November is always the slowest month for me. It's right after the Halloween party, and everything just seems to creep along. I guess its because people are anticipating the hectic pace of December that makes things seem to be on the slow creep. Personally, I cant seem to do half of what I want, even though I have twice the time to do it in!
I've started the designs for Carrie Potter at the New Moon Prom, and A Christmas Twist (the two holiday offerings from Landless Theater Co.) but I only have the design for Carrie Potter on hand (remember that whole half the stuff in twice the time thing?)
Carrie Potter At The New Moon Prom set design Pencil and Photoshop
Since the Halloween party I have needed something to obsess over, so I have decided that its never too early to start working on YURI"S NIGHT!!! So, I have started working on some graphics for our preemptive "save the date" campaign.
This one is my favorite, because it is, well, AWESOME! But KT says that it's too busy...
So, we are working on a simpler and more sloganey sorta thing: DC's Other Space Party...whaddyathink? I don't want to appear to be in competition with Goddard, but lets face it, they have a monopoly on all of the real space stuff in the area! We have to let people know that we are different and have something else (other than hardcore science) to offer...I call this one the "vomit comet" version...I like it because it feels like the type of good time you would have in the zero G test flight...not that we are offering any zero G test flights at the party (like some other Yuri's Nights) but it just looks like a good time to me!
What do you guys think of the new slogan? I would love to hear any suggestions...
I would say that I am mostly recovered from the Halloween party. Its been a week and a half, and the house is 90% back to normal...Most of you are Facebook friends with me, (if you aren't, then what are you waiting for?) so you have probably seen most of the party photos there. But in case you haven't seen them, I have re-posted some of them here:
Photo taken from the upstairs porch of the Kraken at the end of the night...
Fishing for Booty...
When the cops showed up...SYKE! its just our neighbor (who is really a cop...)
Audrey shows her assets to the angler fish...
The Deep Sea Diver and Vampirate are unafraid of the scary clowns! (okay, perhaps just a little)
So, once and for all, THANK YOU to all those who attended. It was a really great party, and I cant wait to do it all again next year!
Since there is no rest for the wicked, the strike for Evil Dead was scheduled for the day after the Spooktacular...It was rough (Mad props go out to Pete the Spyder!) but we survived...to commemorate the strike, here's a picture of the deadites being sucked back into the hell from whence they came:
Photo Credit: Amanda Williams
Also, since I didn't blog last week, I can report that Hope Operas is now in the history books! It was a really great series for lots of great causes, and it seems that it had some big fans...like, Fred Schneider of the B-52's...
I have also made significant progress on the design for Reefer Madness the Musical. This show's design process has been more about model making than drawing so far, so what I have to show you are a couple of shots of the white model in its very early stages:
Reefer Madness White Model Paper, Foamcore, Mixed Media 1/4"=1'
The base set for the show consists of luan borders that are painted like 1930's anti-marijuana propaganda. There is a projection screen above the band USR that is masked out to look like its the smoke from the giant doobie on SR. (the band is roughly represented in purple) The rest of the set pieces will roll on and off from the wings. One element I am particularly excited about is the giant Tiki/Hooka that will be used for the orgy scene:
Orgy scene set piece, Tiki/Hooka.
The full cast is on during this scene, so I have added six hoses for them to dance with. The tiki will have smoke coming out of his nose and mouth, a silk flamepot on top and with have an articulated mouth so he can sing the chorus.
I should have the design finalized right after Thanksgiving, so stay tuned!
Thanks to a rockin' "Homie help day" on Sunday, I can now officially declare victory over carpentry and painting for Spooktacular X! Thanks to the artistic talents of Scott and Alan, the Kraken was was tamed without too much bloodshed. The S.S. Spooktacular was made ship-shape by Elizabeth, Blair, Gwen, Jei, Jim, Jaya and Mike. It has all come together nicely, and it could not have been done without the zeal and talents of these Homies...when you see them at the party, let them cut in the Margarita line, wont ya?
So, I don't want to spoil the event by posting the photos of the completed scenery too early (considering that this blog has a readership of about 45, and we have 100+ planning to attend, I think it wont be spoiled for about half of the attendees...) but I am so excited that I will post them anyway!
Kraken Attacking the S.S. Spooktacular X Backyard installation, Mixed Media
So, there it is! Cool, right? the idea is that party-goers will walk up the shipwreck and fish off of the bow for prizes. You cant tell from the photo here, but also the eye will glow... Whew, now I just need to move the whole thing to the backyard! (my fingers are still crossed that we wont have rain on Saturday!)
The other big accomplishment was the completion of the "Karaoke Cavern" backdrop...We decided that the basement needed to have an underwater theme. So, I thought that it'd be cool if you were singing Karaoke in front of a submarine's observation window...here's the sketch:
Karaoke Cavern backdrop sketch Color Pencil on Black Paper, 8.5 x 11
I decided that we could be looking at a really deep part of the ocean...so what better than an giant angler fish to light up the depths? Unfortunately, the bastards at Disney had a really great scene in Finding Nemo where Nemo's dad and Dory go down really deep and encounter an angler fish...and there are only so many ways to do a menacing fish like that...I don't think we can call this outright theft (because I have added the portal and other things to the composition) but it is definitely heavy borrowing...I suppose that they ruined clown fish for every artist too...and it'd be really nice if they didn't get all litigious on people, so I didn't have to be looking over my shoulder whenever I am influenced by their gorgeous designs...Anyway, I think that the scale of the thing is also what sets it apart (which you don't get from the sketch...the fish could definitely eat you, its so big) which translates best in the final product:
Karaoke Cavern backdrop Acrylic on Velour, 12' x 6.5'
Pretty wicked eh? The velour is really great for this type of painting...I changed the composition around a bit in the final product. I decided not to go with a hint of Atlantis in the background, and simply go with a small fish that is the next intended meal for our Angler...I also had room to add some other spooky goodies, like a Moai, a depth gauge, and a crack in the glass...
Hopefully I will have the energy next week to post pictures from the party...in the meantime, Happy Halloween!
