The Edsel Ford Theater Department has been hard at work constructing the set for its new production, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” While the fall production of Hamlet featured a two-story interior castle set that extended fully to the back of the stage, this show has a rotating platform built with four rooms that act as the different characters’ homes.
In addition to the main set, additional scenes will take place in front of the set, behind cardboard walls representing walls of ice, and off to the side with props indicating garden environments.
This set is the vision of Geoffrey Kelm, the theater director at Edsel Ford, to whom all actors and crew members report. Mr. Kelm, simply called “Kelm” by his crew, oversaw and directed the construction of the main platform, which consists of eighteen rectangular platforms on wheels connected by screws in the shape of a square. The platform rotates around a short metal pole, secluded by the walls built above.
While Kelm is responsible for designing the layout of the set and directing the construction of the platform, crew director Myna Berkulter oversaw additional activities, such as the movement of equipment, discarding unneeded materials, and painting the set to better reflect the home environments portrayed.
Nolan Sirrine acted as a secondary director, guiding both crew members and volunteers during the transportation of assets into storage, on and off stage, and into different rooms to be deconstructed. Through his direction, another volunteer and I were able to completely strike, or clear of all assets, the stage within a few hours on the last day of painting. The communication between him and us enabled us to transport heavy objects like mock doors and platforms efficiently.
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” opens Thursday, April 24th, and ends Saturday, April 26th.