Design Proposal

1. Forum

I’ve thought a lot about making the stage floor look like the “stage” of some sporting event. There are a lot to choose from: basketball, football, soccer, baseball, tennis, track and field, etc, but I don’t want necessarily to single out one sport over the other. That is why I propose our floor be a combination sports floors. Like a basketball court that has a double border (like tennis); it should also have lines running horizontally like in football, and those lines should be delineated by yards. I’d also like to see the three-point semicircle turned into the rectangle that is around the goal in soccer. If we could find a way to turn the half-court circle into the boundaries of shot-put, that would be great too. In terms of a backdrop, I think we are all agreed that we need to have a giant chalk board, but I would love it if it were the skyline of Louisville. Or maybe a “skyline” of the University of Louisville? Either way, I’d also like steps leading up to a platform where the scout can draw the door, it opens, the scout enters, it closes, and the scout escapes down stairs behind the chalk board backdrop.
Budget: 30fl oz of Rustoleum Specialty Chalk Board Paint: $11.90 from Sears

I figured we would need 3-5 cans.

For painting lines on the “field” we can find very cheap white paint at The Home Depot - $12.97 for a gallon of tintable white paint.

I’m not sure about how much lumber costs.

2. Facsimilies

I’d love for each realm to use UofL signage and icons pertaining to the particular sport(s) being played. For example, maybe the Sex, Pleasure, Fun realm could take place at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium (and have all the signage, slogans, jumbo-trons, fonts, etc., associated with it) since this is where Tom Brady, the football superhero shows up. I’d also love to see a slide show of mascots when the mascot tells his/her origin story. Most if not all of the audience member will recognize these images of previous incarnations of our mascot, and should relate to them.

3. Folk

In terms of reflecting local culture, I think it is important to remind the audience about Louisville with things like, “keep Louisville weird,” The Kentucky Derby (and its associated events, e.g. Thunder Over Louisville, The Great Balloon Glow/Race, The Pegasus Parade, etc), Lebowski Fest, Kentucky Shakes (which would be über-easy to incorporate), the Pride Festvities, St. James Court Art Show, The Louisville Slugger Museum, ear-X-tacy, etc… I’m not exactly sure how to incorporate any of these just yet. It will require some class discussion and collaboration. This may be a part of the facsimilies, or it could be as easy as adding the names of some of these events to the clothing we wear.

4. Found

I would love, love, love it if we could ask our interviewees for their own sports memorabilia (i.e. jerseys, gloves, hats, cleats, bats, balls, etc) and frame them. Then we can hang them on the walls of the thrust as if they were the sports heroes of the hall of fame, or of those athletes hanging on the walls of arenas. Maybe we could get a hold of their trophies (including real trophies for accomplishments, and mental trophies like leg braces, splints, etc).

5. Fabrication

I’m not sure if we can actually get those people of the sports community to make some of our props, costumes, or set decorations, but if we could, that would be awesome. Perhaps we could invite them to help build the set, as long as Charles would be okay with that? Or maybe spend an afternoon/evening helping us paint?

6. Costumes

I think that our costumes need to be as realistic as possible. Yes, this play is a fantasy, but it needs to be real. I’m thinking jerseys, uniforms, and then everyday street clothes. I don’t think it would be too hard to find this stuff cheap, as well as creating it cheap. Also, in order to keep things inexpensive, we could just use small props to create the illusion of characters. We need cheerleaders? Dress them in black, slap a “letterman’s jacket insignia” across their chest, and give them pom-poms. Boom. Cheerleaders. Same thing for coaches or even referees, unless we want the mascot to be the only ref. Just give them a whistle, a clipboard, and a hat.