Under the direction of Virginia Monte, I assisted in the construction of the 8-foot puppets pictured above. The bodies were comprised primarily of cardboard and paper mache. The body of the female was created by binding plastic bags tightly together. The bags were covered in a layer of CelluClay once the desired shape was achieved. Before completely covering the torso, the bags were removed, leaving a hollow shell. The torso was then covered in several layers of paper mache. I folded and applied the origami flower crown on her head. The male bull torso was created using manipulated wicker rods as the framing. It was then covered in paper mache. All arms, legs, and hands were composed of a cardboard base, then bound in tin foil, followed by a layer of CelluClay, and then covered in paper mache. Each body part was manipulated by a single actor. The puppets were made to be lightweight but sturdy.
Under the direction of Sam Hoderlein, a scenic charge the school brought in from Geva Theatre, I assisted in painting and texturing this back wall of the set. The texture was achieved by using natural sponges and layering on the various colors. The cracks in the wall were accentuated using a simple small brush and dark paint. The dirt at the bottom was created using the same sponge techniques.
This is a picture from the run of the production to illustrate how the scenic paint looked in the final project.