Below are the designs for the the Kraken that will devour the S.S. Spooktacular X on Halloween Night:
You don't need to be scared, it's only going to be a series of cut luan flats...I am also going to try to make the eye light up...Hopefully by the end of Sunday, upon the conclusion of the second "homie help day", I will have photos to share of the completed monster.
The official mascot for this year's Spooktacular X!
The build for Spooktacular 2009 X Marks the Spot, kicked into high gear this past Sunday! We had a really great turnout, and I was able to keep most everyone busy for the whole evening. The spooky fish painting brigade turned out some really awesome fruit of the sea!It may not look it, but this is three 4'x8' sheets of black foamcore's worth of spooky fish! Special thanks to Kirstra, Sara, Allan, Q, Deb, KT, and Jaya!
The other half of the Sunday build goes to the two hardcore carpenters, James and Todd. They really threw their backs into making all of the platforming for the Boat/Kraken experience! What they did really moved the ball down the field, and enabled me to knock out some significant progress:
This is a photo of the Boat/Kraken Experience as it stands on Thursday 10/15 night. Its a bit confusing in the photo, but essentially its a shipwreck. There are three platforms, that people need to navigate in order to fish from the bow of the ship. I will be working on the Kraken next week, but I dont know if I will have pictures much better than this by next Thursday...
Thanks to everyone who came out to last Friday's Evil Dead the Musical Scenery Apprecation Night! We had a blast, even though I didnt get hit with any blood!?
Vern, KT and Jared prepared to get blood spilled on them!
DCTheaterscene.com came out with some interviews of the Evil Dead Crew. Yours truly was included...you can follow the link below for the full article containing interviews with Andrew Baughman, Melissa Baughman, Karissa Swanigan, Jen Tonon, and Eli Reeves...or you can read the interview with me, pasted below:
Jared: Well, my day job is scene shop manager for Arlington County Cultural Affairs. I have the best job in the world. I get to work with all levels of theater, professional, semi-pro and amateur, which is really great, because I often have to switch from being mentor to student on a dime. One of the fringe benefits is that I get clandestine access to the scene shop, where I can work on non-county related shows, like the things I design for Landless (please don’t tell my boss). As far as my designer training is concerned, I have a degree in painting from WayneStateUniversity, in Detroit, but I don’t have a degree in theater; its just something I have always done. My most formal training in scenic design was a masterclass with Ming Cho Lee in 2002, which really broke it wide open for me. I realized that design for the stage involved a collaborative process that the designer(s) and director have to go through, and the masterclass really gave me the proper tools to make that work effectively.
Since I am trained as a painter, I try to design (and paint) every set with an eye towards painting. I love painting big. I love painting backdrops. I haven’t been a fan of designs where it’s all painting textures, which is all the big name designers seem to want these days (I’m talkin’ to YOU Tony Cisek!) I find that boring for everyone involved. I’m an artist (as most scenic artists are), and I feel that it is a waste not to use the artistic talents of people who can paint stunning backdrops. Of course, I wind up painting almost everything I design, which is great because I don’t have to dumb down any of the painting. My painting bias has worked particularly well for Landless. You may not know this, but every show at the DCAC (well, every show before Evil Dead) that Landless produces – needs to pack up in 15 minutes, into a 6 foot high by 4 foot wide space, usually by two female stagehands. With those kinds of constraints, I have been forced to rely on painted scenery!
Joel: Tell us about your contribution to the design of the show.
Jared: Design, Build, Paint, Install. I have been quite intimate with this set. Landless doesn’t have a lot of stock scenery because of the limitations of the DCAC space, so I had to build (with the help of a few “all hands on deck” nights at the shop) almost everything you see on stage. I also painted all of it; largely single handedly (primer coat shout-outs to Amanda Williams and Brittney McLean). I was able to work with Melissa on the design, but really, lots of things were determined by the size of the DCAC space. There are only so many ways that this show can be configured in such a small area. It really became about giving the SFX people (Jen, Steven and Amanda) places to work their magic, and how small a space does an actor need to safely walk behind (or under) the set.
Joel: What was the most challenging thing for you to design?
Jared: Where is all of the blood going to go? We realized that it was going to be a messy show, and we couldn’t have the actors slipping on pools of blood during the dance numbers. We knew that the audience would only be able to absorb a fraction of what was going to be, er, spilled… The solution was to try to capture as much as we could underneath the deck. So, that’s why the “cabin in the woods” has a planked deck for its flooring; to allow the blood to run-off between the planks. The blood gets collected every night by removing one of the planks and sucking it out with a shop vac.
Joel: What scene was the hardest for you to design, and which scene was the most fun to design?
Jared: That’s a hard question because I didn’t approach the design from a “scene by scene” basis. I was looking at it as a whole most of the time. Because of the number of things that have to happen in any given scene, its hard to separate “hardests and favorites” because I was thinking about the big picture…It’s like a clock…when the whole thing is set in motion and works, that’s the best part. A clockmaker wouldn’t say that the minute hand was his favorite part of the clock…
If I were pressed, I might say that the basement trap door was the most difficult part to design. It absolutely needed to look like the movie…but there is no trappable space at the DCAC. So, I needed to find a height that was as level with the floor as possible, but still tall enough for an actress to be underneath, while still maintaining room for the SFX equipment, and safe enough for two people to be “pulled in”, and capable of being opened by itself…every one of those conditions needed to harmonize with the others. What we got isn’t perfect, but it is pretty close.
Joel: Tell us about creating the Splash Zone.
Jared: I wanted to remove the seats. I thought that if the DCAC was willing to let us do the show, we could have made the whole thing a lot cleaner and easier to deal with, if we removed the seats and rented plastic folding chairs, which can be hosed off after each show (we might have been able to get a few more tickets out of each show too) But, instead we are going to put down plastic, which is fine, because I think that people, in the end, are rather absorbent, and we won’t have to sacrifice comfort for cleanliness.
The Splash Zone is essential to the show. The original movies were over the top, silly, and in-your-face. Spurting blood on the audience is the live theater way of honoring that. It’s like a GWAR show, that kinda humor…but we are only using blood, not alien semen…
Joel: Where is your favorite seat in the house?
