Eliza Linley
At the theatre you'll see an installation of Stations of the Cross. Kindly on loan from the artist.
Eliza Linley is an Episcopal priest, artist and architect. Her work includes arts ministries and pastoral care, and focusing on the creative center where art and spirit meet. She writes, "this series is not a commission, but has come out of my own my own prayer life. Every year in Holy Week, Christians the world over gather and read the story of Christ's Passion. It's almost comforting that we re-enact the story, year in, year out. I wanted to explore what happens when this core narrative, which transcends its own time and place, is translated into our own vernacular. Not only does the imagery become much more visceral, it introduces more timely issues and calls us to contemplate the world's suffering, God's justice and mercy in the light of our own day."
Claudia McGill When artist Claudia McGill
took a series of photos of a dilapidated pier in Ocean City, New
Jersey, she had no idea how they would inspire director Susan Myer
Silton and, in turn, scenic designer Roger McCune. Claudia's intention
was to use the photographs as a visual reference for her collage "Star" (top right). Though their intended use was as working photos (bottom right and at the very bottom of this web page), one emerged as
strong enough to stand alone as a work of art. Claudia called it "Derelict Pier" (below left) and posted a reproduction on her website.
Meanwhile,
Susan and her husband Michael were starting the marketing process for
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. A key component was the image that
would represent the play. They wanted something that would embody
Judas' isolation and despair, yet contain the hope of redemption. Susan
thought of a gnarled tree with spreading branches to represent the place
where Judas died, but also show the embrace of hope. Using the search term "gnarled tree", she was directed to
Claudia's website. There she indeed found a gnarled tree, but when she saw Claudia's
photograph "Derelict Pier", she immediately knew she had discovered the
play's image. It had exactly the stark, abandoned look she wanted. More importantly, it contained the shape of a cross, a symbol of
redemption. Susan emailed Claudia, who enthusiastically donated the use
of her imagery to the production. It was used to create the show logo (below right), as well as the poster.
"Derelict Pier" by Claudia McGill
Show Logo for "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot"
Claudia is an artist whose works reflect her philosophy: "Give it a try and
see what happens!...You are looking at digital photos that I've manipulated or enhanced in a way not usually done with
traditional film photography, and digital drawings/collages. I have
marked each one with some kind of definition, but digital work crosses
boundaries among photography, collage, drawing, and -- I'm not sure
what to call it, digital enhancements?"
Set and Lighting Design for "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot": Rays of Sunlight Effect
Roger McCune Claudia also offered to share all the photographs she had done for "Stark", showing shots of the pier from several different perspectives to assist in Roger McCune's composition of the 20' by 8' stage backdrop.
Roger, a painter who works in large scale, reversed the left-to-right orientation of "Derelict Pier" and used it as the focal point of his painting. He combined elements of many of Claudia's photographs to accentuate the foreshortening and to add the illusion of depth. As an actor playing several roles in the play, he brought his own interpretation to his work. The left side, where the sea is calm and a yellow light bathes the water and the sky, represents hope. In a small part of the sky in the upper right, angry clouds are forming and a lick of deep red edges a dark, foreboding shadow, which represents hell.
Django Hulphers, the lighting designer, created a look of rays of sunshine emanating from the clouds (above). Another lighting effect changes the clouds and sky to give the look of an impending storm (below).
Roger painted the stage floor to look like wooden planks, weathered by crashing waves. Upon them, he cast the subtle shadows of three crosses.
Set and Lighting Design for "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot": Impending Storm Effect
More of Claudia's working photos (below) that Roger used to create the backdrop painting
