Getting that ‘50s feeling

We made it out of the rehearsal room and on to the spectacular living room set of our 1950s home! The vibrant colors and textures — from the stone work of the fireplace to the tile floors — help create a realistic, yet theatrical playing space. Sunday we had our last run-through for the production staff in the rehearsal room so everyone could see how the show will play on the set. The basic structure seems to be working well. The documentary film segments for the show integrate well with the set so far — just a few things still to be worked out. Now I’m just pushing the cast and design team to go even further with embracing the 1950s style in all areas including lighting, music, and stage business. Simple things like, creating the “cocktail hour” at home, highlighting the more formal introductions often made when a guest would arrive, and using the role of music and dancing as cause for celebration, all help the production live more fully in a time when people tried to create a new, American “good life” for themselves. As a director it’s not often you get to challenge everyone with the question, “How can we make this moment or transition even more delightfully ‘50s?”

We finished our first day of lighting and sound tech (costumes are added tomorrow), and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many looks we can create. The lights are not only helping establish time of day and location, but also are giving the production the feeling of 1950s educational films — ones about the trials of raising an American family with troubled children, frustrated housewives, and emotionally detached fathers. I showed the cast earlier in rehearsals some of these short “education films” like “Jealousy” about what happens to a housewife who doesn’t trust her husband, and “How Much Affection?” about teaching your teenage daughter to control these new “desires” she has when alone with boys. Check them out and many others on-line at the free Prelinger film archive site.

Time to go back to another day in the dark for Act II tech, which isn’t so bad since the house on stage is nicer than my own. LOL

—Michael