LILI Set Designs and Completed Units

 Continuing onward with set construction for my summer production of  "LILI" for the Hip Pocket Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas.
Above is my design for the Puppet Booth which is the central unit of the finished set, and where the puppets I posted earlier will make their appearances during the show.

The base unit measures 8' X 4', with the header as a separate piece above it for a total height is 10' from the stage floor. The actors playing PAUL and JACQUOT will actually bring in these units and "assemble" the booth in front of the audience, just as they would set up for the actual carnival puppet show. There is an existing central stage platform to which these pieces will be hung, so the actors will have little effort involved in doing this.

 Here is my plan for the structure of the Puppet Booth base unit. It is a simple lightweight box basically, just enough structure to attach painted canvas panels to. It will not need to support weight as the puppets will "float" in the blackness of the background directly above it. This will be built by the theatre staff before my arrival in July.

 And these are those canvas panels after being assembled and painted in my workshop here in New Mexico. The 4' X 8' central panel will be stapled to the base front with the two red and white striped side pieces attached on either side of the unit.
Standard wood molding, miter cut and painted blue will be tacked in place around the front panel to add some texture to the piece and hide those pesky staples!

This is the upper header unit of the Puppet Booth after painting was finished.
 To keep this unit light weight for the actors the lower scalloped piece and the pediment backing are actually painted canvas. Only the simple framed pieces are of wood. Since I will have to transport this unit to Texas this summer, the 8' 4" long center piece is hinged in back to fold down. The upper pediment which is 5' 6" X 22" is a separate piece which when secured to the unfolded center will make one solid unit.

Beside this you will see a string of colored lights. There is a grooved channel running the length of the center piece into which the wires for these lights will be hidden as they are stretched across the front of the unit. As the actors hang this in place on stage one of them will plug the lights into a concealed circuit so that the booth can be lit up on cue when needed.
 I won't be able to attach these lights until I assemble the unfolded unit in Texas this summer. Likewise the mirrored balls that top this unit and the other units of the set  will only be glued into place just before we open the show. They are pretty, but also very fragile.