Description: As the scenic designer for my high school’s production of Newsies, I worked closely with my theatre teacher and director to create a functional and creative set. I conducted research, collaborated with the director, communicated with the choreographer, drew multiple renderings and ground plans, created technical drawings, managed teams of fellow students helping with the construction, taught fellow students new scenic painting, carpentry, and tool skills, and found my passion for scenic design.


Concept: The true boys of the newsboys strike of 1899 were mostly teenagers or kids. Some of them had homes; however, most of them did not, as reflected in the show. Thus, they made the streets and crevices of New York their home. Because of this, I wanted to create a worn and rustic playground of levels and corners for these boys to find comfort and unity in. These same planks and railings were the ones that provided an escape from the cops, due to the boys’ familiarity to the structures, which further unified them against Pulitzer. The old, abandoned crates and boxes at the bottom of the set served as extremely functional pieces, allowing for seamless changes of location, in addition to being the safe space for them when Jack rallies them together in unity for the strike. Thus, a rustic playground of unity was my gift to these boys.

Arizona 12 News Article: https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/peoria-police-officer-b-griffin-joins-high-school-musical/75-fee0f957-7b7b-47e6-a3fd-72a091e42749

WFMZ News Article: https://www.wfmz.com/news/good-news/arizona-officer-joins-high-school-musical/article_e5f8e51a-aa9c-11ec-9f8c-33fbd4147ef1.html