set_builder

Fish Sticks and Tater-Tots

Violet Saynuk

The second play I helped produce this summer was another original, but this one was set to music with no dialogue. The playful chalkboard look represented the homes and classrooms of the childhood setting. I helped build and paint the set, and designed the costumes of the parents (2 hippie parents, 2 sleepy moms, 2 sporty parents, 1 single dad, 2 supportive dads, 2 military parents and 1 single mom) while taking into account that I had a 5 minute scene with all parents rotating in and out and only 5 actors to play them all!

the principal played a sleepy mom with a robe, and this costume was hidden underneath for convenience

this jumpsuit is the same as the janitor, so i added a vest to distinguish his character

this bus driver outfit used the same base as the single dad costume
curtain call, with me and the rest of the crew in our costumes

The Betrothed

Violet Saynuk

A Mile Square original written by Chris O’Connor in the commedia dell’arte style, I helped produce this play for my summer internship. The setting of the play was old Italy and I aided in the design and making of all the sets, building up walls and painting flats. I also created the costumes for the characters Don and Dona Pantalone (pictured in red, representing their wealthy status), and Captain Spavento (pictured in gold showing his love for drama.)

i wanted Captain Spavento’s costume to be as over the top as possible, as his character is a dramatic captain whose scared of blood
i came up with the concept of having one side of the stage be the exterior of the in and the other be the interior

The Skin Of Our Teeth

Violet Saynuk

This was my very first time working as the set designer for a play, and at this point I barely had any experience. All I knew is that I loved sets that amaze the audience, so I was inspired to go big. A lit-up roller coaster suspended from the rafters, an “ocean” of blue fabric, 30 yards, all sewn, that flooded the stage… I can still hear the gasps as “water” emerged from under the audience’s feet. A bookcase with a falling shelf, an elaborately painted fortune teller’s podium.

act I
this is after the shelf i rigged dropped, causing all the books to fall
i did recaps of the play for the people shooting video for our YouTube channel (unprompted)
act II
the water starts moving toward the actors out from under the audiences feet
act III
this box acted as a fireplace, a bingo counter and a cellar
this set in the third act was a disheveled version of the set in the first act
this was my original concept for the family home in the play
photoshoot before attaching the clamps to the audience bleachers in the theater
all painting was freehand and the fabric was draped and stapled on
this lettering was done freehand
the yellow side is pre-war, the grey side post-war —
freehand lettering
this lettering was done freehand
my first time seeing the poster I designed on the wall, obviously a photoshoot ensued
the cutting and sewing of the water took all weekend
the fabric was so big we had to move furniture to measure it
the water ended up being 30ft by 30ft, with a grommet every 2ft
the 15ft roller coaster i made to hang from the rafters in act II
This was my first time ever getting a headset! I was Eagle 4 and I took the responsibility very seriously