LOCAL ART. BY LOCAL ARTISANS. “MOST PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED THAT WE BUILD OUR SETS FROM S C R ATC H . THEY’LL ASK ‘WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?’ A FEW THINGS ARE PURCHASED BUT WE MAKE ALMOST EVERY THING. OAK PANELING? WE CREATE IT!” - CHARGE SCENIC ARTIST, CLAIRE DANA ON BUILDING THE MOUSETRAP SET
READ ON FOR A LOOK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Paint shop associate, Patricia Money works to create the faux oak paneling for IRT’s 2016 production of The Mousetrap.
IRT’s OneAmerica Mainstage houses 400 lights, each containing an 18 pound lens like the one shown above. For each production, it takes our electrics staff 10 hours to set the lights to meet the designer’s specifications.
Claire Dana, Indiana Repertory Theatre’s Charge Scenic Artist reflects on her team’s work as she observes the installation of The Mousetrap set, one of the largest, most expensive and ornate productions in Dana’s 18-year career at the IRT. The “oak paneling” she references, on the cover, make up more than 16 arches and 10 columns that require the time-intensive process (pictured above) of priming, painting a base layer, creating the wood grain and two layers of glaze. The process takes an entire day for each piece. If you’re counting, it took artisans 16 days to finish the paneling.
“My job is to realize the vision,” said Guy Clark, IRT Costume Shop Manager. “I decipher how the designer wants the costumes to bring each character to life and then make it work with the resources we have.”
Dana represents one of six shops that work within the historic IRT building. Roughly, 23 artisans occupy the costume, electrics, props, paint, scene and sound shops and create one-of-a-kind art that will only debut at the IRT. Their inspirations stem from the designer’s vision, which are selected by the executive artistic director prior to the start of a new season. The designers envision how the set will look, at what point the music and light cues take place and how the actors are costumed.
Cover: IRT artisans building and assembling The Mousetrap set. All Photos by Amber Mills.
Couture fashion is nothing new for the costume shop - they assemble each piece customized specifically for the actor. Averaging 25 costumes per production, that’s no easy feat. For The Moustrap production, costumers carefully constructed a bespoke suit for Indy native Jen Johansen, a process so timely and expensive that very few men—or women—have enjoyed that luxury. Fortunately, the IRT employs skilled artisans who can create these original costumes specifically for the IRT stages. When time is limited, Properties Manager Geoffrey Ehrendreich and his team scour Indy’s vintage scene for items that can be reconstructed to fit the designer’s vision. “Sometimes the best thing is to find something new or used and repurpose it for our needs,” says Ehrendreich.
IRT costumer creates a custom gown for Mrs. Boyle in The Mousetrap.
Properties shop manager, Geoffrey Ehrendreich explains how he re-purposed chandeliers, pictured above, to fit the vision for Monkswell Manor in The Mousetrap.
Ehrendreich and his team work closely with the designer to determine what must be placed on stage, a process that begins with needling through the script and annotating every instance an actor references using a prop. The props team is tasked with creating or finding pieces that add to the set design. IRT threatre-goers might recall the custom built 1929 Duesenberg Model J in The Great Gatsby, the twenty-pound book in The Mystery of Irma Vep or the twenty yards of fabric that became curtains for The Mousetrap. All of these props were hand-made by IRT artisans.
“Everything we create is fabricated specifically for the needs of the production. From the engineering, to building, painting to installation – we make it happen in less than six weeks,” said Fretts.
These departments work alongside the scene shop which is responsible for building large, sometimes mobile, scerery. Production-byproduction, the scene shop transforms the IRT stages. The team is led by Chris Fretts, Technical Director, who engineers the designer’s rendering, enabling his team to begin building.
Pulling the look together are the electric and sound teams, responsible for single-handedly adjusting 400 stage lights and ensuring sound cues are seamless. Together from the sound booth, they perfectly time each sound and lighting cue, bringing the stage—and the artists’ work—to life. “Visit nearly any other large entertainment venue in the city and you’ll experience a touring production that was built in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. But at the IRT, everything patrons see on stage is built in-house by Indiana artisans. The IRT is invested in our communty and so are our artists,” said Production Manager, Brian Newman. Cue the actors and it’s clear to see why Indianapolis has the best regional threatre display in the state. Enjoy the show!
2016-2017 SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW 2016-2017 SIGNATURE SEASON SHOWS
SEPT 20 - OCT 15
OCT 18 - NOV 13
swashbuckling adventure
exploring our story
MARCH 7 - APRIL 1
hilarious farce
MARCH 28 - APRIL 23
haunting mystery
JAN 10 - FEB 4
can love conquer all?
APRIL 25 - MAY 21
tense thriller
ADD-ON SHOWS
NOV 19 - DEC 24
JAN 28 - FEB 26
FEB 25 - MARCH 26
family tradition
struggle and survival
the excellent exploits of a tiny hero
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