Harper Joy has the pleasure of hosting professional nationwide theater-makers to assist on designs or direction for every mainstage production. The theater is pleased to have seasoned Denver-based lighting designer Jess Buttery and Gonzaga University costume design and theatrical Professor Leslie Stamoolis as our guest artists for Ripe Frenzy. Below, they address their approach to designing a show that is less about show and more about tell.

Ashlyn Quintus. What is the function of costume design in a theatrical production? (What is your statement on your practice, per say?)

Leslie Stamoolis. In my view, the function of costume design is actually quite simple – it is to support the work of the actors.  Theatre can happen without any of the trappings we usually include – scenic elements, costumes, lights, props – but it cannot happen without actors.  So my work as a costume designer is to support the textual and performative work of actors, to collaborate on character creation, and to make sure they are equipped to do their very best work.

Jess Buttery. Lighting design is often the last to the party that is technical theatre. As a designer I like to think about the stage as a black canvas that I get to paint with light. Shows like Ripe Frenzy are my favorite kind of narrative to work on. When the story allows us to visually fluctuate between a static real world and a memory based abstract space, lighting gets to flex its muscle. It is often said, and I think it to be true that good lighting design should rarely be noticed. Our job in lighting is to support the narrative as well as our fellow designers work without manipulating elements. 

AQ.How is this function you’ve described endorsed or challenged in a show like Ripe Frenzy?

LS. Ripe Frenzy is a great example of this work, because the show is intimate and largely character-driven.  So I get to be a part of creating each of those characters with the actors through costume design, and that’s my favorite thing!  It’s always fun when costumes become featured in a show – like the famous fly-in dress in Sunday in the Park With George, or costumes meant to create spectacle, like Susan Hilferty’s work in Wonderland.  But my favorite shows are all about story and character, and in a contemporary show, that can mean something more mundane like choosing the absolute perfect sneaker.  Everyone loves a huge, sweeping period gown – but I get as much satisfaction out of the perfect sweatshirt.

AQ. What are the biggest challenges you’ve approached during your work on Ripe Frenzy?

LS. The biggest challenges on this show have probably been creating looks for the teenagers, Matt and Hadley.  This is really a show about the moms, so there is much less text about and by the kids.  You can’t just create character out of thin air; it has to be rooted in the text, and so when you don’t have much to go on, you have to dig even deeper to create believable characters.  One way I do this is to figure out what music a character might listen to – you still need text to do this, but then it can open up more possibilities once you figure it out.  I decided that Matt listens to Drake, and Hadley wants people to think she listens to All Time Low, but probably actually loves Taylor Swift.  Cues like that help me get inside a character.

JS. The open concept of this show’s design and direction allows us to guide the audiences eye through the narrative as told by Zoe. This fluctuation between multi-character realistic scenes and Zoe’s personal experience inside her tumultuous mind lets us explore what light reads as emotionally. So much of this show takes place in Zoe’s mind as she struggles with trauma it begs questions like ‘what color is guilt?’ ‘how do we light grief?’ These are the questions I love to think about as a designer. Often the most minimal look is the most effective so intentionally bringing up specific and minimal fixtures is how I often like to work, especially on shows like Ripe Frenzy that are inherently dark and in many ways have the theme of being alone. 

AQ. What excites you most about a show like Ripe Frenzy?

LS. So what excites me most about this show is what I’ve described – it’s the chance to help actors create deep characters.  Supporting their work onstage is the most important thing to me of all.

JS. I love working on shows that drift in and out of reality. I also think the message of the play and the fact that it’s told from the perspective of the mother…is so haunting and interesting. It’s a point of view most people have never thought of and I think it is a unique mind-space to tell this important story from.

Ripe Frenzy opens this Thursday December 12 -14 @ 8 PM and December 14 -15 @ 2 PM at the Alexander Stage, Harper Joy Theatre. Buy your tickets online here  or @ the HJT Box Office, open 12 - 4 PM M - F (509)527-5180. Note: This production deals with sensitive subject matter and contains explicit references to acts of gun violence in addition to explicit language, sexual innuendo, projections of dead animals, and loud sound. This show may not be suitable for young children, parental discretion is advised.