Polaroid Stories (University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 2014)

By Naomi Iizuka

Director: Lisa Gaye Dixon

Scenic Designer: Jose Diaz

Props Master: Binky Donely

Props Assistant: Lindsey Sample

 

Setting: Run down Urban area, late 1990s/early 2000s

Subject Matter: Mythology, Abuse, Escape, Drug Use, Love, Loss, Fear, Homelessness, Longing

      This show was the first that I was involved in in Grad School. My advisor, Binky, was the Props Master, and there really wasn’t much to do for this show in terms of props. It was mostly set dressing. Although, I did get at least one fun job. I got to make smokable fake marijuana that smells real (a delicately balanced combination of two types of tobacco, black tea, and dried oregano). So this show was getting in the mindset of what an urban area that homeless and troubled young people hangout in and around would look like. The scenic designer gave us a treat in adding the car in the set, so we decked it out with food trash, fake drugs, tears, spills, stains, “sex trash”, etc. And we added junk treasures throughout the set to add layers to the world.