Chloe Brush in the JKB Theater Library. Photo: Gabe Cohn
The second student-directed workshop of the semester, Jeremy Bloom’s Peter/Wendy opens this week in JKB Studio A. Michael San Roman ’18 directs the show, which is an interpretation of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. STLN Staff Writer Kallan Dana ’19 talked with Stage Manager/Lighting Designer/Makeup Designer Chloe Brush ’18 about the experience of working on the show, and how Brush’s design has helped to bring “Neverland” to life.
What has surprised you most about the production process?
What has surprised me the most is how much fun I’ve had! Michael told me to go and play and I just got to do whatever I wanted really, within limitations of the lighting. I’ve been in two assistant lighting designer positions, and I’ve taken lighting design classes working with standard instruments, but this project has been more like “here’s what we have—go and make what you want.”
What has been the biggest challenge for you?
Honestly, the biggest challenge has just been time. It’s an odd placement for a workshop; I started working on this production and a day into it I was pulled into working on The Last Days of Judas Iscariot [as Assistant Lighting Designer], so I couldn’t be at Peter/Wendy for a week of rehearsals. We had several intense rehearsals, then Spring break came, and now here we are, getting ready to go!
How was it juggling between working on Peter/Wendy and as an assistant lighting designer for The Last Days of Judas Iscariot?
When we got into tech week for Judas, I had to be there. Michael and the cast were on their own for most of the blocking weeks, which was hard as a stage manager. And once Judas closed we got into more of the tech heavy side of Peter/Wendy. It was not an easy transition between the two shows, but it was good to keep the intense pace for both productions.
What was it like transitioning between the two styles of Peter/Wendy and Judas?
It was definitely very jarring to go from the hideous florescent lighting of Judas to this really nice, calm, iridescent lighting that I love so much for Peter/Wendy.
How does working in the studio compare with working in the black box?
Everything is on a much smaller scale. But it’s also nice and rewarding. I’m a hands on person, so it’s nice to be doing everything myself. In the black box when we do light hang, it’s not as easy because you’ve got fifty times more lights and a couple of dozen crew members helping, so you have to delegate. It’s nice to just get in here and be in my element, doing it all by myself.
What themes or aesthetic choices do you get to emphasize in your lighting and makeup designs?
I’m definitely going for nostalgia, memory, and a dreamlike environment in my lighting design. For the makeup design, it ties very closely to themes of vision and seeing, and how you can try to find your way around without knowing exactly where you’re going.
Why do you think Peter Pan is a story worth retelling?
I think Peter Pan is a very nostalgic story. It’s one that we saw as a child, but as we get older, we get to see the deeper parts to it. The version we’re doing has pieces from the original story that are a little darker and gets to the root of who people are, and how they each deal with growing up in their own ways. Some do that better than others.
What makes this version of the story of Peter Pan different from others?
For me, this version touches on what it means to be a child, what it means to grow up, and how we deal with growing at different stages of our lives. Michael and I were exploring the idea that, in theory, everyone at college is an adult, but we don’t feel like that. I know I’m an adult, but if anything bad happened I’d probably call my parents!
What do you want the audience to leave the show with?
I want the audience to learn something about themselves. There’s an emphasis on looking inside yourself and seeing the person you are and who you’re surrounded by. It’s about how all that creates the person you grow up to be.
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Peter/Wendy runs in JKB Studio A through March 25th. For reservations, email cbrush@skidmore.edu
Kallan Dana is a staff writer for the Living Newsletter.