Month: June 2023

We are so grateful for the talent that Claire Brenia, Charleston Stage’s Shop Technician and Scenic Painter, brings to the table in designing the scenes for THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, running July 22-30. Hear from her about her design process and artistic styles below:

Share with us your artistic background. How did you get into theatre and scenic design?

I got involved in theatre during high school, through my visual arts classes. The theatre kids knew I could paint and recruited me to help them with painting flats for their shows, and from there I became involved in our productions’ scenic design, performance, and even some costume design for my own roles! By senior year of high school, I knew I wanted to go to college for scenic design and I studied at the University of Southern Mississippi where I received my B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology.

Which styles of theatre do you gravitate towards the most? Why?

I tend to enjoy working on weirder, niche shows, because they lend themselves towards more interesting themes and employ unconventional theatre techniques (or, at least, I find that a designer has more leeway to do something unconventional).

I’m still figuring out my “style” of theatre, but of the shows I’ve worked on so far, the ones that have resonated with me most are those that are poetic, and/or pose challenging stories. I take a very literary approach when working on my shows, so it’s valuable to me when the scripts I design from have depth with their themes and an interesting use of language.

What has inspired you as you create your designs The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical? What are your dreams for Charleston Stage’s visual presentation of this special show?

Early in our process, our director (who is also our Director of Education at Charleston Stage!) wanted the show to be recognizable for our younger audiences, and so she steered us in a direction that took inspiration from the Percy Jackson graphic novels.

In the scenic design, I didn’t want to directly copy imagery from the Percy Jackson graphic novels, but rather reference the larger framework of comic book conventions. In the set I allude to comic book page layouts, print media textures, and our painting style especially takes textural influence from the first Percy Jackson graphic novel’s art style.

What has come easily as you design the show? Which aspects have proven to be more challenging?

It was easy to establish the “setting” of the show as an amphitheater because as a location it ties together the setting of Camp Half-Blood with ancient Greek architecture, which is relatable and recognizable to an audience. 

For me, it was challenging translating all of the play’s different locations into the setting of our amphitheater. I think we landed in a really interesting place, though, that invites the audience to suspend disbelief and gives our actors opportunities to explore more actions that tell us where we are in the show. 

What are your favorite shows of all time?

My favorite musical is Ragtime, which I saw for the first time when I worked on it in 2019. I loved the music and thought the themes were very powerful. My favorite straight play is War Horse, produced by the U.K.’s National Theatre because it is such a cohesive design. My favorite show I have worked on is Blood Brothers, a weird rock-opera, synth-pop musical based on wives-tales in England.

Get your tickets to see THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, running for a limited engagement July 22-30, at CharlestonStage.com.

David Jordan Baxter, our Assistant Costume Shop Manager and Cutter and Draper, has brought incredible talent to designing the costumes for our production of THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL. Hear about his artistic style and design process below:

Share with us your artistic background. How did you get into theatre and costume design?

I got my B.A. in music with a concentration in Classical Voice from Kentucky Wesleyan College and while I was there I worked as a local dresser for touring shows that would come through our theatre. I also helped a local theater company, Back Alley Musicals, with costumes for their larger productions. After graduating, I spent a few summers at the Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, Connecticut as the Costume Shop Manager, and was the Wardrobe Supervisor for the Off-Broadway production of Martin Luther on Trial.  After that I was the star dresser on the National Tour of Kinky Boots. While on tour, I applied to the M.F.A. Costume Design program at Florida State University, and was accepted to attend that fall. I spent the next three years at FSU taking classes in both costume design and technology. While I do love to design, technology has become my primary focus.

Which styles of theatre do you gravitate towards the most? Why?

I find myself being pulled toward shows with great concepts and larger-than-life aspects. I also really love puppets, so I’m definitely a fan of Avenue Q, Little Shop of Horrors, and Julie Tamor’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. I think the reason I am drawn to shows like this is, again, the larger-than-life aspects you can achieve with puppets. To quote Tammy Faye Baker, “Everybody loves puppets!”

Featured (Left to Right): Charleston Stage Resident Actors Brendan Considine as Grover, Cody Elsensohn as Percy Jackson, and Chloë Wendler as Annabeth in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Photo by Reese Moore Photography

What has inspired you as you create your designs The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical? What are your dreams for Charleston Stage’s visual presentation of this special show?

In talking with the director, Rylee Coppel, we discussed that we both really like the visual quality of the graphic novel version of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. We talked about what aspects from the graphic novel we wanted to include, so keep an eye out for easter eggs if you’re a fan of the books! I also thought about the use of “Mist” in the novels. It is a magic spray that mythical beings use to make themselves appear human while in the human world. Playing on the idea of what these creatures would look like as the “Mist” began to wear off, I have designed some new ways to look at a minotaur or a flying fury!

What has come easily as you costume the show? Which aspects have proven to be more challenging?

The easiest part has been putting together modern costumes for the teenage characters. The more challenging aspects have been creating the designs for the monsters–as I mentioned in the previous question, figuring out where these monsters are in their transition between human and monster.

Featured: Charleston Stage Resident Actor Cody Elsensohn as Percy Jackson. Photo by Reese Moore Photography

What are your favorite shows of all time?

Okay, big toughie here. In no particular order…She Loves Me, Gypsy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Godspell, Sunday in the Park with George, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. 

Save your seats for THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, running for a limited engagement July 22-30, at CharlestonStage.com.

Featured: Charleston Stage Resident Actors Cody Elsensohn as Percy Jackson, Brendan Considine as Grover and Chloë Wendler as Annabeth in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Photo by Reese Moore Photography

We sat down with Lauryn Kay, Charleston Stage’s new Institutional Giving Manager, to learn more about her passion for the performing arts and community enrichment in Charleston. Read below:

Tell us about your background in the performing arts.

I grew up with a strong passion for music that came from singing in school choirs and shows. My favorite part of high school was singing and dancing in show choir, and I knew music and performing arts would always be a big part of my life. I studied music at Charleston Southern University and received my Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Florida. During this time, I sang in choral ensembles, operas, and theatre productions. My favorite roles were The Witch (Into the Woods) at CSU and Rosina (Barber of Seville) with UF Opera Theater. After college, I worked in arts administration and frequently performed with Gulfshore Opera in Fort Myers, FL. Since moving back home to Charleston this year,  I have participated in concerts with The King’s Counterpoint choir, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, and worked for Spoleto Festival USA.  

Nonprofit development is a special vocation of work. What does serving the arts community in Charleston mean to you?

The arts community in Charleston has a special place in my heart. This is a city I love to call home! I feel privileged to work downtown in the same places I watched musicals and performed in choir concerts. I want to serve this community by helping to make theatre and live performances more accessible to Charleston locals and visitors. Through this mission, theater lovers are united! 

What excites you about Charleston Stage? 

Charleston Stage is beaming with quality theater productions and diverse educational programs. Amongst this, there is a sense of community and collaboration that I’m thrilled to join! 

What is your favorite show of all time?

If I had to pick a favorite, it’s the all-time classic, West Side Story. I played Anita at CSU and have seen it more times than I can count –  it never gets old! 

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