Hoosier Shakespeare Festival

Photo by Glen Devitt

Photo by Glen Devitt

Photo by Glen Devitt

Photo by Glen Devitt
Project | 01
HSF 2022 Property Coordinator | Macbeth & Merry Wives of Windsor
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Aside from assistant directing Macbeth under Doreen Bechtol, assistant stage managing both shows, and playing guitar and singing in preshow, intermission, and internal songs, I was the HSF Summer '22 Property Coordinator. I was in charge of acquiring, creating, and maintaining all props for the duration of the season.
I created staves for each of the weird sisters, taking input from Doreen and each actor to customize the look and decoration. Each staff corresponded to the witch's jurisdiction of time: past (Witch 2), present (Witch 1), and future (Witch 3).
We used white lilies as a symbol of pure love and friendship in Macbeth. Lady M gives Banquo a lily shortly before his death, only for Banquo's ghost to leave a bloodied version at the banquet table. A clean lily appears after Lady M's death, which Macbeth carries into his final battle.
Merry Wives was set in the 1970s, so props included drinkables in period glasses, a Pet Rock and carrier for Slender, a magic 8 ball for Falstaff's witch disguise, lots of fabrics for the laundry basket, and plastic lightsabers.
See More
Links to See More | HSF Macbeth & Merry Wives of Windsor
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Doreen Bechtol (Macbeth director) blog post: https://www.hoosiershakes.com/post/double-double-toil-trouble
Glen Devitt Macbeth photos: https://colormepink.smugmug.com/Hoosier-Shakes-McBeth-6-20-22-Fairmount/
Glen Devitt Merry Wives photos: https://colormepink.smugmug.com/Hoosier-Shakes-The-Merry-Wives-of-Windsor-6-24-22/n-zFBkjN/
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![]() Working on focusing lights for an outdoor performance of Othello. Play: Othello Company: Hoosier Shakespeare Festival Photo Credit: Sue Wiemer | ![]() Programming list for light trees; warm from each side tree, cool from center tree. Company: Hoosier Shakespeare Festival 2019 Photo Credit: Ryan Akers |
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![]() Spiking the tree that holds garland and light strings up before the show. Company: Hoosier Shakespeare Festival 2019 Play: As You Like It Photo Credit: Hoosier Shakes | ![]() Prototype design sketch for As You Like It tree bases, including cut list. Play: As You Like It Company: Hoosier Shakespeare Festival 2019 |
![]() Running the show outside to test trees for stability during As You Like It rehearsal with the 2019 Hoosier Shakespeare Festival company. Photo Credit: Emily Dykstra | ![]() Building bases for trees in the Forest of Arden during As You Like It rehearsal with the 2019 Hoosier Shakespeare Festival company. |
Project | 02
Hoosier Shakespeare Festival 2019 | Othello & As You Like It
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Aside from being cast in both shows, singing, and playing guitar for the Hoosier Shakespeare Festival, I was also assigned to lights & sound crew. I volunteered spare time to help with some of the small set piece construction, including making bases for trees in the Forest of Arden during the play As You Like It. As a traveling company, our scene changes must be clear to the audience, without creating a lot of set pieces to load in and out before and after every show. Therefore, scene changes involve as few moving pieces as possible, and what pieces do come on must be durable and portable to hold up to constant movement and outdoor weather for three to four weeks.