Having some fun with The Crucible

[SHCP]

Our Fall play is The Crucible. The director asked for a Steampunk set, and my students really went to town on it. The set transforms and gears turn during the changes. It looks really great with tons of haze and cool lighting. Here are some pics and backstage gifs showing the crew working the set changes. https://imgur.com/a/wTF75r2

 

[RonHebbard]

Our Fall play is The Crucible. The director asked for a Steampunk set, and my students really went to town on it. The set transforms and gears turn during the changes. It looks really great with tons of haze and cool lighting. Here are some pics and backstage gifs showing the crew working the set changes. https://imgur.com/a/wTF75r2

@SHCP Nice! Please educate an aging geezer. What's a "Steampunk" and if I was out for a walk and passed one or two, how would I discern a steampunk from any / all other punks? Do steam punks come in a variety of sexes and ages?? Are there steam punks, punkees and punkettes??? Please educate, elaborate and elucidate. @Quillons How about it, can you answere any of my queries????
@sk8rsdad and / or @EdSavoie Do we have "steampunks" up here north of Donald's walls????? @seanandkate Possibly you'll be able to answer my queries??????
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[sk8rsdad]

Ottawa has a Steampunk group. They helped with a production of "Peter Pan" I worked on at Ottawa Little Theatre a few years ago.

 

[RonHebbard]

Ottawa has a Steampunk group. They helped with a production of "Peter Pan" I worked on at Ottawa Little Theatre a few years ago.

O.K., but what is a steam punk and what makes them visually different from any / all other punks, punkees and punkettes??
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[sk8rsdad]

Steampunk is an aesthetic where modern inventions are made to look as though they are steam-powered devices created by Victorian era craftsmen. So lots of copper, bronze, pistons, gears, etc.

Google has millions of examples.

 

[RonHebbard]

Steampunk is an aesthetic where modern inventions are made to look as though they are steam-powered devices created by Victorian era craftsmen. So lots of copper, bronze, pistons, gears, etc.

Google has millions of examples.

@sk8rsdad Kind of like when Canada's Murdoch has the Hubble telescope or an electric car?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[sk8rsdad]

Exactly.

Can we stop hijacking this thread?

 

[derekleffew]

...What's a "Steampunk" and if I was out for a walk and passed one or two, how would I discern a steampunk from any / all other punks? Do steam punks come in a variety of sexes and ages?? Are there steam punks, punkees and punkettes??? Please educate, elaborate and elucidate. ...

According to eBay, steampunk is a radial ERS, preferably with asbestos whip, and sometimes any stagelight more than ten years old (vintage).

link

@SHCP , looks good, although I'm unclear how the concept fits the play. Not sure Williamsburg/Brooklyn jives with Salem witch trials or DC McCarthy hearings. John Proctor and Rev Hale in man-buns?

 

[SHCP]

I don't mind the hijack really. It is funny how many people are having issues with a Steampunk Crucible. I received a similar response on Reddit, and more than a few people have expressed the same concern to our Director. Is it that the Play is sacrosanct? Are we protecting Millers Vision?
When I researched Steampunk to design the set my take on the aesthetic was that it was "period" with an anachronistic modern flair, Not necessarily Victorian era, although that is the most identifiable, just "period". Why not apply that to the 1600's instead of the 1800's?
I found it to work really well. I have done Crucible as a traditional setting three times and honestly this gave it a fresh look to me.
My duty is to build the Directors vision and engage my students. They had a great time building this and really enjoy working the scene changes. This is my measure of success.

 

[Van]

Holy Crap! That is Beautiful!
Tell your kids Congrats on a job well done. I'm impressed.

 

[Catherder]

My duty is to build the Directors vision and engage my students. They had a great time building this and really enjoy working the scene changes. This is my measure of success.

That’s awesome, such a great perspective.

This is super cool - really nice. Your crew should be really proud.

 

[josh88]

I don't mind the hijack really. It is funny how many people are having issues with a Steampunk Crucible. I received a similar response on Reddit

That similar response was me. I dont have any feelings about the crucible and what you can or can't do with it. I've just seen a ton of shoehorned steampunk shows where it is simply a gimmick that detracts from whats going on and doesnt do anything to further the narrative or support the action that is happening. But I've been surrounded by bad "steampunked" shows for the last few years where I just don't understand the choice. Similar to the Star Trek Tempest that you mentioned, or the Harry Potter Macbeth I've seen or the Steampunk Oliver that I did because that was what the director wanted. The one show that I felt like it worked alright on was James and the Giant Peach, because it doesnt have a real specific scripted time period and the show is out there and stylistic enough that the steam punk aesthetic was able to be blended with the show and not just exist as something next to the show standing separately with the action happening on or in front of it, which is often what I see happen.

 

[SHCP]

... and not just exist as something next to the show standing separately with the action happening on or in front of it, which is often what I see happen.

I have seen this as well, and I agree with you that many design choices for their own sake can be a bad call. In the case of The Crucible in this case, I felt like Steampunk kept it in a quasi-period timeframe, albeit less identifiable, and therefore the language and religious fervor still came across well. The feedback from the audiences has been positive so far. I did have one of our Sisters (its a catholic private school) come to me and explain that she saw some of the actors wearing watches, and she throught she should let me know that people did not wear watches "back then". I started to explain the design choices to her but I do not think I did a good job. I appreciate your feedback though!

Has anyone seen the Broadway run? It is set in a school and a non specific contemporary setting. Did they also alter the language and some of the specifics regarding religion and witchcraft? I may have to see it this summer.

 

[kicknargel]

I did see the Van Hove production on Broadway. I think the setting helped the audience to consider the themes of the play in the current political context. I'm not aware that they altered the text. Resetting can be a powerful directorial choice, as long as the director has something they are trying to say with their interpretation.