The Objectives:
Given that the real Crazy Ladies bookstore served as a safe space and haven sorts for queer women in the Cincinnati area for decades, it was important to Rose and I to give the set as much authenticity as we could, and attempt to evoke those same warm and welcoming feelings. Though the bulk of the play is set within the bookstore, there were also some segments we needed to accommodate for set within one of the character’s apartments as well as interludes featuring interview quotations in the present day.
Crazy Ladies is based on the true story of the feminist bookstore of the same name in Cincinnati, Ohio and the pioneering queer women who founded it. With a script by Chelsea Hoy and directed by Alexandra Leurck, the piece was performed as part of the 2024 Miami University Ensemble Festival in the Studio 88 blackbox theater with a set designed by myself and Rose Kurutz for thrust configuration. The play follows the evolution of the bookstore across decades, cutting in and out with present day interviews with the women featured in the play.
The Processes:
After evaluating the needs for the set called for both in the script and real-world historical records provided by our dramaturgs, as well as taking stock of the available resources for this production, Rose and I collaborated to design the layout for the bookstore beginning with their concept sketches which I translated into a simple model in Unreal Engine for the use of our actors and director. As seen in the topmost photo, we set up the bookstore with a sitting area, counter space, and reading nook with bookshelves lining the back. This sitting area was reconfigured for the apartment sequence and placed on the center rug, as seen on the left, with the present day sequences set on black stools around the edges. The books lining the shelves were acquired from a number of sources to provide authentic material that would have been on the shelves in the real world store. The furniture was sourced from MU Theatre resources, and Rose and I assembled posters for the back bulletin board as well as the Crazy Ladies sign.