Designer Creates Innovative Climbing Set for Charlotte's Web At Stages Theatre Co
By: Gabrielle Sierra Sep. 20, 2010
The 2010-11 Tell Me a Story season begins Friday, Sept. 24 when "Charlotte's Web" opens at Stages Theatre Company (STC) located in the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
Actress Gretchen Emo (Charlotte) will use rock-climbing techniques as she interacts with the primary set piece, a spider web. Set Designer Brian Proball was energized to create scenic elements with the highest potential for imagination. "The design includes initial research pictures, sketches, all of the blueprints to build from, pictures of set colors and a mini-scale model."
After more than 100 hours and several meetings with designers and Director Leah Adcock-Starr, the web became reality. The web is created from metal with more than 100 welds in the web design and is rigged with a classic top-rope set up, the same technology used by mountain climbers.
For Proball, working on "Charlotte's Web" has been a rewarding project. "It is amazing how many people work together to tell a story on stage. We work as a group to create something bigger than any one person. It is like a group project at school that works out really awesome!"
Stages Theatre Company was founded in 1984 and since then has grown to become one of the largest professional theatres for young audiences in the country. We engage young artists with themes relevant to their lives and involve them in creating magical works featuring young people in meaningful roles. Through theatrical productions, workshops, conservatory classes and other outreach programs, Stages Theatre Company annually serves more than 125,000 young people and their families.
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