A finished set piece waits to be taken to the stage Oct. 14. The show “Oklahoma!” features many antique set pieces. Photo courtesy of Ashley Cunningham
When a show hits the stage in Smothers Theatre, the audience may notice the actors first, but there’s a multitude of talented students working behind the scenes who deserve equal credit. Time, effort and creativity go into creating handmade set pieces for every production on Pepperdine’s campus.
Students are in the process of carving, painting and constructing elaborate set pieces for Pepperdine’s Theatre Department production, “Oklahoma!” Student workers in the scene shop, located between the Cultural Arts Center (CAC) and Smothers Theatre, design and create set pieces daily.
“This will eventually be something greater than the sum of its parts and knowing that I’m a part of that is really great,” junior Ashley Cunningham said.
Preparing for the Show
The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts presents “Oklahoma!” — the 1940s musical that captures life on the American frontier — on Nov. 13, according to the website.
The students have around eight weeks to build and create the set, scene shop foreman Stewart O’Rourke said.
In just one semester, students complete sets for both the fall musical and play, as opposed to one major play production in the spring, he said.
The play “Everybody” premiered Sept. 22 and featured set pieces created by students in the scene shop; O’Rourke said working on the sets for this production delayed set design for “Oklahoma!”
“Now, I’m excited for the even-bigger production in Smothers — “Oklahoma!,’ because they will use even more advanced set pieces and it’s gonna be even more immersive,” Cunningham said.
Junior Ashley Cunningham paints an antique well Sept. 28. Painting is one of the final steps in the design process. Photo by Sydnie Nuss
The Process
Students involved in the Theatre Arts program, part of a work program or just enjoy working on sets can come together to be apart of the set design process O’Rourke said.
“I take the students, some of them are theatre majors and some of them are doing work study, and we will paint and build and plaster and drill and saw,” O’Rourke said.
Scene shop workers said creating the set pieces can be relaxing.
“I feel like it’s a cathartic, therapeutic process to not only paint, but even just doing the sawing process,” Cunningham said.
Each student offers different skills and plays an important role in the creation of each piece.
“I love that I’m able to use my wood working skills in a way that glorifies the theatre department,” first-year Elijah Badgett said. “And hopefully bring more people to see its shows and appreciate all the hard work of our actors.”
First-year Elijah Badgett uses putty to cover small mistakes in a wood-carved fence Sept. 19. Students use a range of tools to complete each set piece. Photo by Sydnie Nuss
Smaller Parts Coming Together
As students work, they know designing the set is just one part of the larger production process, Cunningham said.
“[My favorite part is] getting to build something that is going to be part of something bigger than the individual piece it is,” Badgett said.
Badgett said he does not mind the physical labor involved with assembling the set pieces, as he is excited to help the show succeed.
“It’s not about, ‘Can I make the most beautiful thing for people to admire?'” Badgett said. “But more, ‘How can the work that I’m doing make the show itself more successful? How can it make the actors thrive?'”
After the building process is complete, students get to witness what they said is their favorite part.
“Definitely seeing the final product is the best feeling,” Cunningham said.
This story was copy edited by Haylie Ross.
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Contact Sydnie Nuss via email: sydnie.nuss@pepperdine.edu