Weathervane Playhouse

June 2 – June 11, 2016

Directed by:  Adam Karsten

Scenic Designer:  Lex Gernon

Costume Designer:  Cora Delbridge

Lighting Designer:  Jennifer Sansfacon

 

 

The story of Jekyll and Hyde is familiar to many of us.  A doctor seeks to find and isolate the evil aspect of all people.  Denied the chance to test out his experiments on other people, he uses himself as the subject, inadvertently creating in himself a dual personality.  His doctorly side remains focused and vigilant, while the evil Hyde side of himself wreaks havoc throughout the town.  Eventually the two come to a conflict for control of the body.  The musical took these primal moments and created powerful and emotional music.

 

The concept for this production centered around making us all feel like we were in the asylum.  The background of the stage consisted of large sheets of heavy mil plastic, which characters could stand behind as if ghosts or moments in our minds.  Dr. Jekyll’s lab platform consisted of a small pool where his transformation would take place. 

 

My research had me exploring sounds of an asylum, opening the show with a burst of crazy and insane gibber before snapping us into the world of the piece.  Incidental sound effects and some ambiences kept the performance grounded in both London and the world of the asylum.

 

One of the large challenges we had to face was creating a way for Jekyll to wear a mic and yet get completely wet in the pool.  After several experiments, we solved this problem by building a microphone mount that could easily be removed by members of the ensemble just as the pool was being opened.  An area mic would pick him up during these moments.  After his transformation was complete, an extra wireless mic was hidden within his Hyde jacket, allowing him to sing his song of triumph above the orchestra.  In the second act, when he again would go into the water, his mic was secured, and his transmitter encased in a water-tight pouch.

 

This was my first show at Weathervane in several years, and it was a great one to return to.