Jared: There isn’t a bad seat at the DCAC (there isn’t any room for one! *rimshot*)
Joel: What do you want audiences to take with them?
Jared: The obvious answer is fake blood… But really, I want them to take away a sense that theater doesn’t need to be limited. That is, part of Landless’ mission statement is to bring theater to the theater challenged. Well, this is the type of show that many will look down their nose at, but really, it’s the best kind of theater because it engages directly and viscerally with its audience. I hope that they take away a broadened sense of what theater can be, and the notion that “hey, there are folks in DC doing really cool stuff, and I was, just now, a part of that…and I have the bloodstains on my clothes to prove it!”
Evil Dead the Musical is finally open at the DCAC! If you don't have tickets for tonight's scenery appreciation night, too bad for you...you can still get tickets for next weekend, but you should hurry, because they are going fast!
The previews and reviews have been pouring in steadily. Check out this extraordinarily good review from a commenter on Goldstar.com...he even took a pic of his bloody shirt! Also kudos from Express Night Out, Daily Candy weekend guide and DCist's listing of Evil Dead...Next week should be the banner week for reviews, so I'll post them as they come along.
Okay, as promised, I can now release the final designs and some limited photos of the set, but only for you loyal BTT readers...
Evil Dead the Musical Set Design Landless Theater Co. DCAC Pencil and Photoshop
So, this set design actually wound up being very close to the final product. The major difference is that the set wound up considerably taller looking in the space (I did not do a precise perspective rendering, this was mostly eyeballed)
Evil Dead the Musical set photo
Not too shabby...well, cabin in the woods shabby, on purpose! The final product really dominates the DCAC space, which is good because it really adds a foreboding quality to the show...Of course, half of that foreboding feeling is centered around trying to predict when you are going to get spattered with blood next...
This is a photo of the set with actors on it...Ash and Cheryl are a really fun part of this script. I particularly like this photo because it should be titled "Get back into your hole, you filthy Candarian demon!"
If you cant make it to see Evil Dead on the weekends, then you clear your schedule for the next four Monday nights in order to see Hope Operas! They had a really great opening week, and they promise to do recaps of previous episodes every week. You can visit this great post about the show 20 Million Breast Strokes to Earth to get more info...
Evil Dead opens for previews in Frederick MD this weekend...Three Performances, one Friday and two Saturday...get your info here
The challenge of this past week was getting the painting done for Evil Dead. I wasn't able to get a shot of the paint job with the set fully assembled, but you can get the idea from the photo below (if you want to see the complete paint job, you will just have to come see the show!)
"Rustic cabin" enough for ya?
After painting was complete, we needed to load the thing up into three pickup trucks and a small lawn mower trailer, and cart it up to Frederick. Aside for a little rain that melted some of the paint, the load in went pretty smoothly. I haven't been back for dress rehearsals yet, but I hear that all of the SFX work is coming along smoothly...I'll post some pics once they become available.
I am working on a last minute addition to the set for the finale...any aficionado of the Evil Dead trilogy will recognize this:
Press has been ramping up steadily, as have ticket sales. We received a preemptive shout out from DC.Broadwayworld.com (what's more unusual is that Jared and the set get a shout out too!) Check it Here UPDATE: Evil Dead was also mentioned by the Washington Post's Going out Gurus
I will likely have photos of Evil Dead in the DCAC next week...I want to get good photos of it during dress rehearsals, before its covered in a months worth of blood!
The other big development this week is that we are exactly ONE MONTH away from Spooktacular X: X Marks the Spot! Which means for a lucky few of you, you will be receiving an Evite invitation. One of the special things that we are doing this year is making T-shirts to commemorate the occasion (the original 2003 spooktacular shirts with the Ouija board were wildly popular, and you can occasionally see some OG's wearing them...Holla!) So, I have been working on the new design this week...
Design for Spooktacular X: X Marks the Spot(2009) Pencil and Photoshop 8.5"x11"
I wanted to follow the original Ouija design and feel. So, its going to be white printed on the back of a black tee with all of the elements of the party incorporated...this time as a pirate map...I'm not finished with the design 100% because I am going to be adding some secrets that will only be revealed at the party...but if you would like to order one for yourself, you can go Here (just be sure you order before October 12th!)
Once again its been all-Evil-Dead-all-of-the-time...Below is a progress shot just after victory was declared in the carpentry war on Tuesday:
The set was primed white...but its true evil comes out once the base colors are applied:
I am working in reverse with the color for the set. It's an evil play, so that means a dark color palette. I'll slowly add highlights to each color until I get a rich, deep and foreboding look for this "little cabin in the woods". Working this way also helps hide all of the shoddy construction (Theatrical carpentry is always shoddy...not just mine) and the dark maroon color on the floor will help hide the nightly dousing of blood....MUH-WAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Just in case you didn't get the message before...Please get your tickets to the show early (preferably a season subscription) Especially if you are intending on coming out to Scenery Appreciation Night, which has been set for Friday October 9th! ("scenery appreciation night" is when aficionados of the set designs of Jared Davis see the show and then ply him with drink afterwards...they are also privy to insider discounts to shows...and Jared's eternal gratitude...) You can go to Landless' website for tickets.
BTW if you just cant wait to see the show in DC...you can come up to Frederick MD and see the preview performances on October 2nd and 3rd. See you then!
Again, all I have to show for this week is carpentry. We had the first "all hands on deck" carpentry day on Monday (Directly after a lovely NYC weekend attending Scott Brooks' show at Last Rites Gallery, and seeing Toxic Avenger the Musical...) ...and as of this writing we have gotten this much together:
...Which is basically all of the decking (i.e. what actors will stand/dance on) So all that is left is to build are the walls, and the special effects...and paint. (all by next Friday!!!!)
Please get your tickets to the show early (preferably a season subscription) because this show has blown all of Landless' pre-sale records...and I don't want you to miss out!
No more time for blogging! Must-build-set! BRAINS!
