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Beauty and the Beast (Zémire Et Azor)

*Puppet Build Team

*Feast Table

 Props Apprentice

Skylight Music Theatre; Spring 2017

Directed by James Ortiz

Music Director: Shari Rhoads

Scenic Designer: James Ortiz   Costume Designer: Shima Orans  Lighting Designer: David Gipson

Photo Courtesy to Mark Frohna Photography & the Skylight Music Theatre

Puppet Build Team

The Skylight Music Theatre's production of the opera Zémire et Azor (Beauty and the Beast) included several puppets, which included the titular character Azor, and a wind spirit.  It was all-hands-on-deck in the prop shop to get the puppets built in time for the actors to be able to rehearse with our roughly 7' tall beast, and the 10' long wind spirit.  Throughout this process, I became much more familiar with working with flat patterning and foam, such as L200 as well as working in collaboration with so many people to finish a single project.  Our puppet build team was headed by our shop manager, Lisa Schlenker, and the puppet and scenic designer James Ortiz, who also directed the production.  The mechanics and engineering of the puppets was done by Jessica Scott, and the build team included; Jen Lyons, Meghan Savagian, Maddy Yee, Ana McHenry, Tanya Dhein, Ryan Bennett, Carri Dahl, and myself.  Many of us were given specific pieces of the puppet to work on initially, and then we all came together to complete the puppets.  My initial task was to assemble Azor's paws.       

Video Courtesy of the Skylight Music Theatre
Paper Pattern Piece
Paper Pieces Transferred to Foam
Pieces Held Together with Barge Cement
Knuckles Beginning to Take Shape
Full Size Paw Next to Model
Both Paws Assembled
Paw Pieces
Paw Pieces Loosely Assembled
Paws Filled for Stability and Fit with Wooden Washers
Paws Assembled with Wooden Dowel 
Paws Fit into Wrist
Beginning Knuckle Detail
Azor Dry-Fit Test
Feather Detail Shape
Feather Detail Glued and Burned
Wind Spirit Face Assembled
Wind Spirit Dry-Fit Test
Wind Spirit Face Detail Added
Finished Puppets in Performance

Photo Courtesy to Mark Frohna Photography & the Skylight Music Theatre

Feast Table

Before any work began on the puppets, I was given the task of retro-fitting a full sized dining table into a smaller feast table.  This included dismantling the existing table, cutting it down and biscuit-joining the pieces back together.  I also had to come up with a new way to attach the ornate table legs, stabilize the table, and create a mossy tablecloth using polyester quilt batting, jaxsan, and layers of paint.

Original Table Underside
Dismantling Table Hardware
Table Underside Cleared
Cutting Down the Apron
Table Cut into Quadrants
Fitting the Table Back Together
Securing Table Quadrants with Biscuit Joiner 
Gluing and Clamping Table Back Together
Beginning Leg Attachments
Leg Attachment Base
Finished Leg Attachment
Stabilizing Table
Batting and Jaxsan Tablecloth
Tablecloth Painted
Finished Table 
Finished Table in Performance

Photo Courtesy to Mark Frohna Photography & the Skylight Music Theatre

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