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ACT I

Prologue:  London Roofline (SHIFT = Pre-show > Bert with London roofline) 

London, 1910.  Autumn. 

(dark sky, cuddling clouds, early 20th century rooftops spread out before us)

 

Needs of London set:

  • No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane

  • Roofline

Put roofline on permanent tracks (split into 2 pieces) with light source inside & gels on windows?

(Rented backdrop of Cherry Tree Lane)

Scenes 1-2:  Banks’ House (SHIFT = London Roofline > Banks' House)

 

Needs of house set:

  • parlor: umbrella stand (4), coat tree (4), front door, staircase, kitchen door

  • study:  desk / fireplace (7) - note: adertisement up chimney

  • (way to climb to roof)

  • (smoke going up chimney?)

  • gables (pg 98)

  • place for vase (109)

  • rubbish bin (109)

SR piece = fireplace instead of door

SL piece = includes hat rack/umbrella stand furniture piece

Scene 3:  Nursery   (SHIFT = House > Nursery) 

an airy room, light and full of optimism

 

Needs of nursery set:

  • toy box

  • beds (31)

  • way to pull out mirror, telescope, etc.) from bag

  • large dollhouse that toys must exit

  • a way for life-sized toys to enter into nursery (through dollhouse - but could be toy bench too?)

  • lights that pulse (must have sconces on wall)

  • children need to be whisked up the chimney (97)

Scene 4:  Park - Jolly Holiday  (SHIFT = Nursery > Park)

 

Needs of park set:

  • park gates (18) 

  • Bert’s paintings (a line of them)

  • statue of a boy with a dolphin on a plinth

  • other statues in park (Neleus, Queen Victoria)

  • costumes & set need to go from gray to color

  • tea party area (24)

  • rains (25) / pours (27)

  • color needs to drain from scene (25)

Scene 5-6:  House (SHIFT = Park > house interior > house exterior > kitchen) 

note:  house exterior (Bert) is taking place DURING transition into kitchen

(study, parlor, children in nursery window)

 

Needs of Kitchen set:

  • door (or entrance)

  • counter facing audience (pointsetta in Act II) 

  • kitchen dresser (spoon) 

  • cabinets (medicine bottle)

  • kitchen table

  • sink

  • window (bird) with branch for bird

  • giant birdcage needs to appear in Act II

  • ability to destroy and immediately fix various parts of kitchen

My design includes a BASEMENT kitchen with the main design element being pipes. 

 

Stairs (or landing stairs) from main house will be used to come down into kitchen.

 

Main wall unit of kitchen will include an inset for stove or counter as pictured to the left.

 

SL wall unit will include a "basement" window with small bush visible (for bird).

 

Set pieces (tables, etc.) will play in front of kitchen walls.

Scene 7:  Bank (SHIFT = Kitchen > Bank)

“a hive of industry with neither heart nor soul” (41)

 

Needs of bank set:

board table

Banks’ office

Scene 8:  Cathedral Steps (SHIFT = Bank > Cathedral Steps > Park)

“an austere columned facade of St. Paul’s Cathedral" 

 

Needs for Cathedral set:

steps / columns / saints?

Rented backdrop of St. Paul's Cathedral

 

Will need to build a stair unit (as pictured) to sit in front of it.

Scene 9:  Park / Mrs. Corry's Talking Shop  (SHIFT = Cathedral Steps > Park > Talking Shop)

"Mrs. Corry's shop magically appears.  Mrs. Corry and her two daughters, Annie & Fannie, are surrounded by clamoring customers demanding to buy conversations" (51)

 

Needs for Talking Shop set:

place from which to retreive letters, gingerbread, etc. 

Tall brick wall units from park turn and open up to reveal cabinet-like interiors full of letters.

 

 

 

Counter roll-on unit with many drawers. 

 

 

Top of counter unit has a playful vertical element?

Scenes 10-11:  House Interior / Nursery (SHIFT = Corry's shop > Park > House Interior > Nursery)

 

Needs of the Nursery Set:

turns to reveal Bert on Chimney

a way to Mary to get to roof (script says chimney, but could also be door/balcony and a way to climb to Bert

Scenes 12:  Nursery Roof (SHIFT = Nursery > Roof)

 

Needs of the Nursery Roof:

ability to support weight / ability for Mary to fly from roof

 

ACT II

Scene 1:  Street / House Interior (SHIFT = Intermission > Street > House Interior)

 

 

Scene 2-4:  Park  (SHIFT = House Interior > Park "Let's Go Fly a Kite" / George in Park / Winifred in Park)

 

 

 

Park = street lamp, bench, 2 park wall units DS 

 

 

(lamp & bench = rented pieces) 

 

Scenes 5-6:  House Interior (Parlor) (SHIFT = Park > House Interior)

 

 

Scene 7:  House Interior (Parlor) (SHIFT = House Interior > Nursery > Nursery Roofs > Rooftops for "Step in Time")

Note:  it is night in the nursery

Note:  children need to be whisked up chimney!

 

 

Scene 8:  Nursery Roof / Rooftops (SHIFT = Nursery Roof > Rooftops for "Step in Time")

Note:  At end of "Step in Time", house appears (103) and sweeps pass through the nursery down into the parlor (104) gathering up Mrs. Brill & Robertson Ay.  Remainder of scene takes place in House)

 

 

 

Smaller chimney / rooftop pieces are brought on stage as nursery roof moves upstage (pieces play on various parts of stage to add levels for dancers)

How various chimney pieces move at beginning of "Step in Time"

National Broadway tour of "Step in Time"

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