A Closer Look
It takes a lot of magic backstage to make the magic we see onstage. Take a look at some of the brilliant behind-the-scenes work at Alley Theatre! To quote choreographer Christopher Windom, “Invest in socks, because when you start to see what these [design] elements are, your socks will be knocked off.”
Puppetry
Puppet designer Afsaneh Aayani has shared that, of 10 puppets that appear in the show, 9 are Chinese rod-style and 1 is a larger carnival puppet. We’ll keep the details under wraps, but here are a few of her designs:
Illustrations of Aayani's puppet designs
Costume Design
Raquel Barreto, A Christmas Carol’s costume designer, expressed how she connects with 19th century fashion: “I love the weird ways in which Victorians used color, and again, I relate to that deeply. Culturally, celebration is about color to me.” Check out some of Barreto’s sketches below for a sneak preview of the Victorian-era costumes you’ll see on the Hubbard stage.
Initial costume sketches for the townspeople and Polly.
Scenic design
Michael Locher described how the challenge of scenic design is not necessarily in historical accuracy, but in creating a unique interpretation of the physical space to serve the needs of this production. “Our familiarity with the piece and with the story…[is] so personal, that when someone gives you an opportunity and says, ‘Hey, what’s your Christmas Carol?’ That’s a big deal!”
You’ll find elements of these design renderings sprinkled throughout the website!
A scale model of Locher’s design.
