What seems like a little blogging break was not really a vacation for me. Here at Theatre Northwest we all have day jobs, and I have been busy with mine. It is that time, however, for thoughts to turn to our next production, Educating Rita. We open May 15, and we are already hard at work. Alex Lewington, our costumer, has gathered quite a few vintage tweeds for Frank and fashion for Rita. Those of us who remember the late 70’s well had a little nostalgia party while we admired Alex’s collection at our first production meeting.

Work on the set has begun. Our construction crew, Barry Darling and Mike Westhoff, have been spending their weekends at the shop in Kent. Set designer Kurt Walls has come up with another beautiful design. The entire play takes place in Frank’s University offices, so there are no moving walls this time around.

Yes, that is a lot of book shelves. In fact, it is about 120 linear feet of shelves full of books. If they were all real books, that would be a very heavy set, so they will not all be full books. Just how we go about constructing “prop” books, and the unique partnership we have with a local charity who provides the raw material, will be the subject of a future post. But right now you may be a little more curious about those curvaceous women reclining in that curved soffit. Kurt has incorporated the references to a painting in the play into the scenes above the bookcases. The pictures used in this model (mainly the work of Gustav Corbet) are suggestions, not the actual artwork that will appear. Central to the set is a large window seat with leaded glass windows. Outside will be the trunk of a large tree, and the rest of the university can be seen in the distance. Since the play takes place over the course of several months, we are planning rain, and even a little snow, to appear outside the window.

It should be another lovely set. I can’t wait to get started.