Behind the Scenes: A Light in the Storm

A Light in the Storm - Behind the Scenes

Author/ Playwright/Director | Production Staff | Cast

Mark Anduss (Sound Designer) has designed and composed more than 100 shows in DC and across the United States. Many of those designs have been with Theater of the First Amendment, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Theatre J, The Source Theater, Actor's Theatre of Washington, Young Playwrights Theater, African Continuum Theatre Company and Washington Shakespeare Company. Past designs with Youth and Family Programs include The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Little Women. Other highlights are Bee-Luther-Hatchie, Lady from the Sea and Dream of a Common Language with Theater of the First Amendment, Andromeda Shack, The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi and The Last Orbit of Billy Mars with Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Incident at Vichy, Macbett and Tiny Alice with Washington Shakespeare Company, Pigmaleon with Actors Theatre of Washington, and Born Guilty and Peter and the Wolf with Theatre J. His work has been recognized with 3 Helen Hayes Award nominations for Outstanding Sound Design. He teaches sound design and sound technology at George Mason University and is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

Timm Burrow (Costume Designer)Theatre: Pearl, The Emperor's New Clothes, Dreams, Assistant Designer Soul Possessed and Harriet's Return (Kennedy Center), Leaving the Summerland (Tribute Productions), Wait Until Dark (West End Dinner Theatre), Marisol (Trumpet Vine Theatre Company), Entertaining Mr. Sloane and Life of Galileo (Washington Shakespeare Company), Queen of Clubs and My Night with Reg (Actor's Theatre of Washington). Opera: Impresario/Viva la Momma, Don Pasquale, Assistant Designer Cosi Fan Tutte (Wolf Trap Opera Company); Cosi fan Tutte, Hansel and Gretel (Capital City Opera), Don Giovanni, La Verbena de la Paloma (The INseries), Le Nozze di Figaro (Univeristy of Maryland). Film and television: Pride and Prejudice (The Learning Channel) Eating and Weeping (Handbag Productions).

Tom Donahue (Set Designer) has designed sets and lights for area theatres for more than twenty years. In the Washington D.C. area he has designed for the National, The Olney Theatre Center for the Arts, The Summer Opera Theatre Company, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts among numerous others . In Baltimore, he has designed numerous productions for the Baltimore Opera Company, The Young Victorians, the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and Everyman Theatre . Recent and current designs include Rigoletto, La Traviata, Don Pasquale, Gianni Schicci and Suor Angelica for the Shaker Mountain Performing Arts Festival in upstate New York and Blood Knot for the African Continuum Theatre Company. He is also designing the settings for two new musicals, The Word and The Gift. Tom is Chair of the Drama department at the Catholic University of America and a member of United Scenic Artists designers union.

Set sketches

How were you able to create different environments on stage without major set changes?

A Light in the Storm uses a unit setting. The basic scenic environment remains the same while scene changes are indicated by the addition, removal, or rearrangement of smaller scenic pieces. For this production the lighthouse unit and the wings are always on stage and the changes are indicated by the variety of furniture pieces and properties used for specific scenes. To make the scenic units more adaptable for multiple purposes we chose to make them very simple in outline and basic in color scheme. The set pieces can also be used for more than one primary purpose. In one scene the bench is actually used as if it were a small boat Wickie is rowing to cross the water to and from the lighthouse.
What elements did you use to create the setting of a lighthouse?

This production relies heavily on descriptions contained within the script and verbalized by the actors to create the various settings in the play. To allow the audience's imagination more freedom to visualize the descriptions, the set has been intentionally minimalized. The "lighthouse" has been reduced to a platform that indicates the top of the lighthouse and the beacon has been reduced to a series of lines on a piece of fabric that suggests the glass housing for the beacon. The mechanics of the light are indicated by a simple chain pulley on the right and a ladder on the left. Masking tabs on both stage left and right provide entrances for the actors and allow the indication beams from the lighthouse to span the entire stage. All framing elements are sparse and metallic to reflect the frugality of ornamentation and materials one would find in a real lighthouse.
What research did you do to create the environment of Fenwick Island during the Civil War?

There were multiple areas that needed to be researched in developing the design for A Light in the Storm. First was the lighthouse itself. The Fenwick Island lighthouse, as well as many others on all coasts of the United States were studied, not only for the specific details of Fenwick Island but also to learn more about lighthouses from that period in general. The Civil War, especially how it affected the Mid-Atlantic States, was also a major area of research. Other research included the architecture of the period as well as details of the furniture, clothing and ships. The research was as detailed as learning how Christmas was celebrated in the mid-nineteenth century, how presents were wrapped and what did the ice skates of the period look like.

Marjie Hashmall (Production Stage Manager) Recent work: Into the Woods Jr, Light in the Storm, (The J.F. Kennedy Center), Othello (The Folger Shakespeare Library) Getting Married, The Memory of Water, Inferno, Hughie, and Major Barbara. (Washington Stage Guild) Oleanna (Source) Spain, Invisible City (Woolly Mammoth Theater).

Martha Mountain (Lighting Designer) is pleased to continue her association with YFP, having designed Ric Averil's The Emperor's New Clothes, Suzanne Farrell Stages the Masters of 20th Century Ballet, Paulette Laufer's plays The Great Quillow and Little Women, as well as My Lord, What a Morning, Red Badge of Courage, Walking the Winds, and many others. She is especially looking forward to designing YFP's upcoming production of Ken Ludwig and Don Schlitz's Tom Sawyer. She designs extensively around the region for diverse companies including Round House Theatre, Theatre of the First Amendment, Wolf Trap Opera Company, Folger Shakespeare Library, and Theatre J. Ms. Mountain serves as resident lighting designer for Bowen McCauley Dance (www.bmdc.org). She has taught lighting design at George Mason University and at the University of Maryland, and is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 (IATSE).

Dreama J. Greaves (Properties Artisan) has served as properties artisan for many Kennedy Center Youth and Family Programs shows. Her credits include such diverse productions as The Snow Queen; Little Women; Alice in Wonderland; The Nightingale; Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and others; many of which have toured nationally. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Northwestern University and free-lances throughout the metro area.

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Illustrations by Ray Cruz.Used with permission by Anthenum Books.