For the 2010 Wolf Trap Opera Company production of Mozart's unfinished work
Zaide the design concept embodied a futuristic and erie design. The set, designed by Erhard Rom, is a futuristic dungeon complete with video
observation room and slave wheel. The slave wheel needed some specific engineering to allow the upper portion to be removed during intermission and the plexi-glass enlosed controll room was backed with scrim to allow opaque
effects during some scenes.
The spiral staircase leading up to the tower allowed for some interesting staging choices by director James Marvel. Spying from the tower or being locked up in the tower were both explored. The element was a simple platform
and studwall accessed by shipsladder. Also present are steel tube restraints on the walls for detaining prisoners. The steel tubes were actually pre-fab muffler bends from an automotive magazine. This saved a lot of time
and money in trying to bend them ourselves.
The other interseting element of the set was the projection design. Part of the choice for the brushed aluminum surface on all of the walls was for it's reflective quality. Projections, designed by S. Katy Tucker, were
projected onto all the brushed surfaces of the set. This allowed for some very interesting looks and a scene changes on an otherwise static set. Pre-recorded video as well as live video was used as well in order to reinforce
the voyeristic creepy feel of the control room.
For the 2010 Wolf Trap Opera Company production of Mozart's unfinished work Zaide the design concept embodied a futuristic and erie design. The set, designed by Erhard Rom, is a futuristic dungeon complete with video
observation room and slave wheel. The slave wheel needed some specific engineering to allow the upper portion to be removed during intermission and the plexi-glass enlosed controll room was backed with scrim to allow opaque
effects during some scenes.
The spiral staircase leading up to the tower allowed for some interesting staging choices by director James Marvel. Spying from the tower or being locked up in the tower were both explored. The element was a simple platform
and studwall accessed by shipsladder. Also present are steel tube restraints on the walls for detaining prisoners. The steel tubes were actually pre-fab muffler bends from an automotive magazine. This saved a lot of time
and money in trying to bend them ourselves.
The other interseting element of the set was the projection design. Part of the choice for the brushed aluminum surface on all of the walls was for it's reflective quality. Projections, designed by S. Katy Tucker, were
projected onto all the brushed surfaces of the set. This allowed for some very interesting looks and a scene changes on an otherwise static set. Pre-recorded video as well as live video was used as well in order to reinforce
the voyeristic creepy feel of the control room.