Scenic Designer's Sketchbook

Clive Wearing - The Man without Memory

2008-11-09T11:59:00.006-06:00

Painted Renderings for a play about Clive Wearing. For Vicki Davis's Scene Design 1 Class.

First, about Clive Wearing:

In March of 1985, Clive Wearing, an eminent English musician and musicologist in his mid-forties, was struck by a brain infection—a herpes encephalitis—affecting especially the parts of his brain concerned with memory. He was left with a memory span of only seconds—the most devastating case of amnesia ever recorded. New events and experiences were effaced almost instantly. As his wife, Deborah, wrote in her 2005 memoir, “Forever Today”:
His ability to perceive what he saw and heard was unimpaired. But he did not seem to be able to retain any impression of anything for more than a blink. Indeed, if he did blink, his eyelids parted to reveal a new scene. The view before the blink was utterly forgotten. Each blink, each glance away and back, brought him an entirely new view. I tried to imagine how it was for him. . . . Something akin to a film with bad continuity, the glass half empty, then full, the cigarette suddenly longer, the actor’s hair now tousled, now smooth. But this was real life, a room changing in ways that were physically impossible.

In addition to this inability to preserve new memories, Clive had a retrograde amnesia, a deletion of virtually his entire past. (from The New Yorker)

The Illness - Clive becomes ill.

The Loss - Clive's illness tortures him.

The Reawakening - Still without memory, Clive rediscovers his music, and his love for his wife.

The Joy - Clive and Deborah Renew their wedding vows.

YouTube video about Clive Wearing:

another YouTube video, where Dr. Sacks talks about Clive Wearing:

To learn more about Clive Wearing see these websites:

Wikipedia Article on Clive Wearing
The Abyss - Music and Amnesia The New Yorker article by Dr. Oliver Sacks
His Wife Deborah's book about the experience
Musicophilia by Dr. Oliver Sacks
The man who keeps falling in love with his wife (UK Telegraph Article)

WNYC's radio piece on Clive Wearing:

The Barber of Seville - Photos of Rough Model

2008-11-07T08:08:00.002-06:00

(Very) Rough Model for The Barber of Seville for Vicki Davis's Scene Design 1 Class.

Photos of Exterior of Dr. Bartolo's, early morning:

Photos of Exterior of Dr. Bartolo's, morning:

Photos of Interior of Dr. Bartolo's:

Final Electra Model 2 - The Eye

2008-10-27T22:15:00.000-05:00

Electra set in her own mind's eye.

One of two models for Electra for Vicki Davis's Scene Design 1 Class. (See previous rough model here)

Final Electra Model 2 - The Eye (Video)

2008-10-27T22:14:00.002-05:00

A short video, to help you see how the spaces relate to each other.

Related Posts: Here and here.

Final Electra Model 1 - The Desert

2008-10-27T21:55:00.003-05:00

Electra set in a tribal desert area.

One of two models for Electra for Vicki Davis's Scene Design 1 Class. (See previous rough model here)

Electra by Sophocles - Rough Model 2

2008-10-16T11:43:00.002-05:00

A different concept, with Electra set in a tribal desert area.

The whole set.Close up of the same concept.

One of two rough models for Electra for Vicki Davis's Scene Design 1 Class.

Painting - English George I Walnut Gilt Chair (1725)

2008-10-15T22:38:00.002-05:00

Painting - English George I Walnut Gilt Chair (1725)

By Charles Murdock Lucas, 2008. Acrylic, and Ink on Watercolor Paper. From Rendering class with Franco Colavecchia

Electra by Sophocles - Rough Model 1

2008-10-14T11:38:00.003-05:00

One of two rough models for Electra for Vicki Davis's Scene Design 1 Class.

Painted Rendering - Zeppelins and Lancet Window

2008-10-10T13:05:00.004-05:00

A rendering project with scenery on a raked deck. "Zeppelins and Lancet Window"

By Charles Murdock Lucas, 2008. Acrylic, Marker, Ink, on Watercolor Paper. From Rendering class with Franco Colavecchia

Project - Monumental Scenery

2008-09-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

A class project on Monumental Scenery

By Charles Murdock Lucas, 2008. Graphite on Vellum. From Rendering class with Franco Colavecchia

Beauty and the Beast Album

2008-09-22T23:10:00.001-05:00

Interview: WBHM interviews myself, and director Abe Reybold about Beauty and the Beast set

2008-07-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

Tapestry is WBHM 90.3's (Birmingham, AL) weekly arts program. Below is the excerpt about the interview I had with Tanya Ott.

"And finally today, if you walk into Virginia Samford Theatre this weekend you'll find yourself transported to a visual wonderland. It's the final weekend of Red Mountain Theatre Company's production of Beauty and the Beast . Large cast, over-the-top costumes and a massive set. We caught up with director Abe Reybold - who's in Portland, Oregon, directing another show this week - and scenic designer Murdock Lucas - who's in North Carolina for graduate school.

