull 1 3 13 2.2 Buddy's Room pull 1 3 13 2.3 Jail Pull 1 5 x x x x 13 2.3 Stone Pull/Buy? 1 5 x x x x 13 Hands to 1 2.3 Oolie Build? 5 STONE 13 Build/Pull 2.4 Oolie-Donna Room 1 7 ? 1 2.4 Oolie-Donna Room Pull Practical -- 1 2.4 Oolie-Donna Room Buy two socketd 13 2.4 Oolie Pull 1 8

14 hands to 1 2.5 Stine Pull x x x 1 Donna x 14 Find? 2.6 Bel-Air Mansion 1 3 Rent Badge, 14 2.8 Munoz Costumes 6 holster, x x x keychain x With Pen 14 2.8 Munoz 1 6 and Release x 124

Form 14 "Scotch and 1 2.9 Carla 8 Soda" x 15 2.9 Warehouse find? ? 0 15 Stone is 1 2.9 Warehouse 0 Tied x 15 used to tie 1 2.9 Stone 0 stone up "a 15 complicated 1 2.9 Warehouse Build 0 device to a phone" 15 2.9 Bix Six / Sonny Pull 2 2 x More for 15 2.1O Avril Build 1 4 other guests? x 15 2.11 Alaura's Bedroom Build 1 6 recover? 16 2.12 Buddy Pull 1 0 Reused 16 2.13 Gabby Pull 1 1 from Earlier? x 16 Stine 3 Reused x 16 2.14 Margie Pull 1 5 TRACKS 16 2.14 1 5 ON STAGE with BOBBI 16 Hands to 1 2.14 Stone Pull 5 MARGIE x 16 2.15 Bobbi Pull 1 7 Drinks Spoon 17 2.17 Alaura Pull 1 4 feeds LUTHER x 17 Reuse 1 2.17 Alaura Pull 5 Previous? x 17 "CITY OF 1 2.18 Stine Build 9 ANGELS" x 18 "City of 1 2.18 Stine Build 0 Angels" x 18 2.19 Werner Pull 1 3 x 18 Appllied to 1 2.19 3 AVRIL Build to fit Build on Buddy's Desk 18 2.19 Buddy Costumes 1 4 x 18 2.19 Prop Man 1 5 Reused x 125

from 2.17 18 2.19 Nephew Pull 1 7 "too white" x 19 Hands to 1 2.19 Stine Pull 1 BUDDY x rides on 1 automation dog 1 Real dog ad Yamoto build 1 d Pasco pulled consumed x 1 "evrybody's gotta be" pulled on castors ad Bum pulled 1 d in trashcan A - frame with with 1 Porno Vender Build magazines. One removable Reused from 1 previous Oolie scene? x tracks on 1 Man on bench DSL ad Buddy Buy 1 d ad Stone Costume 1 d x ad Stone's inner office Pull 1 d on desk x ad Buddy's Desk Buy 1 d ad Buddy's Desk Pull 1 d x

Period: 1940's(B/W) & 2012(Color)

Location: Los Angeles, CALIF.

126

Appendix F: Scenic Drafting Packet

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

Appendix G: Scenic Budget

140

QT UNIT UNIT PURPOSE MATERIAL PRICE SUBTOTAL Y TOTAL 1X1 TUB. 3 PORTALS FRAMING 58 $12.48 $723.84 ST. COR. COVER 44 $12.20 $536.80 PANELS DUVATYNE

MEGA 21 $0.00 CLAMPS $1,260.64

1X1 TUB CLAPPER FRAMING 22 $12.48 $274.56 ST. COR. COVER 36 $12.20 $439.20 PANELS $0.00

$0.00

$713.76

GROUND FRAMING 2X4X12 10 $4.50 $45.00 ROW COR. COVER 6 $12.20 $73.20 PANELS $0.00

$118.20

ORCHESTRA FRAMING 2X4X12 10 $0.00 RAIL COR. COVER 4 $0.00 PANELS $0.00

SHOW DECK SUBFLOOR 3/4" OSB 20 $25.00 $500.00

SHOW DECK 1/2" MDF 20 $25.00 $500.00

$200.0 DOGS 2 $400.00 0 $250.0 CABLE 1 $250.00 0 DECK EXT. ? $0.00

$1,650.00

STONE"S FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 3 $20.00 $60.00 OUTER OFFICE COVER 3/4" OSB 3 $25.00 $75.00 WAGON SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 3 $17.00 $51.00

CASTER 6 $2.50 $15.00 PLATES CASTERS STOCK 6 $0.00

KNIVES 2 $0.00

1X2 REC. WALL UNIT FRAMING 4 $20.00 $80.00 TUB COVER LAUAN 4 $13.00 $52.00

141

MOULDING 1 $50.00 $50.00

$100.0 DOOR 1 $100.00 0 $0.00

$483.00

STONE"S INNER 1X2 REC. WALL UNIT FRAMING 2 $19.14 $38.28 TUB COVER LAUAN 2 $13.00 $26.00

MOULDING 1 $50.00 $50.00

1X1 TUB WINDOW FRAMING 1 $12.48 $12.48 ST. BLINDS 1 $50.00 $50.00

$176.76

STONE"S FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 3 $19.14 $57.42

APARTMENT COVER 3/4" OSB 3 $25.00 $75.00

SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 3 $17.00 $51.00

CASTER 6 $2.50 $15.00 PLATES CASTERS STOCK 6 $0.00

KNIVES 2 $0.00

1X2 REC. WALL UNIT FRAMING 4 $19.14 $76.56 TUB COVER LAUAN 3 $13.00 $39.00

MOULDING 1 $30.00 $30.00

1X1 TUB FLYING WALL FRAMING 4 $12.48 $49.92 ST. COVER LAUAN 5 $13.00 $65.00

WALLPAPER 1 $40.00 $40.00

$498.90

STINE'S FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 3 $19.14 $57.42 HOTEL ROOM COVER 3/4" OSB 3 $25.00 $75.00

