Two Interior Design students had the chance to do some fun homework at the end of the school year -- they made dioramas based on beloved plays.
Juniors Giovani Anggasta and Amity Tanner each made original miniature theatrical stages inside boxes that they built. The boxes were built to the scale of a real stage and measured 18 inches by 9 inches. Anggasta chose to stage a scene from The Little Mermaid, complete with a tiny paper Sebastian the Crab holding a conductor's baton, and waves of blue cellphone. Ursula's tentacled arm hangs menacingly above a balsa wood boat carrying tiny clay figures of Ariel and the Prince. Tanner's design shows the orphanage in Annie. Small bunk beds with blankets and pillows are nestled next to tiny tables. Paper cut-outs of shirts and pants dangle from thread-like clotheslines. A miniature mop with red and white yarn juts out onto the proscenium.
In preparation of the design, the students toured backstage for a current play at the Wilma Theater, reviewed the pre-design work, watched the pre-play set ups, and had a meeting with the production manager to better understand the inner workings of the play. They then got to watch the play. Tanner and Anggasta have also researched set designs done for their particular play and analyzed those designs.
"They did a floor plan, sketches and a precedent study board to arrive at their final design, which they then presented as a scale model of the work," said Interior Design Assistant Professor Francine Martini. "It’s a quick two-week project that is a fun way to end the semester and learn about set design."
