SCENIC DESIGN

The inspiration for the environment we have set the play in comes from Jefferson’s Dome Room in Monticello. This bizarre space sits directly above the main entrance of the building and has always been left completely empty by the residents. It is also said that the young children of Monticello would often play pretend in the room. The idea of a secret getaway and place of exploration was extremely interesting to me and Adam during our early design conversations. There is also something so interesting about putting a story that is a mystery and filled with so much conjecture in a space that also is an enigma. We were also very interested in the idea of rotation and movement. Thomas Jefferson is referenced as the sun and the world our characters live in must all rotate around him. Because of this we have the centerpiece of the design as a two tiered turntable in which a lot of the magic of the show comes from. Around it we have the pillars of the dome room stretching over the characters in a very looming way. We also have a number of hanging fabrics around the exterior of the set to help with our shadow play, movement vocabulary and whimsical nature of Paris. When the characters return to Monticello, the fabric is pulled down, leaving the space feeling empty, barren, and lonely. Finally, the set is completely covered by Thomas Jefferson’s draftings of Monticello. It is important we remember that no matter how free the characters feel in a moment, they still stand on Jefferson’s law, foundation, and decisions. 

-Emma