Detroit '67

DESIGN TEAM

Director Sam Buchanan
Scenic Designer Aline Toloto
Co-projection Designers Aline Toloto and Hagan Harkins
Projection Technician Hagan Harkins
Costume Designer Rebecca Earehart
Lighting Designer Claire Brenia
Sound Designer Andrew Bledsoe
Hair and Makeup Designer Raven Harris
Production pictures David Coley and Claire Brenia

Transitional video projected on the second floor scenery

It is 1967 in Detroit. A family tries to survive and thrive despite of the systemic racism and violence they constantly had to deal with. Lank and Chelle are siblings, and they live in a house where they were raised by their parents. After their parents passed away, they became the homeowners of the house. With some friend’s help, they want to turn their basement into an after-hours party-place. What they were not expecting is, in the middle of ordinary life they would be trapped by the riots outside, horror and death would be surrounding the neighborhood for almost a week.

The set evokes a contrasting reality. A basement full of love, unity, and a sense of community to an outside world full of hate, racism, and violence. To achieve this conflicting atmosphere, the scenery is composed of a downstairs space and an “upstairs” space, which will be explored using projections from moment to moment transferring the audience from the basement to the outside, as well overlapping those two worlds.

The idea of using elevated panels on the second floor was inspired by a historical wall, Birwood Wall, built in Detroit in 1941. To complement the outdoor setting black students were invited to collaborate and tell a little bit of their stories through the scenery.

BEHIND THE SCENERY

The Birwood was built in 1941, and the fact that after 80 years this wall is still in the city called my attention. This 8-mile wall, was created to segregate “colored” people from a white neighborhood. The play does not mention the wall in the script but understanding that the Riots in 1967 was a response from decades of oppression, it felt appropriate to include a design element that symbolizes segregation and racism from the past. The project was open exclusively to people of color that would like to express through art their stories, reactions of the play, feelings or share something they would be interested about it.
The shop was open for the activity and supervised by the scenic designer, all the materials were provided.

During the rehearsal process videos of the actors performing the play were made, edited and later added to those panels as well. The director and the projection team wanted to emphasize some of those moments in the basement, repeating it on the second floor.

Video of Sly used at the end of the play after he is dead. In the last scene Chelle accepted that she has the right to dream and "have nice things too". She danced. And, Sly is there with her.

DETROIT '67

DESIGN TEAM

INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES

The images are collected by the creative team, early during the design process.

CREATIVE PROCESS

Software: SketchUp

First sketch

First white model

Second option white model

Ceiling piece vs projection flats situation

BEHIND THE SCENERY

Check out the artists that collaborated on this project!

PROJECTIONS

The scenery of the second floor is composed by flats to project images that brings the outside reality to the space. Overlapped historical images and short animations were used to achieve that.

During the rehearsal process videos of the actors performing the play were made, edited and later added to those panels as well. The director and the projection team wanted to emphasize some of those moments in the basement, repeating it on the second floor.

PAPERWORK

PRODUCTION PICTURES

*The photos below were taken at the last dress rehearsal.
After experimenting with the hanging lights being part of the set, the design team decided not to use it.

DETROIT '67

DESIGN TEAM

INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES

The images are collected by the creative team, early during the design process.

CREATIVE PROCESS

Software: SketchUp

First sketch

First white model

Second option white model

Ceiling piece vs projection flats situation

BEHIND THE SCENERY

Check out the artists that collaborated on this project!

PROJECTIONS

The scenery of the second floor is composed by flats to project images that brings the outside reality to the space. Overlapped historical images and short animations were used to achieve that.

During the rehearsal process videos of the actors performing the play were made, edited and later added to those panels as well. The director and the projection team wanted to emphasize some of those moments in the basement, repeating it on the second floor.

PAPERWORK

PRODUCTION PICTURES

*The photos below were taken at the last dress rehearsal. After experimenting with the hanging lights being part of the set, the design team decided not to use it.

*The photos below were taken at the last dress rehearsal.
After experimenting with the hanging lights being part of the set, the design team decided not to use it.