Properties Design for Tuck Everlasting
Ethington Theater
_______________________________________________________________________ "Tuck Everlasting is something of an anomaly of current musicals- it is a wholesome, family-friendly story that is filled with wonderful music, dancing, and heartwarming message." Said our director Claude Pensis when talking about this musical. I could not agree more with his decision; Tuck Everlasting is a simple, sweet show that will make you realize what living truly is. With a minimal amount of props, I wanted to ensure they complimented our designer's unique look and added whimsy back to the musical. Our director had mentioned several times that this musical is rather unsubtle, stripping away all the mystery from the book. He worked hard to bring that back to the show through blocking and acting choices. I recognized a loss of whimsy from this children's story and wanted to find a way to bring it back. One thing I did was purposefully have every prop The Man in the Yellow Suit uses be gold or yellow; I also added a fish that wriggled on the line. Not only were these funny but a whimsical use of props to enhance the show. From a 'closest to real' toad and a sandwich, these props kept me excited and intrigued. This musical was a beautiful show to read through and design, it gives us a look into 1881 while showing us life and people will always be the same.
Pictures: Tim Trumble and Ralph Fresco
Director: Claude Pensis Mar 2024
Above are A few of the props from Tuck
The Fair, My director and I worked together to decide what games were not only time-period appropriate but also what worked best for the production. We chose bottle toss, the shell game, and Feed the Hungry Clown. This fair, while fun, is also dirty and sinister; old games and tattered flags were a must.
Hugo's Magnifying glass Mae's Music Box Angus' Fishing pole
Winnie's toad or frog was a bit of an issue for us, I wanted something that moved or was electronic, and my Director hated the toad and wanted to cut it. Thus I found a squishy, realistic frog/toad that my director and I liked.
