A NOTE FROM OUR SCENIC DESIGNER
We’ve been planning for Miss Fancy to arrive on BCT’s MainStage for 4 years now, so I’ve had a lot of time to consider what the world of this show would look like. Because to me, that is what scenic design is all about - you are creating the world the play is about to exist in. And of course that means there are practical considerations like time period (1936), physical location (Avondale Zoo), and a need for it to fit the space the show is taking place in (BCT’s MainStage). But even when doing a historical show, we’re also creating an art piece so what are the influences? What is the feeling we want the space to have? How can the setting reinforce the story?
That is just a snapshot into my design process. For an even closer look you can check out my Pinterest research board of images that influenced the direction of this world.
One of my favorite parts of this piece is that it is approached with magical realism - that is to say, we have some historical figures and many of the events are true, but the world they are existing in is filled with imagination! Miss Fancy is an elephant, she is also a former Vaudeville star. Her friend Gloria is a peacock but she’s also a tap dancer and percussionist. Our young protagonist is a black child living in Depression-era Birmingham, but that won’t stop him from finding the magic (literally) in his world. And while we are able to tackle real themes of the era, we are also given permission to sing, dance, believe in magic, and live joyfully!
Scenically, the zoo is a zoo, but it might look more like a vaudeville stage, and a little bit of a circus ring as well. For many of our characters, the zoo is home and it needs to have the warmth to evoke that. Miss Fancy has a “cage” which looks an awful lot like a dressing room and she can step out of it at any time. (If you don’t know the legend of Fancy, she was a precocious elephant who would slip out from the zoo and wander around the Avondale neighborhood, picking apples off window sills). Fancy is also a star of the stage, so this world is also her performing arena. And this is where the magic of the lighting designer comes in, to make this environment transform to its different functions.
I hope you’ll come join us this spring at the Avondale Zoo/Circus/Vaudeville stage for this World Premiere production of Miss Fancy: Elephant Queen of the Zoo!
-Ashley Woods
SPRING BREAKOUT! CAMP
A Spring Break Camp for ages 8-18!
BCT’s Spring Break-out Camp is a fast-paced theatrical learning experience designed to take a script from the page to the stage in just one week! Our camp will introduce your child to all aspects of theatre: rehearsal etiquette, character development, self-confidence and expression, design and technical opportunities, vocal exercises, acting and movement techniques, and more!
Each day start with specialized activities for each age group.
Younger students (ages 8-13) will focus on “actor toolbox” basics such as creating characters, understanding a script, and story-telling fundamentals.
High-school students (ages 14-18) will explore the behind-the-scenes and design aspects that bring magic to any theatrical performance and work to create the scenery, costumes, props, and sound for their production.
Both groups will come together after lunch to rehearse and
prepare for the showcase performance on Friday, March 31st.