Set Design and Construction: God's Favorite

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God's Favorite

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3494
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 2:49pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: God's Favorite

Posted By: ZBeebs
Subject: God's Favorite
Date Posted: 9/29/08 at 6:25pm

Has anyone put on a production of Neil Simon's God's Favorite? I'm wondering how you made the transition between acts where the Benjamin mansion burns down? I've got some ideas, but I'd be interested in hearing how others have handled it. Thanks.

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Via, Veritas, Vita

Replies:

Posted By: rjmarcott
Date Posted: 9/29/08 at 8:28pm

zBeebs-

I directed Gods Favorite for Bradford Little Theatre a few years ago. You can see a couple set pictures on past shows on our website http://www.bradfordlittletheatre.org - www.bradfordlittletheatre.org . The secret is to build the burned out set first and make the good set with hanger brackets. It intermission, it takes only a few minutes to remove the very few hold down screws (be sure your stage crew knows where they are) The good set hangs over the burned one. With one practice session--we changed the set in 12 minutes.

I think I have a few pictures that may help if you give me your e-Mail address.

Dick

Posted By: texastornado
Date Posted: 10/21/08 at 6:58pm

Hi Dick,

Our theatre plans to put on God's Favorite in February 2009. I like your idea of the clean flats over the burned out one. Would you mind e-mailing me any photos you have of the set, or any additional suggestions for construction. Also, exactly what type of hanger brackets did you use?

Thanks for your help.

Jan Derrickson - Managing Director

Tin Building Theatre - Clifton, Texas

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Jan Derrickson-Managing Director-Tin Building Theatre-Clifton, Texas

Posted By: TimW
Date Posted: 10/28/08 at 3:37pm

I built the set for God's Favorite within the past 6 years. I built it about the same way as rjmarcott did.

The only difference is that the 'good' walls had braces on the back with casters and were hinged to the floor with loose pin hinges. At intermission, we unhooked the side walls, layed them back enough to set on the casters and rolled them back about 3 feet.

Then the burnt walls that were ranged from 2 feet to 3 1/2 feet were brought in and attached to the hinges that stay attached to the floor.

Black fabric was hung on the 'good' walls when they were rolled back for the burnt scene and created our masking.

I will try to find photos later.

Tim

Posted By: texastornado
Date Posted: 10/28/08 at 3:51pm

Hi Tim,

Thanks for letting me know how you did your walls for GF. If you can find photos, I would love to see them. My two e-mail addresses are mailto:theatre@bosqueconservatory.com - theatre@bosqueconservatory.com and mailto:texastornado@hotmail.com - texastornado@hotmail.com

It always helps to get input from others that have done a production like this before you.

Thanks again.....Jan

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Jan Derrickson-Managing Director-Tin Building Theatre-Clifton, Texas

Posted By: ziggy1122
Date Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:24pm

We're getting ready to put on God's Favorite this summer 2009 and if anyone has any information they can share, I'd greatly appreciate. Any information on making the costumes and set pieces look burnt would be helpful too.

The idea of building the good set on top of the burnt set seems logical and the best way.

John
jleblanc at stjamestheater.org

Posted By: texastornado
Date Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:33pm

We just finished a highly successful run of God's Favorite this past weekend. I'll write more later and tell you how we did it. I'm headed to the theatre right now.

Jan Derrickson - Managing Director - Tin Building Theatre - Clifton, Tx.

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Jan Derrickson-Managing Director-Tin Building Theatre-Clifton, Texas

Posted By: greenphoenix
Date Posted: 2/24/09 at 9:42pm

I've directed it twice for community theatres. We hung draperies along the wall for Act One, then removed them to reveal the burn damage painted underneath.

We arranged stray bricks, black spray-painted lumber, blackened newspaper and cloth scraps along the floor.

The couch was covered with a distressed sofa cover.

All these methods were affordable, effective for our needs, and not too hard to prepare or clean up.

Posted By: texastornado
Date Posted: 2/25/09 at 7:01am

We built the "good" with 2 full walls & 1 side wall made of fake brick sheets and the remaining walls of luan wood. We left the brick walls up for the "bad" aset nd just rolled ashes on them and painted the crown molding black to look burned. We had the remaining flats on very large sliders attached to the base of the flats and just slid them offstage. We then slid burned out flats (basically burned and/or painted boards to look burned) onto the set and put them where the good flats had been. We spray painted fake trees black (that had only a few leaves)in pots to replace the good trees, hung spray painted frames to look burned, and had a burned out couch for Act 2. We also had burned boards laying around on the floor. Our local fire dept. burned the couch for us. We also made a cut-away bar to replace the good one and had it partially burned. It was all very effective, and the entire switch took us only 7 1/2 minutes between acts. We painted a mural on the back wall of snow and fir trees going off in the distance to give added effect during Act 2 (as the outdoor area off the terrace.) Anyone who wants photos of the 2 sets, just send me your e-mail address and I'll forward photos to you. My regular e-mail address is mailto:tejastornado@hotmal.com - tejastornado@hotmal.com or mailto:theatre@bosqueconservatory.com - theatre@bosqueconservatory.com . The audience was really overwhelmed with the change in our two sets and it was so easily done. Did have to have good carpenters to build the "good" sets (from luan wood) and make sure they slid together well. We hooked them with latch hooks. We had each flat attached to a platform for sturdiness. We didn't make the fireplace wall fall down in Act 2, but had the character playing Sidney Lipton fall into the room through the fireplace opening. That got a lot of laughs for us too. Of course, we had to clean the "brick" walls with pledge after each show, and spray paint the top crown molding back to white, but that only took a few minutes to do for the next show.

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Jan Derrickson-Managing Director-Tin Building Theatre-Clifton, Texas