I have been in full-on carpentry mode lately, which makes me kinda manic about doing anything other than carpentry. So, the weekly update kinda got away from me this week...I can show you the floor plans for Evil Dead, which were approved on Saturday:
Evil Dead the Musical Floor plan Vectorworks, Landless Theatre Co.
This shows really how small the DCAC is...but it'll be really cool to have this show in such an in-your-face kinda space. I also made a (really crappy, and I hesitate to show it here...) planar study from the floor plan, for those of my production staff that are "floor plan challenged"...Plane study for Evil Dead (I apologize for the quality...)
I've been up to my eyeballs in carpentry ever since I got the green light...which is necessary because this bad boy loads into Frederick on September 26th!
...But, I will be taking this weekend off to go up to NYC (again!) to support my good pal Scott G. Brooks...you see, he has an opening on Saturday Night at Last Rites Gallery called Domestic Terror..So, if you are in NYC in the near future, come on by and check it out!
After two weeks of waiting, the moment has arrived. I have finally finished Gator Wrestlin', the second in the growing series of Daredevil Monkey paintings...
Gator Wrestlin' Acrylic on Board, 16"x20"
Unfortunately this photo does not convey some of the subtleties that the "in the flesh" picture does. That is, Fearless is spotlit and has a very bright and luminous quality when compared to Floyd. That is certainly conveyed in the contrast sense on a video monitor, but in person it is particularly evident...I am still in the brainstorming phase for the next painting, and I'd be interested to hear what you sadists would like to see next in the arena of monkey exploitation...He's already been shot out of a cannon and wrestled alligators...perhaps wrestling bears is next?...giant slingshot?...competitive pie eating? Send me a comment with suggestions!
We had the first official production meeting for Evil Dead this week...its going to be a hum-dinger of a show. The quotable quote from the meeting was from Melissa, the Director: "You need to watch out, you can get lost in this show"...which is quite right, judging by the circles we were going in during the meeting! But things are starting to straighten out...firstly, I was able to acquire some 2x8's for free to build the deck with:
Yep, that's two 2o foot long 2x8's going off the front of the Isuzu!
I'd also like to take this opportunity to let you in on a brand new concept for Landless Theater...Subscriptions! Now, I know what you are thinking, here comes a sales pitch...but wait, I am here to save you money! You can get almost 50% off of all of your Landless tickets and that means 50% off of Evil Dead the Musical!!! All you have to do is go here to sign up!
Unrelated to Landless (other than Andrew Baughman is directing one of the shows) is that Hope Operas has made another leap forward on the technical front. I was able to make an accurate floor plan of how we are going to transform Miss Pixies backroom into a full blown theater, complete with footlights!
We should be able to fit around 80-100 people in to see the shows, and we will even have a small stage! Woot!
2010 Scion XB...The one KT has is black.
This little beauty is the reason I trekked across the Ohio wastelands (and back!) to get to Detroit. See, KT's dad had a salmon pink Caddy, that got 8 miles to the gallon...so on the last day of Cash For Clunkers, he traded it in for a Scion XB, which is the car KT has been dreaming of for years now...Since the Echo was on its last legs, we drove it to Michigan and exchanged it with her father for the new Scion. I am quite impressed with the car thus far, and to be honest, it is both KT's and my first brand new car...when we got back from Michigan, the odometer said 600 (!)
DIAMOND DEAD in NYC was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who made the trip, and special thanks to all of the NYC locals that came out! We got some decent audiences, a marriage proposal, and even some scuttlebutt about taking the show to the next level! Hyreviews.com does a nice review of the DD NYC performance...and you can even get a sneak peek at the opening number of the show with this (admittedly kinda low-fi) YouTube video.
I won't bore you with the flurry of photos that are circulating around Facebook, but I will give you a peek at the setup that we had at Dixon place...mostly because this is the fourth configuration of DIAMOND DEAD in as many venues...which is really a testament to how versatile the pipe and drape setup can be!
Dixon Place NYC setup from house leftJason tunes his bass just before opening night...
In local news, DC Theater Scene mentions my designs in 3 of their 14 favorite musicals this past year...(Forum, Follies, Walmartopia) and big kudos for Karissa Swanigan who was named musical theater performer of the year!
Almost immediately upon touching DC soil I found myself setting up for the auditions for Hope Operas...(I also caught the Bark Victory show on Sunday) I am exited to see these serials every Monday in October.
Speaking of October, we had the second production meeting for Spooktacular X...good news and bad news there...Bad news: Adult ball pit rentals don't exist and would be outrageously expensive to build...Good news: we came up with an even better idea!
Even with all of the NYC excitement, I was able to make progress on the final painting for Gator Wrestlin'...
Gator Wrestlin' in progress
This has been a really fun painting to work on so far. I haven't blocked in Floyd yet, or really started to work on the intense lighting. I have mostly been solidifying the composition, and trying to preserve the feel from the first sketch. I am struggling with the paradox of trying to make the paint look labored over in an accidental way. That is, I have been keeping the speed up when applying the paint, while also trying to keep very accurate drafting...I hope that working this way will keep a "seeing the straw" carnival feel, without looking like a depressing critique of gypsy aesthetics...
There has been a lot of press coverage for the FringeNYC DIAMOND DEAD show already...mostly on websites like DeadCentral.com, IMDB, Shocktillyoudrop.com, Fangoria, Bloodydisgusting.com, Newgothcity.com, just to name a few...But you didn't need convincing...True Diamond Dead fans have already gotten their rotted corpses up to NYC and are camped outside Dixon Place as we speak...
Other than the many promotional engagements around town (everything from being part of the "Good Morning America" sidewalk crowd, to sit-in jam sessions on "Variety Power Hour"...) here are the times you can see them at Dixion Place as part of the FringeNYC festival: See you in the BIG APPLE!
In, er, local news, I have started the second in the fledgling series of Daredevil Monkey paintings yesterday. It is in the early stages of development, but I think that the watercolor sketch I made is good enough to let you loyal readers of BTT get a sneak peek:
Gator Wrestlin' Sketch Watercolor on Sketchbook paper, 6"x7 1/2"
I am hopeful about this series, because it really seems to touch a nerve for me. I guess its all of the cartoons when I was a kid, but I like the idea of these two monkeys out there trying to make a buck by doing stunts...Fearless and Floyd are their working names (I also like Ace and Orville) but I don't think I will actually ever name them in the final paintings...
