September 2018
The Secret Behind... The Art of the Set
The set of The Lion in Winter
Throughout Cape May Stage’s 30 th Anniversary season, our patrons have seen some of our most beautiful and detailed sets in Cape May Stage’s history. While we are grateful for the amazing designs created by our Set Designers, without the incredible work of our Scenic Artist, our sets would not be as visually stunning. From the woodwork in Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End , the detailed accents of the apartments in Chapter Two and the incredibly detailed stonework in The Lion in Winter , we have our Scenic Artist Mary Reischmann’s incredible skills to thank. 
The set for Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End featured woodwork detail and wallpaper all created by our scenic artist
Chapter Two's set required creating two different apartments that look completely different. Through her painting skills, Mary gave each space very defined looks
Our Scenic Artist, Mary Reischmann, hard at work on the set for Cape May Stage's next production: The Shuck
Mary became a scenic artist almost accidentally. “I was way into my high school art classes and community art projects (murals, installations, etc.), and then when I got to college, I was assigned to work in the scene shop as my federal work-study job.”

Mary found herself learning incredible painting skills through this position without actually taking classes. After graduation, she found herself working as a painting assistant at The Muny in St. Louis. Following this job, one freelance job after another fell into her lap and pushed her to pursue scenic art as a full time job.
The Lion in Winter
For The Lion in Winter , Mary was tasked with creating huge and elaborate stone walls. While an easier method called trompe l’oeil (a two dimensional painting method used to trick the eye into thinking the painting is three dimensional) could have been an option, the set designer preferred the walls be sculpted. While quite a challenge, Mary embraced it and used non-traditional materials and tools.

All of the walls in The Lion in Winter were created from green insulation foam and hand carved using her two favorite unexpected tools: a wire brush attached to a drill (to create even yet slightly jagged lines) and a hot knife (resembling a flattened hair curler) to cut through the foam like butter. The wire attachment works nicely for the separation between stones, while the hot knife is ideal in creating the straighter cracks and chips in the center of the stones. To complete the three dimensional look, sand is mixed in to the paint in order to create a more textured finish. 
While a normal drill bit would have given lines that look too even, the metal brush creates slightly jagged lines
The hot knife that can slice through the green insulation foam like butter... and leave a scar or two if not careful!
While it can sound very overwhelming to some, Mary said the hardest part of the project was actually “the sheer size of the walls, which are almost twice as tall as what we normally work with. It looks really impressive on stage, but they were hard to maneuver around the shop as I worked on them.”
Close-up details of the incredible stone work
On the other end of the spectrum, Mary was also tasked with creating several tapestries for The Lion in Winter that adorn the set. Using reference photos from 12 th century tapestries provided by the set designer, Mary was able to create unbelievably realistic tapestries from scratch. 
The Shuck: Sneak Peak!
One of Mary's favorite previous productions that she painted was called SKY SKY SKY, which took place in a post-apocalyptic junkyard. For Cape May Stage’s next production, The Shuck , Mary gets to use some of her favorite weathered and worn techniques to bring The Shuck’s rusty, old oyster buyboat to life. While it could look like we salvaged parts from a junkyard, this is due to Mary’s amazing distressing techniques that transformed normal wood into a visually stunning set.
A few sneak peeks of Mary's incredible scenic painting for The Shuck
Mary's guide to creating a quick worn and weathered look:
1 - Start by painting a simple wood grain design
2 - Dip a wood block into the desired distressing color
3 - Drag the woodblock down the wood grain design
4 - Use a sponge and dark, muddy paint to blend the paint applied through the wood block technique
5 - You are left with a unique look that resembles an old paint job that has chipped away from neglect
Join us for The Lion in Winter
The Lion in Winter
Writer: James Goldman
Director: John Gulley
Tuesday-Sunday at 8 PM
Final performance: September 14

Adult Tickets $40.00
Senior Tickets $35.00
Student & Military $25.00

Interested in owning one of the remarkable tapestries?

Email development@capemaystage.org to find out how you can own a part of Cape May Stage!
Join us for The Shuck
The Shuck
Writer: Shawn Fisher
Director: Roy Steinberg
September 19 – November 9
Wednesdays – Saturdays 7:30pm
Saturdays & Sundays 3pm

Adult Tickets $40.00
Senior Tickets $35.00
Student & Military $25.00

Constance has spent her life on the deck of a workboat. When her troubled son is lost at sea, and her long-lost daughter suddenly decides to visit, she is forced to face the truth about her family and the secrets that broke it apart so many years ago. A world premier by a Cape May County native.
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Cape May Stage | Robert Shackleton Playhouse | 405 Lafayette Street | Cape May, NJ 08204