This project started just over a year ago with the concept of what it would be like to reveal a hidden world on campus. This theory evolved slowly and steadily into the project of today's interpretation. It hovers more around the idea of "what if an unseen fairy world had opened a rift into their realm of the Chapman campus." From this initial phase, Creative Director Kaelin Tester, and Technical Director Blake Huntley, set about recruiting a team for a project that grew larger and larger. As the group explored design aesthetics, the project morphed into a mix of neon-street style with that of a very natural and organic environment.
Working around the fixed nature and building upon the architecture of the space, these factors played an essential role in production. Integral to the concept and narrative function of the piece, the environment of choice informed not only action, sightlines, and dialogue but also the life within the piece. The sights, sounds, and feel of the space breathed their own life and understanding into the production.
With a clear understanding of the venue and narrative, the budget became a limiting factor for the realization of the production. Working with a total of $3,000, all design elements had their ideal concepts scaled back to meet margins. While this hit some areas harder than others, the guiding light was always to support the narrative and comprehension of a spectator.
The narrative that Kaelin primarily developed built on the themes of right and wrong and the ambiguity and complexity of one's own biases and devotions to a higher power. By design, the narrative centered around ambiguous mythology that provided more universal social messaging than direct social commentary.