I have started the painting for Gator Wrestlin' and it is going quite well. One of the big changes to the composition that is emerging so far is that I have put a spotlight on Fearless, that is casting a shadow of him and the gator on the tent in the background. This will also turn the lights down in the painting, which will make the whole thing a bit more theatrical, and increase the contrast. Contrast is good, because I think I may have discovered (after all this time) what kind of painter I am...I do very well in a velvet setting. That is, I seem to paint best when the lights have been turned down very low, and all I am doing is painting with the highlights...like a velvet painting. Of course, I'll probably change my mind soon enough (because, really, the watercolor above is pretty successful, and it's not as contrasty as a velvet...) once I get some more monkeys-in-the-half-dark out of my system...
That's right folks, the kid is back! And he's paintin' monkeys! Its been a long time coming (LEECH!, the last formal painting, excluding the cut luan installation I created for Artomatic, was finished in December of 2008!) and it feels great to get the little buggers out of my head on on to the canvas. Without further adieu, I present the first in a series (I hope) of new monkey paintings:
CANNONBALL! Acrylic on Board, 16"x20" (as always, click on the photo for larger view)
I think I will be working on a few more of these daredevil monkeys in the near future...watch this space...
The other events of this past week largely revolve around Landless' announcement of the 2009-2010 season: "Season of the Damned"
EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL
Directed by Melissa Baughman
Choreography by Karissa Swanigan
Frederick Preview: October 2 and 3
Shows: October 9 - Nov 8 (16)
FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER AND THE HOLY MUG OF GROG
Shows: Dec. 11, 12, 18, 19, 26 and Jan 1
FREDERICK SHOWS: January 8 and 9
HIGH FIDELITY THE MUSICAL
Frederick Preview: Feb. 12 and 13
Shows: Feb 18 - Mar 14
PEREZ HILTON SAVES THE UNIVERSE
Frederick Preview: April 30 and May 1
Shows: May 7-June 3 (16)
ROCK BOTTOM (CAPITAL FRINGE)
Frederick Preview: July 2 and 3
Of course this announcement comes directly on the heels of the FringeNYC production of
Diamond Dead!
If Aria is this stoked about performing in a tent, then I cant wait to see them in NYC!!!! Oh, and check out this video...it may be instrumental in planning your FringeNYC itinerary...
But what the announcement of "season of the damned" really means is that we are actually going to be doing these shows...so I have made myself useful this week and I have made scale drawings of the DCAC space, and some accompanying "stitched" photos to use for designing purposes:
Scale Floorplan...
Stitched photo of stage from House Left...
Stitched photo from House Right...
Of course all of this preparation is really for EVIL DEAD the MUSICAL...which I sent along a preliminary sketch of this week:
Preliminary Sketch for EVIL DEAD the MUSICAL Landless Theatre Company
Boy this was an active week! I should also mention that we saw the opening of a new wine bar on 10th street called Room 11, we are all very excited about it!
New tile floor in Room 11
When I was not swilling wine this week, it seemed like I was at a production meeting...the first one was for the upcoming Dominion Stage show, REEFER MADNESS "What? Jared is designing the set for REEFER MADNESS? I wonder if I can get invited to one of his 'research' parties..."
The other production meeting this week was for SPOOKTACULAR X. Those of you who have been around the block a few times know that Artbyjared Labs (Team Spooktacular? whatever we call ourselves...) throw a kick ass Halloween party every year...well we pinned down a theme for this years shin-dig: X Marks the Spot! "Wha?" you may be saying to yourself...Well, this is our tenth Halloween party in DC...so we decided to celebrate the decade by using the roman numeral X as our jumping off point...so start thinking about those costumes...keep an eye out for anything that sorta says "treasure hunter, sleuth, pirate, or squirrel..." (but, like an evil squirrel...)
Sorry kids, lots going on, but not much to show for it this week...Still in evil planning mode...
Because of the delays that US Airways created this weekend, I had a few bonus days with the in-laws...so, lots of home improvement projects, but not many pictures to show for it.
I suppose that this is as good a time as any to (quietly) announce that Landless Theatre Company has secured the rights and is 80% certain that their next show will be....EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL!!!! (woot!) So, clear you entire October calendar, because I am declaring October, Scenery Appreciation Month!!!
The long awaited Mie N Yusilk road event that I produced the Terra Cotta Warriors (rememberthem?) for arrived this past Tuesday. I was pleasantly surprised at the reception they received (as well as pleasantly surprised how well the Red Bull armor came out...expertly applied by Charles Lawrance) They were being photographed by a really neato "photo booth" technology, provided by AMG (Alternative Marketing Group) which would take four pictures, and then automatically send the photo to my email...
KT and I help stand guard at Mie N Yu
And yet another week rolls by and yet another Diamond Dead show comes around...this week will be your last chance to catch them before they go to NYC for the FingeNYC. They will be playing Friday night in FredROCK (Frederick MD) you can get all of the details here.
This week also saw the first production meeting for Hope Operas (I will help transform the back room of Miss Pixies on 14th street into an 80 seat theater every week...how do I get myself into these things?)...what is Hope Operas, you ask?
Some of DC's finest theatre artists are coming together this Fall to produce Hope Operas, six serialized shows that will be raising money for various causes. Each week each serial will present a 15-minute (or two back-to-back 7 1/2 minute) episode(s). The audience will be invited to vote for their favorite serial and based on audience response moneys will be distributed to the serial's beneficiaries.
