As the first high school to ever attempt the undertaking of this incredible show, we worked tirelessly to transform our performance space into a 360° surround experience for our audience and clearly communicate this 70-page slice of War and Peace.

NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

Company Manager, Construction Crew Head

360° Set Construction

When taking on a story and feat of this magnitude, it was extremely important to the company as a whole that we pay homage to the original Broadway production. With its invigorating outlook on what the theatre could be, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 revolves around audience and actor interaction as well as pushes the limits with its combination of electronica, rock, and opera style compositions. We wanted to bring that same holistic feel of 19th-century Russia to our high school auditorium, so we designed and built stages from scratch that reached out into either side of the audience and a pit surround stage into the center of the seating (shown above). As Construction Crew Head, I taught our underclassmen how to safely use equipment and delegated construction assignments ranging from painting stair flats to flipping 8 foot high platforms. Below, you can see me constructing one of thirteen onstage platforms, the bare bones of our onstage set, and the hanging curtains to conceal backstage from our onstage audience.

360° Performance Experience

When combining the actors and audience members onstage, we discovered ways to use the space in a new way that would enable actor-audience interactions but still allow a cohesive story to take place. Before the show, we had actors greeting the audience in the aisles and giving them pre-show reminders as well as actors milling around onstage and talking to every table (shown below). Our orchestra members were also scattered around the set with some onstage behind audience members (shown top left), some in the pit, and some on their own private stages in the audience (shown bottom left). By utilizing the placement of the orchestra, the actors, and the audience, we facilitated a truly 360° ambience and experience for our production.

Company Management

This is the first show in which we truly utilized the role of a Company Manager within our department. As the first high school to take on this show with the added aspects of onstage audience and actors in the house, I became the director's right-hand man in all company communication, audience interactions, and overseeing of safety. Because of the intensity and magnitude of the rehearsal process, I organized a rehearsal schedule and kept up daily communications with the cast and crew. With the added safety measures of allowing audience onstage as well as putting our actors in the audience, I was the point person for making sure our onstage members knew what to expect and every actor we sent in the house was safe and reported any possible issues.

Projection Mapping

To keep up the all-around experience of the show, we employed projections throughout the entirety of the auditorium. There were no specific locales within our set, so we relied on the projections and lighting to give context to our audience as to where each scene was taking place. By projecting on the stage walls, the proscenium, and the auditorium side walls (shown above), our audience was given the tools to understand where every scene was taking place and kept in the story from the moment they walked into the room.