Objective
Working on Fun Home as the Set Designer was a really fun challenge. I needed to design a set that encapsulated Alison's Victorian family home, while also having space to turn the stage into a dorm room or a funeral parlour.
Design
The Bechdel Home
What's unique about working on Fun Home is that there's a comic and previous productions to draw inspiration from. I spent time reading the comic and researching past sets to get an idea of what options would work best. Our stage was a lot smaller than most other performances, so it was important to make set pieces smaller and foldable. Rather than squeezing a grand piano on stage, we opted for a small organ. The casket and dorm bed fold into other parts of the stage when not in use.
THe casket
One of the hardest parts about the job was finding a way to conceal a casket. The backstage was too small to fit it when it wasn't being used, so it needed to be hidden on stage and pulled out when necessary. Another important part of the casket is that it needs to fit three children inside. Early ideas included concealing it as a bookshelf or grandfather clock, but lifting and lowering the casket was too challenging. I decided that building a "credenza" around the casket would be the easiest way to conceal it while still making it fit into the Bechdel Home. And taking the bottom of the casket off and building a wheeled base meant all three kids could comfortably fit inside.
Responsibilities
Set Design
Set Sourcing & Construction
Budgeting & Logistics
Project Management
Additional Notes
Due to illness within the cast an crew, I stepped up as an assistant stage manager for a few shows. While this wasn't originally in the job description, it was really fun to help coordinate the cast backstage during the shows. Stage Managing is something I've never thought about doing, but my experience here has piqued my interest in doing it again!