Minimalist Little Shop

[Smcl001]

Hey CB,

Designing a Little Shop of Horrors and i just can not get out of standard set mode. Every sketch seems to come out to real and boxy. I think I've just seen the same **** production everytime (not that there's anything wrong with that.) I want to pitch something different and would love some jumping off points. Any suggestions?

Looking for minimalist/organic looks. Maybe a unit set idea? I'm just facing a little design block and would love a little brainstorm thread. Go crazy, really!

Thanks guys!

 

[FatherMurphy]

I've always thought of Little Shop as a show that works best when it takes itself seriously, sort of like "Princess Bride", so doing a realistic set full of period nods is a natural enough route to take. But, equally ok, you seem to want to do something different...

One could try to analyze the script for hidden (or not-so-hidden) symbolism and themes, like McCarthyism and "The Crucible", and go from there, but I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with anything socially or politically profound in this script, other than some commentary on human nature and the tragic flaws of heroes.

One useful trick would be to research the period, and see if any shapes, colors, textures, etc., catch your eye. LSoH is usually a 50's sort of period, so perhaps the main platform could be shaped like a kidney-bean coffee table? Or everything's red vinyl and chrome? Or there's a back curtain that looks like a poodle skirt, but with an Audrey II instead of a poodle?

Another trick is just think what tradition the story comes from. In this case, the show is based on one of Roger Corman's lowest-budget-ever horror movies, so perhaps a movie theme or a TV set theme could be used. TV set false proscenium? All walls look like TVs? All walls covered with old newspaper ads for films, or movie posters?

Or, try reimagining the story in another era's theater. How might the show look if Shakespeare was presenting it? Or the ancient Greeks? Or a summer camp for kids?

Or, just break a bunch of theater rules. What if the set's just floors and ceilings (your LD will hate you, though)? Or the top halves of walls? Rehearsal cubes with stenciled signs saying "Chair" "Counter" "Cash Register"? Do it all with layers of kabuki drops?

Maybe your director has some ideas, like "I've always wanted to do this show as if the Gilligan's Island gang were performing it..." or "what if we did it as a film noir/hardboiled detective story?"

And the last suggestion - Have fun!

 

[shiben]

your light designer might not hate you... If you give them places to put LED strips/versa tubes/blacklights... One thing that I did a lot of in my scenic design class when I could not come up with ideas was to just draw pictures based on the show, maybe paint something, just use some creative means to draw out ideas for the show. Eventually, youll find a concept that you enjoy. Also, talk to your director, and bounce ideas off of them, even the outrageous ones, if they are the kind of person who works well with that... Another part of our class was to work with the directing class, and I came in with a few concepts that I liked and discused them, and eventually one of them was developed into the final product. You mentioned something organic, get out the pens and work with that for a while, see if you can get any good looks down. Maybe go with the minimalist idea, and go through the script and just find what you absolutely need to make the show work, and draw that. Can you do it with a bare stage and black boxes? Probably not, but what do you NEED to do this show? Also, what is the space? Is it in a procenium space, which lends itself to bigger sets, or is it in the round, and you can get away with next to nothing? The biggest thing is to have some fun and make a show!