How I Learned What I Learned

Prop Master & Scenic Carpenter

Signature Theatre's Irene Diamond Stage

2014 Lucille Lortel Award Nomination for Outstanding Solo Show

Playwright: August Wilson

Co Conceived & Directed by: Todd Kriegler

Performed by: Ruben Santiago Hudson

Scenic Design: David Gallo

Costume Design: Constanza Romero

Lighting Design: Thom Weaver

Photos by Joan Marcus.

For more information on How I Learned What I Learned

Projections were painfully masked to each piece of paper to create a typewriter effect used throughout the show as titles to separate segments.

In progress of building the stage, a decrepit and distressed boxing ring.

During tech week, lighting and projections worked together to create a unified visual for the paper backdrop.

From the dirt floor of the theater emerge props that represent all of the well known August Wilson plays. The list of items was created by David Gallo, the scenic designer for many of Augusts' shows.

Version 1 of the desk made of file cabinets and a door. The idea came from David Gallo who remembered August having one similar in his basement that he used.

Version 2 of the desk. During the first tech it was found the height needed to change and a corner cut off to help with blocking. Adjustments were made overnight to be usable for the next days rehearsal.

Creating the "Burried Piano" effect

final show dressing

Paint by: Patrice Escandon

pieces of a spare cabinet and cut metal siding were used as dressing within the stage planks to fit the design treatment

Dulled barbed wire and chain were rusted with special effects treatment and used to wrap and teather the whole perimeter of the planked stage.

Don Giovanni

Prop Artisan & Run Crew

Juilliard's Peter J. Sharp Theater

Composer: Gaetano Donizetti

Director: James Robinson

Conductor: Stephen Lord

Set dressing included vines that sprawled across all of the portals.

My main project was to build the commendatory platform, using a fin model technique to keep weight down and to aid with the fabrication of the oversize champfers requested.

The platform was pushed out from the wings holding an actor.

I was told to "Xenafy" this chair by upholstering the chair with leather using a strapping back.

The chair was used in a captive scene and was modified with small cleats to allow the actor to quickly be tied to the chair. He then hoped off stage still attached so the ropes had to seem realistic and tight.

Kung Fu

Prop Run Crew

Signature Theatre's Irene Diamond Stage

2014 Lucille Lortel Award
Outstanding Choreographer, Sonya Tayeh

2014 OBIE Award
Design/Music, Emmanuel Brown and Sonya Tayeh

Playwright: David Henry Hwang

Director: Leigh Silverman

Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh

Scenic Design: David Zinn

Costume Design: Anita Yavich

Lighting Design: Ben Stanton

Projection Design: Darrel Maloney

Fight Direction: Emmanuel Brown

Photos by Joan Marcus.

For more information on Kung Fu

Our Lady of Kibeho

Prop & SFX Run Crew

Signature Theatre's Irene Diamond Stage

Awarded New York Times 2014 "Critics Pick"

Wall Street Journal quoted "most important new play of the year."

Playwright: Katori Hall

Director: Michael Greif

Scenic Design: Rachel Hauk

Special Effects Design: Greg Meeh

Prop Master: Faye Armon-Troncoso

Costume Design: Emily Rebholz

Lighting Design: Ben Stanton

Photos: Joan Marcus

For more information on Our Lady of Kibeho

A pile of books opened by mysterious wind. Operated concealed onstage by a thin matte line very hard to see even from the front row.

Vines and flowers grew quickly up the wall, as beds levitated and broke during the final scene of act one.

Part way through the load-in

Trick needles, with a pressurized and switch activated blood rig were used to create an effect of stabbing a large needle into an actors chest.

Banana trees swayed violently to create a wind effect throughout the stage. Fans were also hung in the grid to add to the realism.

A prosthetic sleeve with a trick smoke match attached was used to put over an actors hand to create the effect it was being burned when a lighter was put closely under it.

Heartless

Assistant Prop Master

Signature Theatre's Irene Diamond Stage

Playwright: Sam Shepard

Director: Daniel Aukin

Scenic Design: Eugene Lee

Prop Master: Matt Hodges

Costume Design: Kate Voyce

Lighting Design: Tyler Micoleau

Photos: Gregory Costanzo

For more information on Heartless

Trick suitcase handle custom fabricated to detach when activated by an actor on stage with a switch. This was used to create the effect that while two actors were pulling opposite directions the handle broke off.

Stop.Reset

Deck Carpenter & Prop Run Crew

Signature Theatre's Romulus Linney Courtyard

Playwright and Director: Regina Taylor

Scenic Design: Neil Patel

Projection Design: Shawn Sagady

Lighting Design: Lap Chi Chu

Prop Master: Allyson Combs

Photos by Joan Marcus

For more information on Stop. Reset.

Beyond the Machine

Prop Artisan

Juilliard's Wilson Theater

Artistic Director: Edward Bilous

Cut, assembled, canvased, and painted over 50 frames to create a projection surface to be used as the backdrop of a multimedia music technology performance. Each frame had specific measurements and needed to be very accurate in order to keep an even 1/4" gap between all of them when hung.

For more information on Beyond the Machine

Frames in progress, taking over the shop.

My Children My Africa

Prop Painter

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: Athol Fugard

Director: Jonathan Rosenberg

In charge of using paint and rust effects to create a whole classroom full of distressed desks and chairs.

