Macbeth Final

Posted on by Thor

The final version of the poster had MACBETH surrounded by a cast wearing black stocking masks as they lay their hands on the king. The hands on each side of his head imply that the crown had just been placed. it is a bit akimbo feeling not quite set in place yet.

Since the Shakes is under renovation, very few people drive to the theater and therefor they do not see the large posters hanging in front of the theater. I am not sure when plays will once again be stages in the theater.

This production of Macbeth is being staged at Fringe Art Space in downtown Orlando. The cast are UCF masters degree students.  Tickets.

NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2024

Where: Fringe ArtSpace

54 W Church St Suite 201, Orlando, FL 32801

When:

November 1:

  • Evening: 7:30 – 8:50 PM

November 2:

  • Matinee: 2:00 – 3:20 PM
  • Evening: 7:30 – 8:50 PM

What the Constitution Means to Me: Final

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The final version of the poster for What the Constitution Means to Me has the actress much larger. There was an earlier version of this that had that looked too much like Heidi Schreck,

Altering the face and making her look much younger was actually quite fun. The paint itself was moved and morphed to fit the new drawing that I created for her face. I was surprised at how fast 20 years could be dropped.

The book cover was designed to match what an actual printed constitution looks like. Audience Members will each get a copy of the constitution to take home at each performance.

This really is a show that you should not miss. It will have you laughing out loud and also rethinking just what the founding fathers had in mind when they crafted this document. Presented by the Orlando Shakes, the show runs from October 2-13, 2024 at the Edyth Bush Theater at Orlando Family Stage, 1001 East Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Get your tickets now.

What the Constitution Means to Me.

Posted on by Thor

The posters I created for the Orlando Shakes are starting to appear with online variations. What the Constitution Means to Me is a truly inspired one woman show written by Heidi Schreck.

Heidi brings the audience back to when she was 15 years old and gave talks about the constitution at competitions held at American Legion Halls for prize money. She presented the constitution as a hot sweaty document that recognized that the person you are today might not the be person you are in the future. For all its short comings, the Constitution presents hope that it can and will evolve. I teared up every time I watched the play, there is a visceral joy in the hope that we can evolve.

Becky Baird will be playing the lead part. I had no idea what Becky looked like since she was not yet cast for the part when I created the poster, but I must say the smile on my poster is a close match to her smile. Any time I see a new actor taking on such an ambitious role, I feel inspired. It takes bravery just to audition, but to tackle such a large sweeping role is beyond brave. It reminds me that I need to keep putting myself out there. The creative process is a long road and seldom traveled on a straight line.

This poster evolved quite a bit as it was created and faced approvals. I will share those variations over the next few days. I was just so happy to see The Constitution make an appearance online that I had to share. Tickets are on sale now.

Fringe: A Drag is Born

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I loved the opening minutes of A Drag is Born at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. After the usual opening introductions, one of which was by a Fringe volunteer, wearing a pink flamingo hat, who had no idea she would end up on stage. The house grew silent. There was a glorious lengthy instrumental fanfare and then again a long silence.

People in the audience began to clap which would fade and then come back in another enthusiastic wave. I soon realized someone seated in the front row at house right was starting the clapping waves. I was trying to draw the guy in the baseball hat and he kept looking in that direction, so I stopped drawing for a while.

The guy in the front row was indeed the performer, Canarian artist Edu Diaz. I just learned this today, but the Canary islands  belong to Spain but are geographically in the north of Africa. He tried to make a break for the exit but a spotlight caught him. The audience had to encourage him to get up on the stage, which he did reluctantly. He leaned in towards a microphone and was shocked when he sounded like a seasoned female Broadway  musical actress.

What followed was a glittering and glorious performance as he pealed away layers to show off vibrant outfits in various colors of the rainbow. He understood the burlesque art of pealing off a glove with slow deliberateness. He never uttered a word but the audience was 100% behind him and wanted him to succeed. At times there was audio of a crowd muttering which I took as judgement which he learned to ignore. The show was part vaudeville, part clowning and part a celebration of brilliant fashion and individuality. The performer transformed from an awkward guy in a drab hiking outfit, into a diva that gained the love of the audience. At the start his expression was sad, and frightened but by the end his faced beamed with confidence and joy. The audience stood for a long standing ovation.

After the performance, Edu said that this was his first time leaving the creative bubble of New York City and he loves the energy of the Orlando Fringe. You should go, it is a fabulous time. I give the show 5 outfit changes.

The show is in the Pink Venue at the Orlando Shakes. It is rated 13 and up with a run time of 60 minutes. Tickets are $15.

