Description: I was so blessed be the scenic designer for this show. This production was performed at the Mesa Arts Center in the Piper Repertory Theatre, which meant this was not only my first musical, but also my first opportunity to utilize a fly system. The scenic budget for this show was around $2,000. While scenic designing for this show, I attended production meetings, conducted research, collaborated with the director, choreographer, and other designers, created a mood board, drew multiple sketches, renderings, and ground plans, created technical drawings, managed and taught teams of volunteers helping with the construction, carpentry, painting, and set dressing, and for the first time in my career, was paid for my work. Thus, with this show, I made my debut as a professional scenic designer!

Concept: The concept for this show stemmed from creating a giant, live, pop-up story book full of vibrant colors and silly situations. The stage directions at the beginning of the show discuss Shrek and Fiona opening each other’s books, so my design strove to make this a reality. For the opening scenes, intermissions and post-show, I designed a book spine that was flown in center stage. Although this was flown out for the majority of the show to accommodate sightlines, the old, golden, swirly book corners framing the stage were present the whole production. Shrek’s swamp was inspired by a high school boy’s bedroom, with random, messy clutter everywhere and a house make of mossy cardboard. Fiona’s tower mirrored this in that it was a small, cramped space, designed for a little girl that she, and all her belongings had long grown out of. The trees in the forests were inspired by pop-up trees made out of paper, as well as the bushes, thus creating a three-dimensional look out of two-dimensional objects. The dragon’s lair showcased the beauty of a diamond in the rough. A broken bridge lined with skeletons and skulls scared off many prior knights seeking the princess, but once inside, there were stunning strings disco balls hung from the cave celling like stalactites. Additionally, disco balls hung from the stalagmites coming up from the cave floor. Contrary to the colorful, exciting, and inviting world created thus far, Duloc’s design crushed all feelings of warmth. A sterile, cement white wall literally came down in front of the imaginative book corners. With invasive primary colors of red, yellow, and blue, and a modern style of architecture, Farquaad’s spaces, designed by himself, of course, represented the coldness of perfection rather than the beauty of authenticity.

Lopes Lately Story: https://youtu.be/LiBLtlRnyP8?t=750