The Hope Operas are:
20 MILLION BREASTSTROKES TO EARTH
by Chris Griffin
directed by Tom Mallan
benefiting The Mautner Project @ Whitman-Walker
LARRY & THE WEREWOLF
by Jeff Goode
directed by Andrew Baughman
benefiting The Association of Retarded Citizens
THE LONG WEIGHT
by Kathleen Akerley
directed by Brian Smith
beneficiary pending
NIGHTS AT ST. JANUARIUS
by Kerri Sheehan
directed by Catherine Tripp
benefiting the Blood Bank at Children's National Medical Center
I finished the skulls and the header for Diamond Dead just in time for the Saturday show. I believe that it got their mojo back. They had a great audience (which is really important, because this show feeds off of the audience...literally and figuratively...) and there were almost no technical difficulties. The Sunday and the Wednesday 6pm shows went well too (despite the fact that these are some of the worst times of day to see a zombie rock band)...so, in short you have only one more opportunity to see Diamond Dead before they ship off for the NYCfringe....(well, technically, that is not 100% true...they are playing a gig on Friday, July 31 in Frederick MD...but details are still coming in about that gig) If you have any doubts, you should check out this review on the City Paper...
So, here are some up close and personal photos of the Skully additions to the DC Fringe Diamond Dead Set:
Here's a composite of all three pieces that I will probably put on to www.artbyjared.com because the photos from inside the tent all came out blurry...
Other exciting news this week includes a step forward for an October project (there are always way too many things going on in October!) that has been percolating for a while now...Hope Operas...It's a set of serialized plays that will be presented every Monday in the back room of Miss Pixies on 14th street during the month of October. The audience votes best show every night, and the proceeds go to the charity that is designated by the winning show. I'll be providing minimal scenery, and, er, logistical support...
ABJ productions had a productive meeting with Longview Gallery this week. We are looking into using their (yet to be completed) new space as the venue for Yuri's Night 2010! Things are still in the planning stages, but I am really hopeful that this works out because it is a really cool space, and it would be a really great fit for everyone...keep your fingers crossed!
Speaking of human spaceflight...we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the moon landing last Monday...I am still shocked that there wasn't a parade, or a national holiday...This is arguably just as momentous of an occasion as Columbus discovering America...and we get "Columbus Day" off...why isn't there an "Armstrong" day? I guess you'll just have to save up your celebratory fervor for Yuri's Night 2010!
Lastly, I wanted to mention that we (DC's burlesque scene) are saying goodbye to a great lady tonight...Bambi Bottoms Galore is moving up to NYC and we are having a sendoff for her tonight at the Palace of Wonders...So come on by and lets give her the sendoff she deserves!
Apparently the first Diamond Dead show did not go so well. The tent wasn't ready, the speakers were in the absolute wrong place, the projector kept going into sleep mode, etc. (did I mention that it was also the day the press came?)
So, in order to get some of the mojo back, I have decided to contribute a tiny bit more scenery to the tent setup (which is been both a mystery and a hornets nest of rules and regulations this entire time...) Hopefully I can add a bit more visual interest to the stage when the projection is not fired up...
Sketch for Projection Screen Additions, Diamond Dead Pencil, Photoshop, Watercolor 1"=1'
In a show like this, I think it cant hurt to have a few more skulls...
Here's the publicity art and info for Diamond Dead:
Here's the publicity art for Fictitious:
In addition to playing the Capital Fringe Festival in DC, Diamond Dead will be playing the FringeNYC on August 21-24th...they even got this great publicity shot on PLAYBILL.COM!
So, needless to say, you should see Diamond Dead here in DC first, so you can say, "I knew them back when..."
So, I have a few photos to share of the final push to put Fictitious into the theater:
Fictitious Set Design Pencil and Photoshop
The set in its constituent pieces in the shop...
POW! The fist closeup (its about 4'x8')
The load in went surprisingly smoothly for both shows, so it should bode well for the festival...
On a personal note about the last two weeks, It was a really interesting 4th of July. KT's friends from U of M (Brad and Victoria) came down and provided much of the motivation to do things that, as a local, I don't normally do. We visited the Walter Reed museum, had tickets to a Nats game (in a suite, no less!) and got all of our homies together to see the fireworks from the 8th floor of Artomatic. Not a bad 4th at all...
I dont have much to post this week because it has been a "building" week...That is, I have spent most of my time building a wall to hang the drop for Fictitious on (really just adding pieces to make the 12'x8' wall into a 16'x10' wall) and priming the drop...so no real pictures there...in fact the only truly artistic thing I have to show for the week is the redesign of the flag for Nonexiztia. Redesign, you say? Why yes. Turns out that both the director and I were caught unawares that the Nonexiztian flag needed to be "Blue, Pink, Fuchsia, Brown, Mustard and Turquoise" (which is just about double the number of colors on any real flag....!) So, I present the new, Nonexiztian flag: I might also mention that Scenery Appreciation nite for Spooky dog went really well last week, and I'd like to thank everyone (again) for coming out! If you missed it last week, I'd try to get tickets for this Saturday...turns out that the playwright is coming in to see the show...(which is an interesting trifecta for Landless this year...Seems they have had a visit from the playwright for each show they have done this year!)
So this is a two week post because I missed last weeks window...I've been busy, and also I have not been managing time as efficiently as possible lately...
First, let me remind you that "Scenery Appreciation nite" for Spooky Dog is this Friday (6/19) and all you need to do is go to the Landless website, and order your tickets...put in the coupon code "JARED" and you receive a discount! Plus, you will get a chance to hang out with the set designer after the show, at no additional cost...
Okay, a super brief wrap up of the past two weeks events: First, I was almost killed at Lubber Run Amphitheater while taking lights off of the basket-on-top-of-a-flagpole setup that they have there. Well, turns out that one of them collapsed from under me while I was going up the ladder that was leaning against it. I jumped to the moss covered roof to safety, and lived to tell the tale
Lubber Run Amphitheater...the tower on the right is the one that collapsed...
The force of the tower hitting the wing wall knocked the cinder block cap off...and you can see the tiny moss covered roof I jumped to...the ladder is in the position that they got me down from...
Well there's yer problem...the bottom of the pole had rusted out...
Other events of note that don't have accompanying dramatic pictures are: The David Byrne/Brian Eno concert at Wolf Trap, Rock and Roll at Studio, Looped at the Lincoln, and the Gay Pride Parade
The big monkey off of my back is that I finished the Red Bull Terra-cotta Warriors project. You can see the results below:
Red Bull and MieNyu Terra-Cotta Warriors Photo Ops Approx 6'x5' (three pieces hinged together, with removable heads) Acrylic on Plywood.
