A wide shot early in the build process. We finally got a full truss done and put it in the space.
This show takes place in an Oakland warehouse. We used our black box space and part of our scene shop to create a full warehouse space. We tried to create a really immersive atmosphere by adding lots of small details like graffiti and labels on the rolling crates. It ended up being a great show and was selected as and alternate for KCACTF Region 8 Festival 49.
Wide shot of the cage. It breaks into 23 panels for storage/transport. Each panel has an angle iron and square tube stile that mate together.
Man of la Mancha takes place in a jail cell during the Spanish Inquisition. For this show we created a full, climbable jail cell in our black box space. Cervantes also is put into the cell with a box full of his props which are used throughout the show.
The box flies in with a winch at the top of the show and is on omni-directional wheels so it can gracefully slide around the space. It has several doors that open up to reveal props and costume pieces.
The cage breaks apart into 23 welded panels. I have metal working experience from high school metal shop classes and from various robotics teams, so I helped the other students learn the skills need to tackle such a large project. The teacher and I did most of the welding, but we did teach other students how to weld and had them install the weld nuts that are used to attach the panels together.
This show was selected as a finalist for KCACTF Region 8 Festival 50 and traveled to Mesa Community College to put on the show as part of the festival. The production ended up winning 13 National Awards.
Please see the "Technical Direction" section as scenic carpentry was one of my major duties as technical director.