And I And Silence

Prop Run Crew

Signature Theatre's Romulus Linney Courtyard

Playwright: Naomi Wallace

Director: Caitlin Mcleod

Scenic Design: Rachel Hauck

Costume Design: Clint Ramos

Lighting Design: Bradley King

Photos: Matthew Murphy

For more information on And I And Silence

Sunfish The Musical

Prop Master

Dague Musical Theater Festival

Awarded the top Jury Honor for Music Theater Production at the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF).

Music: Hyeyoung Kim

Lyrics: Michael Cooper

Director: Will Pomerantz

Scenic Design: Oran Bumroongchart

Costume Design: Sarah Cubbage

Lighting Design: Allen Hahn

Puppet Design: Kathleen Doyle

For more information on Sunfish

Hay Fever

Prop Artisan

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: Noel Cowards

Director: Dakin Matthews

Props & Set Dressing: Kate Dale

A trick barometer was constructed out of blue foam and was made to fall off the wall with a given cue.

Parts from a real barometer were placed loosely in the prop so when it hit the ground pieces would fly off, creating a more realistic and impressive effect.

The barometer was held up with a peg going through the set. A stage-hand would pull the pin from backstage, causing the prop to fall and break on cue.

Enchanted

Prop Artisan

Juilliard's 301

The designer requested a custom built bench to match the outdoor chair set already in the shop.

We were not using all of the chairs in the set, and I suggested creating the bench out of the extra legs and making a custom top.

I photo-shopped a picture for approval from the designer, showing what the bench would look like before we built it.

After being approved I mounted the legs to a custom cut top and then painted it to resemble the patterns on the chairs.

Axes needed to be custom made, durable enough to be slammed into the stage multiple times per show without endangering the actors.

Gravestones also were created that were stood and jumped on throughout the show.

Thickness was added to one after being put into rehearsal realizing they needed more of a surface to jump onto comfortably.

Carrie the Musical

Prop Artisan

Lucille Lortel Theatre

Based on the novel by Stephen King

Director: Stafford Arima

Scenic Design: David Zinn

Costume Design: Emily Rebholz

Lighting Design: Kevin Adams

For more information on Carrie the Musical

Custom candles were made using flicker LEDs. The candles had to be "lit" onstage so switches were placed on the outside of the glasses.

Drill press jig created so safely drill holes in curved pieces of thin glass.

All My Sons

Prop Artisan

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: Arthur Millers

Director: Harris Yulin

For more information on All My Sons

Eliogabalo

Prop Artisan

The Box

Producer: Gotham Chamber Opera

Playwright: Francesco Cavalli

Director: James Marvel

Scenic Design: Carol Baley

For more information on Eliogabalo

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark

Camera Operator

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: Lynn Nottage

Director: Lucie Tiberghan

For more information on Vera Stark

Field Station Dinosaur

Artisan

Field Station Dinosaur

Park Design: Andy Hall

For more information on Field Station Dinosaurs

Big Love

Scenic Carpenter

Signature Theatre's Irene Diamond Stage

Playwright: Charless Mee

Director: Tina Landau

Scenic Design: Brett Banakis

Costume Design: Anita Yavich

Lighting Design: Scott Zielinski

Photos by Gregory Costanzo

For more informaiton on Big Love

Kommilitonen

Prop Run Crew

Juilliard's Peter J. Sharp Theater

Composer: Peter Maxwell Davies

Director: David Pountney

Conductor: Anne Manisow

For more information on Kommilitonen

Don Pasquale

Prop Artisan

Juilliard's Peter J. Sharp Theater

Composer: Gaetano Donizetti

Director: James Robinson

Conductor: Stephen Lord

For more information on Don Pasquale

Così Fan Tutte

Prop Run Crew

Juilliard's Peter J. Sharp Theater

Composer: Mozart

Director: Stephen Wadsworth

Conductor: Alan Gilbert

For more information on Cosi Fan Tutte

Feather, A Musical Portrait

Prop Master

New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF)

Live Painter: Jeffry Feeger

Playwright & Director: Jeremy Culver

Composer: Charleen Closshey

Songwriters: Nick Everit & Liesl Karlsson

Scenic Design: Justin Turner

Costume Design: Kristy Leigh Hall

Lighting Design: Grant Yeager

For more information on Feather

Feather: A Musical Portrait Overview

Paris Commune

Prop Master

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Producer: The Civilians

Playwrights: Steven Cosson and Michael Friedman

Director: Steven Cosson

Scenic Design: Alexander Dodge

Costume Design: Sarah Beers

Lighting Design: Thomas Dunn

For more information on Paris Commune

Buried Child

Prop Run Crew

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: Sam Shepheard

Director: Daniel Fish

For more information on Buried Child

Pericles

Prop Run Crew

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: William Shakespeare

Director: Orlando Pabotoy

For more information on Pericles

Williams in Transit

Prop Run Crew

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: Tennese Williams

Director: Jonathan Rosenberg

For more information on Williams In Transit

Richard III

Prop Run Crew

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: William Shakespeare

Director: Harris Yulin

For more information on Richard III

As You Like It

Prop Run Crew

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: William Shakespeare

Director: Mary Lou Rosato

World in the Moon

Prop Artisan

Juilliard's Drama Theater

Playwright: Goldoni

Director: Orlando Pabutoy

For more information on World in the Moon

Upholstery

Chair before re-upholstery.

After re-upholstery.

The fabric proved to be difficult to work with due to how geometric it was. I was pleased with my ability to line up the fabric between the different sections of the chair.