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Arts Express
Sweeney Todd October 2020 A story about revenge, cruelty, and pure disgust, Sweeney Todd seeks vengeance for his daughter, Joana, who has been trapped mentally, emotionally, and physically, in the home of Judge Turpin. Eager to kill Turpin, Sweeney "practices on less honorable throats," leading to the climactic moment of Turpin's doom.
Due to COVID-19, this year's season shifted to a new format, including adaptive seating, masks for both cast and audience, social distancing, daily temperature checks, and more. Since several venues in the city were shut down due to the pandemic, Arts Express sought out to find a temporary home to continue providing entertainment to the community. Park Place Mall revealed that they had a vacancy: a 12,000 sq. ft. retail store, big enough to accommodate for a large stage, fitting rooms (turned into "dressing rooms" for the cast), a furnished lobby, and plenty of seating to hold up to roughly 100 audience members, even with social distancing between tables. With safety in mind for both the production team and cast, no wireless lavalier microphones were used in this production. Instead, choir mics that hung from the ceiling were implemented, and I took it upon myself to become familiar with the blocking movements of the cast, following their movements on stage according to the microphone they were closest to in the air. |
Directed by Chris Will
Scenic Design by Mike Dunn Lighting Design by Michael Sorenson Costume Design by Megan Wiese Photos by Ben Wiese and Mike Davis |
