As I understood it, the design went through a number of variations before it got to the shop, and by the time it got to us it was much more Victoriana! than it had been when it started.  Artistic Director Bonnie Monte told me at some point "I hate bricks on stage" -- guess what I did?  Yep, bricks.  A lot of bricks.  Designer James Wolk was all about the bricks.  Apparently everyone looks at Hogarth prints when designing Carol.

     As above and at right, the scenery featured low relief with other details.  And, no, the portal on the false pro has no manufactured brick panels.  It's all about the applied texture there, pressed through a stencil.  James specifically wanted the bricks to be less than perfect.

     The production also featured a number of props that were specific constructions, and among those was a pot bellied stove.  As would happen with the cannon a couple of years later, I had some time when there was no scenery ready for paint, and the prop master asked if I could help with the stove project.  The stove that was wanted to rent (reference photo at right) was not available, so -- could we build one?

     Sure!  Why not?

     What we had on hand were a pair of plastic planters (above left), some table legs, scrap millwork, and lots of other bits and pieces of plywood and whatnot.  Christina, the prop master, thought the planters might be a good start, and I agreed.  That's where I started, and went from there, building up profiles and adding details to reflect as much as possible the "look" of a stove.

     Hooray for "C" clamps!  A friend of mine once remarked that, if you ever couldn't think of what to get him for Christmas, clamps were always a good choice.  I tend to agree.

     At left, fabricating the draft door.

     Did I mention the Ethafoam?  No?  Well, hooray for Ethafoam, too!  Bury odd joints with flexible trim, then coat the whole thing in contact cement.  The ash drawer at the front of the base if not functional, just a mitred cut to add some visual verisimilitude.  The whole construct also has a piece of threaded pipe through the center to make sure all the odd joints are compressed and vertical.

     There was also a request for something inside that looked like glowing embers, so I built in a small light source covered in orange fabric (above).   The switch was hidden on the top, inside what would have been the collar for a flue, had it been a real stove.

     At right is the comparison shot, the stoves sold in NY from a book of photos taken in the mid-20th Century.  The shape of mine isn't quite right, but, hey! it's plastic planters!  It did the job, and it didn't weigh a hundred pounds.

     Above, the stove on-stage during a matinee.  The stove's relative lack of weight meant that it could be picked up and carried off-, to the amusement of the audience as the character stage whispered "hot! hot! hot!"

     The flats, once I had them, took similar kinds of attention.  In addition to the bricks, there was the appearance of broken coatings, some of the "shops" were done in stone, and all wanted to look like they'd been around for a little while.

     At right is the rendering for the flat called the "Bleak Door," for its look of age and neglect.  Following are images of the flat as built while I worked it up from fresh construction to its appearance on stage.

                                        Apply some texture, mop on the glazes!  I really like letting runny paint settle in the low spots.

     As can be seen on the flat adjacent on the paint deck, all 6 (I think it was 6) flats got similar treatments, plus doors, windows, architectural details, and on some, icicles made of clear acrylic caulk dripped over floral wire (which is a neat-o trick that you're welcome to steal).

     "That Truck" from The Grapes of Wrath.

     Photos: R. Jake Wood.