A Baltimore artist, Charles Lawrance, is going to augment these guys with cutout redbull cans...I'll be sure to post pics when MieNyu has their party in late July...
Lastly, I finally put my nose to the grindstone on Fictitious. Fictitious is a play about (essentially) the life and times of Arnold Schwarzenegger...with some additions and subtractions, like his home country "Nonexista" (who's flag I designed for the show)
The Nonexistian flag
Fictitious is going to be one of the two entries for Landless theatre in the Capital Fringe Festival this year. Fortunately its in the Warehouse (which I have plenty of design experience in), but unfortunately, its fringe so there is minimal storage and a measly 15 minutes to set up and break down...so, I have tried my best to overcome those limitations and find a design that expresses the tone of the show while accommodating the 20 scenes it takes place in...(did I mention it was a musical?)
But the real news is that the Washington Post published an article today (Friday, June 5) that mentions Jared in Uber-collector Phillip Barlow's unofficial roundup of artists he likes at Artomatic. You can read the whole article, HERE.
The other big news of the day is that Spooky Dog and the Teenage Mysteries opens tonight at the DCAC! I got a chance to take some shots at last nights final dress rehearsal...
"What? this is parody, you cant sue us!"
The set without pesky actors...The "Clue Caravan"
I like this shot because it seems to be from "Scraggly's" point of view...
I know that I was talkin' all scared about how I didn't have anything ready for Artomatic last week...well, turns out that I made it in the nick of time...
Jared's Artomatic space with Hurdi Gurdi installed, as seen from 8th floor elevators.
Instead of trying to crank out a bunch of smaller pictures, I concentrated on making one large piece. It's actually five separate pieces of luan, that have been screwed to the 8'x8' plywood wall provided by artomatic.
Hurdi Gurdy Acrylic on luan (five pieces) 8'x8'
While considering what to do at Artomatic, I came to the conclusion that it was one of the best venues for experimentation that a painter in DC is likely to have. Which means that I was given an opportunity to do something outlandish and risky. Seizing that opportunity meant making something that was not necessarily commercially viable and even something that was a bit ugly. In the end, I decided that I would make something that would be informed by my work in theater (using theatrical scale, as well as materials) as well as my work as a painter (painterliness and pictorial narrative) because that is exactly the type of work I have been striving to make lately. Usually, I am trying to shoehorn painterliness into my scenic designs...this time I wanted to shoehorn my scenic design sensibilities into my painting.
The narrative is also somewhat new for me. Usually, I make paintings that are pretty narrative neutral. The monkeys or tikis are usually alone, or it is not clear what is going on. My still lifes generally just depict the object without a background. So this picture is a departure for me. It has a definite narrative. It tells the tale of murder.
The Monkey was the Organ Grinder's. However the Organ Grinder is dead. He slipped on the murder weapon, a banana. Was it the Monkey that killed the Organ Grinder? That is unclear, but he seems pretty excited about being released from his bonds.
The Organ Grinder's disembodied head appears behind the monkey. Is the Organ Grinders soul going to heaven? or is he being dragged down to Hell by the anvil he is carrying in his mouth? Will he drop the anvil on the Monkey as payback for his untimely death?
Its a silly story...and a silly painting. But it was a whole lot of fun to make. Perhaps there are a few more paintings I could make describing the dynamic between Organ Grinder and Monkey...
I look forward to seeing everyone at the opening night of Artomatic, this Friday night! (Stop on by and sample the circus peanuts!)
This week just few by because I concentrated solely on the construction and painting for Spooky Dog and the Teenage Gang Mysteries...which opens in previews this Friday and Saturday in Frederick (check out this sweet preview report from the Gazette) Spooky Dog will open at the DCAC in Adams Morgan on June 5th. Check out Landless' homepage for more details...and stay tuned to BTT blog for upcoming "scenery appreciation nights" (and the discounts that come with membership in the Artbyjared fan club...)
Suggestive Hot Dog stand...(and hidden ABJ logo reference!)
Things have been crazy...so above is the sketch for Spooky Dog...Which I intend to have completed by this time next week (!)...Haven't made much progress on the Artomatic painting front...hopefully I will be able to pull something out of my butt between now and the 26th!
I took a staycation. That's right, I took time off from the scene shop, and just stayed at home and relaxed. Well, I didn't really relax, per se, because KT took time off from Olney too. So, we spent the week fixing up the house, and generally getting stuff done that we normally don't have time to do. It was a needed respite after the whirlwind of stuff that happened in April.
But even in a staycation duty calls. To start the week off right, I had my site selection for Artomatic on our first official day off. KT helped me find the perfect space:
KT is excited about my space...8th floor, Area 5, Space 8....or the Northwest corner of the 8th floor, on the end closest to the stairwell...
One of the reasons KT is so excited is that she realizes that my space is facing (well, my row, at least) the national mall, and therefore has a good view of the fireworks on the 4th of July. I like the idea of seeing the fireworks from inside an air conditioned building that is serving beer (unlike those poor suckers on the mall, who have to get sauced before they left home)
The view of the Washington monument from my row...the fireworks should go off between the Washington monument and the crane
...and just for kicks, here is the view if you look to the right of my wall...isn't our city pretty sometimes?
Shortly after selecting the space for Artomatic, we went to the "scenery appreciation night" for Walmartopia. Landless has agreed to institute the "Jared" discount on certian "scenery appreciation nights" so that my friends and family can come, er, appreciate the scenery on a given production for a reduced rate! So, J-Rod, Mike and Jaya were able to see such a quality show for less than what you plebeians have to pay...KT said that Walmartopia was "better than Batboy"...which is high praise from her...
The next day Walmartopia was struck and a small production meeting was assembled for Spooky Dog and the teenage gang mysteries...I should have some sketches (if not progress on building the actual set) for you to see next week.
I also became an NRA member that day...and then got kicked off the range...but hey, that's just how I roll...
