Is God Is

As the assistant technical director on Is God Is, I was responsible for supporting the technical design, drafting, budgeting, fabricating, and installation of the set along with my lead TD. The two of us worked closely with the entire production team to bring these visionary designs to life and to make a cohesive space in which the cast could play. We underwent a meticulous design process, hiding everything we could that made the theater feel like a theater to entirely transform the space into its own installation art piece.

Everything started with the floating pyramid which was so large it had to be hung and welded upside-down in the venue and needed to come together to perfectly allign with the beams of the projectors inside of it. From there we became engrossed with scenic treatment, turning the entire venue orange from the floor to the tech booth and applying a coushioned, sandy layer which completely covered the pyramid stage and completed the hourglass sihlouette. Beyond appearances, the set had to be functional. It had sliding doors which sectioned off a secluded playing space, drawers imbeded in the side of the deck to hold props and costumes, tracks for LED tape to line the set, and recessed doors built into the top of the stage pyramid.

This set was special in that it didn't want to be a theatrical set so much as it wanted to be a part of the venue itself. There was no "twenty foot rule" or "painting for the back row". This set was to be viewed up close and from all sides in much the same way that immersive experiences are viewed. This meant that everything we did had to be intentional, and that the audience's safety was just as big of a concern as the actors'. This production was unlike other theatrical projects I've undertaken but taught me to build a space that is more than a set. A space which is a playground for collaboration and experimentation.