The remaining show times are…

  • Thursday May 23, 7:55pm
  • Saturday May 25, 7:10pm
  • Sunday May 26, 10:45pm

Poster Evolution: Christmas Carol Final

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This is the final version of the poster. The actress for the Ghost of Christmas Past was changed and some new faces were added to the cast dancing in the background. Other than that everything remained the same with the blue glow, lens flairs and general festive spirit.

This poster n part helped inspire the poster for my film with the old wooden floors and spotlight effect. Each poster I do helps inspire the next.

I have experienced A Christmas Carol several times in past years at the Shakes and I am always impressed with the high production values.

One of Orlando’s favorite holiday traditions! The miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with a “bah humbug,” until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Witness the classic, heartwarming story of Orlando Shakes’ holiday tradition, in a magical and musical spectacle for the whole family.

A Christmas Carol is a holiday story with an uplifting theme of generosity toward others. It is most appropriate for 3rd graders and up.

Poster Evolution: Christmas Carol 2

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Strange that the Photoshop crop tool stopped working this morning. I use that tool every day of the week but now it is no longer an option. Adobe products sure are glitchy.

For the second pass at the Christmas Carol poster, I decided that Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past could dance but they would be ethereal and invisible to the others dancing. Just because you cant be seen doesn’t mean you cant celebrate.

To make them stand out from the crowd I painted them blue with a glowing aura.

The only change that still needed to be added was to replace the Ghost of Christmas past with the actual actress that might play the roll. One aspect of the poster that most probably don’t realize is that the couple behind Scrooge and the ghost as the young Scrooge and his lovely girlfriend.

Christmas Carol is playing at the Shakespeare Center through December 24, 2023.

Poster Evolution: Christmas Carol 1

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Last year the Orlando Shakes reused the Christmas Carol poster I had created the year prior. That decision makes perfect sense since people are used to the image and might want to return to see the show again with the whole family. The image for that poster had Scrooge holding up Tiny Tim among a cheering crowd. The positive image resonated.

The decision was made to create a new poster image with the same positive energy. The other scene in the play that is the most vibrant is the dance scene with the Fezziwigs. As I remember the scene, Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past observe the dancing from a distance. I decided that for this poster Scrooge would need to dance. In this image he is dancing with Mrs. Fezziwig. Granted this might not happen in the play, but it was the positive vibe that we were looking for.

As often happens with the posters, the issue becomes and uncertainty of who might be playing the role. Jim Helsinger suspected however that the actress who played Christmas past would be returning to the show. We decided to put her in place of Mrs Fezziwig.

With this first pass of the poster I was the most pleased with the golden treatment I did for the title. Christmas Carol runs through December 24, 2023.

Comedy of Errors: Poster Evolution 3

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The final version of the Comedy of Errors Poster involved removing the winged lady or just clipping her wings, and adding more parade revelers. One of the twins was removed, and the whole focus became the parade. I added sparks falling from the sky as if from fireworks.

The third pass at the title treatment worked best. It was hand drawn for added control over the letters. Copying some letters saved time. Thank goodness there were so many Es and Rs.

I learned quite a bit about using elements from one poster and adding new elements as the poster evolved. Each character was kept on their own layer in case they b=needed to be moved. People were indeed moved multiple times to fill out the scene.

This might not be the final pass a the poster but it was the one I could locate on my hard drive. I just noticed I had already signed the original poster. I threw another signature on this post since it is kind of a habit.

Comedy of Errors: Poster Evolution 1

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With the first pass at A Comedy of Errors poster for the Shakes, I played with twins imagery. The show is set in New Orleans during Mardi Grass so masks and vibrant colors were incorporated. I used an abstract peacock imagery as a backdrop which was also symmetrical.

It was decided that the twins imagery wasn’t needed. What did stand out was the hint of a Mardi Gras parade in the background. The parade was to be the focus.

Comedy of Errors was performed at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater from September 6 to October 1, 2023. Since I have been so focused on my film, I didn’t get to the theater to sketch. Photos I saw on Facebook clued me in to the fact that I was missing a fun time.

Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry

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With the film wrapping up, I am realizing there are many images I have not shared here yet. I wanted to back up some files into the portfolio section but this first image could not be found on this site. I will share the evolution process for this poster over the net few days. This is the final version of the poster. The director of the play sent me some magnificent reference material that sent me in this direction.

In wandering Times Square when I lived in NYC, I used to sketch the intricate patterns created by layers of theater posters being ripped off of the billboards. I can’t imagine any other artist has ever paused in Times Square and sketched these patterns while the crowds rushed past. I used that sort of abstract layering of posers for the background for the final poster. I felt it gave the urban vine I needed.

I did get to sketch the play itself and I am glad I did because I fell in love with the cast and the message of perseverance they all shared. As an artist I identified with their strength of spirit. Seeing the play inspired me to keep pressing forward.