# Pippin



## TheJoelbertReport (Jan 10, 2011)

Hi everyone!

First let me start off by saying i love this website. although this is my first post, I read other peoples ideas on here all the time. People are so supportive and have so many great suggestions!

I'm a freshman in college up at Western Washington university and have been doing theatre for about 4 years now. In my limited time in the theatre, i have done almost everything, from acting to lighting design, set design and sound design. This coming summer, im trying something a little bit more advanced: Directing.

As a summer internship, i am directing Pippin at a theatre in Everett. The program i am directing through is a completely student-run show (with some professional oversight and professional mentors). The actors and the design team will be between teh ages of 16 and 20, and while many of us have done various jobs in the theatre (mostly acting), this is a much larger undertaking than any of us have ever done

Now i love the show Pippin, which is why we chose to do it, but obviously there are some challenges to putting on this show. We have to be delicate about how we approach the sex scenes, for example, since it is a student show. The budget that we will be running on is pretty small (about $500 for sets costumes props and any other equipment needed outside the VERY basics provided by the theatre), and there are some parts of the show (such as the finale) that will be difficult.

I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on how to achieve some cool effects and tricks with such a small budget and a pretty amature design team, and maybe some tips on directing or how to stage the show, or even some concept ideas. anything would be greatly appreciated! we have a basic concept idea for our show right now, and some basic ideas for certain parts of the show, but its all purely ideas.

Also, the stage we will be performing on is a 3/4 thrust balckbox style stage with 2 voms and a very small backstage. There is no fly system either, unfortunaly. 

Anything you've got would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


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## ruinexplorer (Jan 14, 2011)

Since it is a production set in the middle ages, you may want to contact your local branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism or other re-enactment group to see if you could borrow some costumes and props. You could also consider changing the time period so that you could utilize modern clothing and props/set dressing. $500 goes a long way at Goodwill or other thrift stores.

What plans do you have so far?


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## pmolsonmus (Feb 7, 2011)

A few years ago we updated the setting to modern day using cultural icons (and a whole 70s vibe) e.g Charlemagne was a businessman with a line graph as battle plans, Simple Joys looked like Laugh-in - beach balls, mini skirts, Morning Glow funeral was like JFK's, No Time at all was done with dancers w/ walkers.
All the players were like actors coming to work (and leaving at the end ala Chorus Line with dance bags, etc.. stripping the scene bare at the end.

Magic trick was done with a whole in a raised flat (with a piece that slid in and out) that an actor could drop through into a flash and smoke to "disappear". That might be a little tough on a thrust but still possible.

We also just did Magic To Do for a musical revue. We had about 8 measures to perform a trick. We had a student stand up with his arms raised on top of a platform Two other students lifted a sheet in front of him that was attached to a fly rail. He ducked behind the plantform and the sheet flew away - pretty cheap, but with the right lighting it worked.

Have fun, its a great show if done right. We wound up splitting the leading player into a male and female dual role because of range. It worked!

Phil


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## BrianWolfe (Feb 8, 2011)

I know your budget is limited but we do rent the armour and body parts.

Costume Armour & CristoVac

Armour


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## Taffey (Apr 2, 2011)

When we did it at the high school I teach at we replaced the orgy with a Bollywood dance scene. I have pictures on my profile of it I think.


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## jglodeklights (Apr 3, 2011)

Pippin is one of those shows that really can be done on a budget if you simplify things down, scrummage for things and abstract it. The high school I work at did the show this year, and it was quite successful. I ended up spending more money on lighting than I did set, despite needing a rather large and hardy set; that happens when you have a 1000 seat auditorium and 30 kids on stage dancing. In a thrust configuration in a smaller space, the design would have required quite a bit less set. 

By keeping set pieces simple and and abstract, and augmenting with lighting, you can set the scene quite easily, even with a small budget. Keeping it simple will also allow you remove it at the end of the show. As we used the ending where Pippin doesn't commit suicide, we were able to make the final trick a little more hokey, and simply used some smoke and lights (two foggers shooting through the beams of two R40 Strips with spot bulbs and different warm colors of gel). 

But remember, above all, YOU CAN DO IT!


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## shiben (Apr 5, 2011)

Taffey said:


> When we did it at the high school I teach at we replaced the orgy with a Bollywood dance scene. I have pictures on my profile of it I think.



Our High school just did them. Last time the local catholic elementary school brought the kids to the preview performance!


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## jglodeklights (Apr 5, 2011)

Ooops. Fortunately, my high school toned it down enough to not get in trouble, while preserving the integrity of the show (Kept Fosse hip thrusts but didn't have them right up on Pippin, only girls in the scene- actually probably helped our Pippin to end up looking scared). The superintendent saw it and loved it; at a meeting about storage space (auditorium was torn down for the new one to be built over it) he delayed useful talk by 20 minutes by going on about the show. 

To add to my earlier comments. LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN. Bring in people not necessarily associated with the production to comment on EVERYTHING. They will notice things you don't.


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