WALL UNIT SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 3 $17.00 $51.00

CASTER 6 $2.50 $15.00 PLATES CASTERS STOCK 6 $0.00

KNIVES 2 $0.00 $0.00

1X2 REC. FRAMING 4 $0.00 $0.00 TUB COVER LAUAN 4 $13.00 $52.00

MOULDING 1 $50.00 $50.00

$100.0 DOOR 1 $100.00 0 CURTAIN 1 $50.00 $50.00

$450.42

142

BUDDY'S TV RIGGING (SOM?) 1 $50.00 $50.00 ROOM $100.0 REDRESS 1 $100.00 0 $150.00

BUDDY'S KNIVES 2 $5.00 $10.00

OFFICE FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 2 $19.14 $38.28 WAGON FLYING 1X1 TUB FRAMING 3 $12.48 $37.44 WINDOW ST. $85.72

JAIL BENCH CASTERS 6 $22.00 $132.00

$132.00

TERRACE FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 3 $19.14 $57.42

RAILING COVER 3/4" OSB 2 $25.00 $50.00 WAGON SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 2 $17.00 $34.00

CASTER 6 $2.50 $15.00 PLATES CASTERS STOCK 6 $0.00

KNIVES 2 $0.00 $0.00

UMBRELLA 1 $50.00 $50.00

1X2 REC. WALL UNIT FRAMING 4 $20.00 $80.00 TUB COVER LAUAN 4 $13.00 $52.00

COLUMNS 2 $50.00 $100.00

$438.42

DRESSING FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 3 $19.14 $57.42

ROOM COVER 3/4" OSB 3 $25.00 $75.00 WAGON (WAREHOUSE SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 3 $17.00 $51.00 ) (STINE'S CASTER 6 $2.50 $15.00 INNER PLATES OFFICE) CASTERS STOCK 6 $0.00

KNIVES 2 $0.00 $0.00

1X2 REC. FRAMING 4 $20.00 $80.00 TUB COVER LAUAN 4 $13.00 $52.00

MOULDING 1 $50.00 $50.00

$100.0 DOOR 1 $100.00 0 1X1 REC. FLYING FRAMING 6 $20.00 $120.00 TUB $300.0 BLUE NOTE COVER CURTAIN 1 $300.00 0 $900.42

OOLIE/DONNA FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 2 $20.00 $40.00

143

ROOM COVER 3/4" OSB 3 $25.00 $75.00 WAGON SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 3 $17.00 $51.00

CASTER 6 $2.50 $15.00 PLATES CASTERS STOCK 6 $0.00

KNIVES 2 $5.00 $10.00

1X2 REC. WALL UNIT FRAMING 4 $20.00 $80.00 TUB COVER LAUAN 4 $13.00 $52.00

MOULDING 1 $50.00 $50.00

$0.00

$373.00

NYC FRAMING 1.5" SQ. ST 2 $19.14 $38.28 APARTMENT WAGON COVER 3/4" OSB 2 $25.00 $50.00

SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 3 $17.00 $51.00

CASTER 6 $2.50 $15.00 PLATES CASTERS STOCK 6 $0.00 $0.00

KNIVES 2 $0.00

1X2 REC. WALL UNIT FRAMING 4 $20.00 $80.00 TUB COVER BRICK 3 $26.00 $78.00

MOULDING 1 $50.00 $50.00

1X1 REC. FLYING WALL FRAMING 3 $12.48 $37.44 TUB $0.00

$399.72

PHONEBOOT FRAMING H WAGON COVER 3/4" OSB 1 $25.00 $25.00

SHOW DECK 1/4" MDF 1 $17.00 $17.00

LOW CASTERS 6 $22.00 $132.00 PROFILE KNIVES 2 $5.00 $10.00

1X2 REC. WALL UNIT FRAMING 4 $20.00 $80.00 TUB COVER LAUAN 4 $13.00 $52.00

MOULDING 1 $50.00 $50.00

DOORS 1 $50.00 $50.00

$0.00

$416.00

1X1 REC. FLYING FRAMING 7 $12.48 $87.36 TUB PERGOLA COVER LAUAN 6 $13.00 $78.00

$0.00

144

$165.36

1X1 REC. DRAPE UNIT FRAMING 4 $12.48 $49.92 TUB COVER LAUAN 5 $13.00 $65.00

$100.0 MOULDING 1 $100.00 0 $300.0 CURTAIN 1 $300.00 0 $0.00

$680.28

1X1 REC. FLYING FRAMING 10 $20.00 $200.00 TUB SOLARIUM COVER LAUAN 6 $13.00 $78.00

$0.00

$278.00

3 FLYING RIGGING 1 $50.00 $50.00

LIGHTS FIXTURES 2 $20.00 $40.00

$0.00

$90.00

1X1 REC. SLIDING FRAMING 1 $20.00 $20.00 TUB HOTEL SIGN COVER LAUAN 1 $13.00 $13.00

$0.00

$33.00

$100.0 MICROPHONE RIGGING 1 $100.00 0 $100.00

$1,000. PAINT 1 $1,000.00 00 $1,000.00

KNIVES & 2X1/4" 2 $18.76 $37.52

SHEATHS 3X1/4" 2 $27.14 $54.28

CASTER $100.0 1 $100.00 PLATES 0 $191.80

$10,785.4 SUBTOTAL 0 10% $1,078.54 CONTINGENCY $11,863.9 TOTAL 4 $12,000.0 BUDGET 0 UNDER / $136.06 (OVER)

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