A Year with Frog and Toad

This was a little paper project I did for my color theory class in 2023. It was my final in the class and the professor promoted each student to do their final in a field that suits their majors. I had been so inspired by my time at the Forestburgh Playhouse and I really loved the idea of designing a set for Frog and Toad due to the theatre’s rustic and woodsy feel. I also was trying to keep in mind the space that the stage had as well as the backstage area from my experience working there. I also really liked the rotating portals and sliders that the space has, and I really wanted to utilize them for the number of locations in the show. I also really wanted to test my model making skills.

For this project I had a 3-week time limit to draw inspiration, create a quick hand-drawn ground plan, and create a colored 1/2” scale model. My biggest challenges going into this were the raked stage and the rotating portals. Movement in a model is not something I was too unfamiliar with as I had already made a turntable in a model and my time working in scenic carpentry helped me to figure out the perfect rake on the stage. I was really happy with the watercolor look I was able to achieve in order to pay homage to the original books that I loved growing up.