The set of Beauty and the Beast...

Red Mountain Theatre Company's Beauty and the Beast runs through Sunday at the Virginia Samford Theatre."

You can also download the entire program here.

**UPDATE - The direct link seems to be broken, so go to the entire program link and scroll to near the middle for the segment**

Beauty and the Beast Video: A choreographed scene change from the show

2008-07-12T22:12:00.005-05:00

Beautifully choreographed by Joel Ferrel and Abe Reybold.

Not all scene changes were as slow and balletic, this one in particular helped set the mood for the production and give the sense of traveling through the vast castle interior.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast opens!

2008-07-11T10:20:00.005-05:00

Here are some of my pictures from tech week and load in for the show:

The Opening Look:

The Beast and the Rose:

The townspeople sing "Belle"

Gaston and Belle singing "Me":

The Dark Forest:

Come warm yourself by the fire:

Maurice Imprisoned:

Belle is given a room in the castle:

"Is this Home?"

Mrs. Potts and Madame de la Grande Bouche comfort Belle:

"Be Our Guest"

The Beast at the end of "If I Can't Love Her"

The Library revealed:

The curtain call:

Scenic Painting by Jillie Eves
Lighting by Eric Lange of University of Northern Iowa.
Costumes by Todd Roberts and Amy Rankin.

Playbill information here. Tickets still available.

More pictures to come, from a professional photographer.

Pictures from the Beauty and the Beast Build

2008-06-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

Beauty and the Beast in the shop at the Birmingham Children's Theatre shop:

The framing for the rolling buttress units:

The false proscenium mocked up:

The drop receiving it's final paint job in the Cabaret theatre of Red Mountain Theatre Company

Beauty and the Beast:The Process - Castle

2008-05-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

THE PROCESS

Today I'm posting an image that shows the flow of the design for the "Beast's Castle" Unit in the design I'm doing now for Red Mountain Theatre Company.

It shows the flow from initial sketches, to 1/8th inch true elevations with a hint of color, to a total redesign, then an 1/8th inch white model, 1/2 inch drafting and paint elevation. Once the show is built, I'll update this with some photos of the set itself.

Click it to take a closer look!

A single 1/8th inch scale model shot...

2008-05-13T10:02:00.001-05:00

...from Beauty and the Beast. We are now in the final design approval stages. More to come!

Beauty and the Beast

2008-04-23T16:35:00.003-05:00

I'm currently designing a production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Here are some of the rough 1/8th true elevations the design process started with...

West Wing...

"Human Again"

The Forest

Lots more to come soon.

Learn more about the show here.

Bouncers design featured in UA Website Design

2008-04-21T09:10:00.004-05:00

My scenic design for Bouncers has been incorporated into the website design for the University of Alabama Theatre and Dance Dept. home page. Cool.

A Gift Rendering

2008-04-08T20:00:00.003-05:00

I was asked recently to donate a rendering of The Playboy of the Western World as a gift for a valued contributor to our department. I made a copy before (reluctantly) releasing it.

Here it is:

Playboy Opens! And Closes.

2008-03-06T06:33:00.002-06:00

The Playboy of the Western World opened Feb. 26th and had a successful run at the University of Alabama. I have some early photos from our photo call:

Now I'm taking the design to competition at SETC in Chattanooga and USITT in Houston. The next production I'm working on is Disney's Beauty and the Beast for Red Mountain Theatre Company

The Mystery of Irma Vep

2008-02-25T09:10:00.002-06:00

I recently worked as the "Digital Portrait Artist" for The Mystery of Irma Vep at the University of Alabama. Pictures here!

Playboy Tech Week Continues

2008-02-23T20:07:00.004-06:00

It's only a few more days till The Playboy of the Western World opens at the University of Alabama Theatre Dept. Here are some pictures from the Tech Week process.

02.18

Still some painting to do at this point, and rehearsal furniture is still being used for some pieces.

02.21

Set dressing and lighting are being added in. Some lovely cues from Bill Teague, our lighting designer. The forty foot expressionist painting turned out pretty well for the show.

02.22

More set dressing arrives, and the cues get even better.

The costumes are being added next. Stay tuned for the final product!

Playboy Build Update

2008-02-15T20:02:00.002-06:00

Playboy of the Western World has been moving along in the shop at UA...

2008.01.22

Painting the Wall with joint compound to resemble plaster...

The rake installed, with some of the rehearsal furniture...
2008.02.15

The SL window in the process of getting painted...

The door is coming along...
The bar is finished.
Close up of the roof beams we installed.
The planked flooring is being installed.
The set (so far) from a distance.

KCACTF Reguion 4 Bouncers at the Regional Design Competition

2008-02-12T19:57:00.000-06:00

I recently took the design for Bouncers to the KCACTF region 4 design competition, and was a finalist. Here's a image of my display: