WTF SETS APPEAL

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Over the past 57 years, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has developed a powerful reputation for top-notch production values, especially in the area of scenic design.  A pantheon of world-class designers (many of whom got their start at WTF) have worked at the Festival over the years, and it's a common occurrence for audiences to burst into applause when the curtain rises to reveal their imaginative work.   

 

This season, we've faced some incredible obstacles on our way to the stage and could really use some extra help from you. 

 

Due to the breakneck pace of the Festival season, our stages must be transformed from one show to the next in a matter of 48 hours and we require a large offsite scene shop to construct and paint the formidable sets for our productions.  We are frequently building two or more shows simultaneously, employing a crew of over 50 design assistants, carpenters, painters, and technicians.

 

For the past decade, the WTF scene shop was located in the Delftree building, a 19th-century mill in nearby North Adams that also served as a storage facility for 57 years worth of furniture and props.  In February of this year, heavy snow load caused the building's roof to collapse in several spots, including the space leased by WTF.  The building was declared unsafe and we were not able to go in and assess the damage until early May.  We did know, however, that we needed a new home.   

DELFTREE MILL ON MAY 3, 2011

After looking at several potential sites, we chose the historic Blackinton Mill, which is conveniently located just over the town line in North Adams.  The complex had been recently purchased and the new owners were eager to have WTF as an anchor tenant as they strive to redevelop the site.  We assembled a crack team of carpenters and, on May 5, started to transform the raw space in the Blackinton Mill into a theatrical scene shop.         

BLACKINTON MILL ON MAY 3, 2011

Time was of the essence, as we needed to start building the sets for our first production on June 13 - just six weeks away.  Crews started moving equipment and materials from the old shop to the new space, a new shop floor was laid, loading ramps were built, new lighting and electrical systems were installed, offices and support spaces were constructed, and hundreds of other improvements and customizations were made.  Efficiency, economy, and safety were the key elements in the design of the new shop.  In addition, tens of thousands of furniture pieces and props were moved and sorted into the new storage space.     

BLACKINTON MILL ON JUNE 1, 2011

The new scene shop is a considerable upgrade from the previous site in regards to safety and efficiency, as well as general livability for our staff.  Previously occupying the same large space, the wood shop, metal shop, and paint deck are now separate spaces and office and design facilities are significantly improved.  It's important to remember that this shop is also a classroom where our interns and apprentices, who are working at this pace and professional level for the first time, are instructed and mentored by designers and senior members of the staff.

 

In season, the crew's biggest challenge, and eventual triumph, centered on the massive sets for She Stoops to Conquer.  Designed by David Korins, a former WTF design intern and assistant who's now one of the nation's most sought-after designers, it was a highly complex project given the Festival's tight schedule.  The final product was magnificent, and the opportunity to work alongside artists like Korins (who knows first-hand what it's like to be a WTF intern) is an experience the Festival is proud to offer to new generations of designers and theatre artists.       

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER SET IN PROGRESS 

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

By any measure, the 2011 season was incredibly ambitious, and our crews worked tirelessly to execute the visions of our designers and transport our audiences to the specific world of each production.  The new shop served this season well and should continue to serve the Festival's legacy of world-class scenic design into the future.  

 

A SLIGHTLY DISHEARTENING FOOTNOTE

On the final day of the 2011 season, just as we were carefully closing up the shop for the winter, Mother Nature, in the form of Tropical Storm Irene, paid a seriously unwelcome visit to our beautiful new home.          

WTF PROP STORAGE AUGUST 30, 2011 

 

The nearby Hoosic River breached its banks and filled our freshly constructed and inventoried prop storage space with 10 feet of muddy water.  While some items may be salvageable, the majority of the stock - collected over half a century - is damaged and will have to be discarded. 

 

Together, these two unfortunate incidents have forced the Festival to incur roughly $350,000 in expenses over and above our annual budget.  These extra bills are starting to pile up and, while we're hoping to receive a reasonable insurance settlement and have applied for funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, we sincerely need your help to close an anticipated $100,000 gap by the end of September. 

We've received an extremely generous challenge gift of $50,000 from an anonymous supporter and have already secured $25,000 from some close friends of the Festival.  We ask you to please consider making a tax-deductible gift today to help match the final $25,000.   This goal must be reached by September 30.  Just 250 gifts of $100 will get us there, and a gift of any size will make a tangible difference. 

 

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A SECURE ONLINE DONATION .  

The level creative excellence we strive for in our scenic design is just one facet of the Williamstown Theatre Festival's commitment to bringing diverse, unexpected, and entertaining theatre to our audience.  You play a vital role by participating as an audience member and your generosity will help us produce the high-quality work you've come to expect, and appreciate, at WTF.  We are deeply grateful for your support and patronage and look forward to seeing you in Williamstown next summer.

 

Gifts may also be sent to:
Scene Shop Challenge
Williamstown Theatre Festival
PO Box 517
Williamstown, MA  01267

 

For more information, contact
Eric Kerns, Director of Development at ekerns@wtfestival.org 
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