On Monday April 27th, I saw Star Trek. That's right suckers, I saw Star Trek almost a full two weeks before you did! (Thanks Paramount, partial sponsors of Yuri's Night 2009!) My review: IT WAS AWESOME! I am going to see it (ahem, again) in IMAX this weekend!
So, other than the home improvements (clearing out the evil plants under our front porch, painting porch railings, installing new lattice, putting 1600 lbs. of decorative rocks under the porch, etc) the week went pretty uneventfully, Until...
My meeting with Red Bull and the Georgetown restaurant Mei N Yu about a photo op commission that they want for their big summer event. They asked me to design something like the "muscleman cutouts" you would see on a boardwalk on coney island...except Asian and with Red Bull...So, I made three sketches:
They seemed to like the last one best. I happen to agree that three terra cotta warriors from china is the most direct "photo op"...that is, you wouldn't have to explain as much to people about photographing with them...plus they can take one away if there are only two people...The Red Bull people have decided that they want to sculpt the armor out of red bull cans, and have already lined up a Baltimore artist to embellish my designs...you should expect to see pictures of these leaving the shop sometime in mid June.
And Lastly, my Staycation was rounded out with the strike for Follies. It could have been much worse (in fact we had planned for it to go very badly) but in reality, we were done with everything by 3am...we had filled 2 1/2 dumpsters with the tiny cut up pieces, but we were done....Follies was one of those landmark shows for an organization like TAP (you can check out the DCtheaterscene article here) and I am proud to have been part of it. But in the end, I am relieved that it is over...
So, it's really just Kirstra's Camera that has contributed to the Yuri's Night photo pool so far (Thanks Kirstra!) I am happy to post these choice photos on BTT because Kirstra's hard drive had something of a EPIC FAIL, and wiped out her photos...except these lucky few...
Bambi, Heidi, Jim and yours truly...that's just how Yuri rolls!
Lil' Dutch, KT and Sugar Ann Spice
JD + KT + Southern Hemisphere
JD + KT on the stage after the show...whew!
Bambi and I get cosmo-naughty!
Dr. Zaeus and the "schick-schick" doorway
The Dance party was off the hook! Thanks DJ P-Vo!
When more photos roll in, I'll be happy to post them! (you know you've got some!)
I have cleaned up most of the house and scene shop, so I haven't really had time to make any art per se...but I will have some early designs for a photo op sponsored by Red Bull by this time next week! (and of course there is the ramp-up to this year's Artomatic to worry about!)
The other piece of news is that Follies got reviewed by the Washington Post today...It's a mixed review, but not where the set is concerned...Michael Toscano says:
Jared Davis's large set is gorgeous and functionally innovative enough to accommodate the crumbling present and the glittering past.
...Which is officially the nicest thing that the post has ever said about my scenery....
This year's Countdown to Yuri's Night was the best one yet! Thanks so much to everyone for coming out and filling the Warehouse with your intergalactic alien love! (we didn't even mind the probing this time!)
So, predictably, I ran out of battery juice when I started to take photos that night, so I don't have very many to share (except for this provocative placeholder photo of Lil' Dutch)
So, in the meantime, I want to encourage any of you BTT readers out there that attended Yuri's Night to send me your best photos! We want to compile a bunch of good photos to post on the www.outofthisworldparty.com "2009 photo gallery" so we can give people in the 2010 event something to shoot for!
I will post Yuri's Night photos here also, as I receive them...
Out of the frying pan into the fire...FOLLIES opens this weekend! The Arlington Players have a really good show on their hands...the only problem for you, loyal BTT reader, is that the superb lighting design (by Hal Crawford) looks great in person, but does not photograph well with my equipment...so I offer these shots as a mere taste of what a fantastic show it really is...
FolliesAct I Set Design Pencil and Photoshop 1/8"=1'
Follies Act I
Follies Act I (Buddy's breakdown)
Follies Act II "Loveland" (hey, where'd that giant fan come from? see the show to find out!)
Also, I must put in a plug for Walmartopia (it closes on the 26th!!!)...I was able to rustle up some photos from Amanda that show off what the Washington Post calls "Spartan" scenery...but what DC Theater Scene says is:
...I feel as though I have watched a theatrical bar mitzvah. At the end I wanted to stand up and say “Today, you are a theater company."
So, it just proves that art is subjective...and that Walmartopia is probably a good show for you to see if you like Spartans or bar mitzvahs...
The somewhat creepy opening number...
With co-workers like this, who wouldn't want to work at Wal-Mart?
So the headline this week is that WALMARTOPIA opens this weekend (Actually it opened on Thursday) Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get photos of the set during dress rehearsals, like I usually do. So this one is going to be a big secret that can only be revealed if you GO SEE THE SHOW! You can get tickets here
The countdown clock continues:
8 DAYS UNTIL YURI'S NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Countdown to Yuri's Night Logo 2009 Acrylic on Black Velour, 8'x8'
And just to add insult to injury...(I am suffering from burning the candle from both ends lately) Follies begins its load in this week...So, here are some random pictures of scenery that is lying about the shop, waiting for transport to the theater:
SL tower for follies...the idea is that it supposed to look like abandoned scenery...are we close yet?
One of the upstage "ladies" that will become a sort of light box...halfway through the paint job...yeah, its luan, so that's a lot of jigsaw blades...
This week we made all sorts of behind the scenes progress...but most importantly, I made a quantum leap forward on building an arsenal of space rockets with the help of KT, Jaya, Kirstra and Todd...I don't have any pictures to show for it just yet...so you'll just have to come to the show in order to see our space fleet in action!
Carrie Potter At The New Moon Prom set design
This one is my favorite, because it is, well, AWESOME! But KT says that it's too busy...
DC's Other Space Party...whaddyathink? I don't want to appear to be in competition with Goddard, but lets face it, they have a monopoly on all of the real space stuff in the area! We have to let people know that we are different and have something else (other than hardcore science) to offer...
I call this one the "vomit comet" version...I like it because it feels like the type of good time you would have in the zero G test flight...not that we are offering any zero G test flights at the party (like some other Yuri's Nights) but it just looks like a good time to me!
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