Madama Butterfly

music by Giacomo Puccini
directed by Johnathon Pape * scenic|prop design AmarA*jk * costumes Sue Johnson * conductor Andrew Altenbach

starring * Kasia Borowiec * Jordan Schreiner * Tesia Kwarteng * Aaron Stepanek

This design needed to overcome three distinct challenges:

Balancing the space needs of the staging - including 20-30 chorus members - with the space needs of the full orchestra
Creating the grandeur of Butterfly's world on a very limited budget
Using the orchestra pit to connect the audience aisles to the stage for entrances

In the interest of budget and simplicity, we used the tree, the drop, and the large rolling screens from an older set.

The venue proscenium is very tall, so we designed an imposing facade in the style of a traditional torii gate, which marks the border between the mundane and the sacred, as well as marking the place - ironically - as a shinto shrine.

The pathway from the audience aisles to the stage was a major element, since almost all entrances took place along this path. We uses a switchback style to give the feel of climbing a mountain. Railings of real bamboo tied with hemp string in a traditional manner then dressed with vines and plants to gave it a very realistic feel for the audience and singers.

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