Part 5 – Innocence Lost Production Diary
Part 5 – Jan 25 – The Cutting Room Floor:
Just a quick report today. At the Centaur, the actors are finally up on stage, rehearsing in the theatre, in the actual set, testing lighting, music and sound (and some clever video effects). Here in our studio we’re in the midst of cutting mats and assembling frames. It’s all coming together. Starting to become a real show.
The other day I went backstage (or, I should say, below-stage) to see the costume and wig fittings. All that stuff takes place in a cramped basement full of old props and miles of electrical cables. The costume shop is packed to the steam pipes with hats, shoes and clothes from every period of history. The working spaces could be called ‘utilitarian’ – low ceilings, a tiny few barred basement windows, but nonetheless you can feel the theatre magic going on.
I was promised full access to the production – but strangely they didn’t let me draw the costume fittings. After watching the actors pour out emotions day after day in rehearsal, I would think seeing them in their underwear wouldn’t be a big deal :) But, at least I got to watch a wig-fitting!
The stylists are clearly at the top of their game – it was a whirlwind of styrofoam heads and disembodied hairstyles in a tiny room, barely wide enough for a dressing table and a hilarious pink satin couch. I was drawing tucked up into a corner, perched on the smallest sink I’ve ever seen.
I got a kick out of all the mirrors with rows of lights. It doesn’t get more ‘backstage’ than that.
I’ve saved my favorite sketches for the last in this series. See you next week when the art is up in the gallery and the show is on the stage.
Citizen Sketcher 
Hey Marc — I have been THOROUGHLY enjoying your series on this theater piece. You have expanded the reach of the show way beyond the stage and made the play come alive as full of energy and life as can happen with brush and pen. BRAVO!
Also enjoying following these sketches. Definitely a mastery of capturing lots of action and detail quickly and expressively.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the progression of drawings. What a great idea! Will you be drawing the actual play? With everyone in costume? That would make a grand finale. Thank you for sharing all your work. It’s very inspiring.
Thanks Rachel!
Re: drawing the performance – I’d love to – but unfortunately we couldn’t work out the mechanics, enough light for me, and a way I wouldn’t disturb the people around me. Perhaps some day we can make it a big enough project we can book a private show for a group of artists :)
I should have gone to the last dress rehearsals – but the problem is, they do it on the final day before, and I’m here at home framing art! Again – perhaps in the future I can arrange for that to be taken off my hands so I can draw right to the wire. Hindsight and all that :)