The Design of "A Number"

What was the inspiration for the haunting set design for A Number, the first PRC² production of the season? Costume and set designer Jan Chambers reveals that her design process began upon discovering the backstory actor Ray Dooley created for his character.

After learning that Dooley decided that his character's emotional problems arose from a traumatic experience in Vietnam, Chambers happened to encounter a painting that she said spoke to her of the character's "haunted stated of mind."

"The resemblance to Ray is uncanny, and the painting emotionally cemented his character for both of us," Chambers said. "The play, of course, takes place some 35-40 years after that moment, but his past and present state of mind definitely played a part in the design of the space - a small, confined, claustropobic world where something massive is slowly closing in."

Josh Barrett and Ray Dooley in A Number by Caryl Churchill.
(Photo by Andrea Akin.)

Chambers incorporated that tension into the space. She said of her design, "Skewing the angles of the room and pulling the space into the audience's lap further helped create a visceral environment that played as a counterpoint to the measured and suppressed dialogue of denial and avoidance."

A Number is now playing through Sunday, September 11. Click here for more details.

Some (fun) historical context for "In the Next Room"

Here's a little historical background on the vibrator, to get you in the mood for our upcoming production of In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)...

1913 ad for White Cross vibrator

A vibrator for every home!

As electricity became an in-home convenience, the vibrator became the fifth domestic appliance to be electrified and available for retail sale, after the sewing machine, fan, tea kettle and toaster.*

That's the category they were placed in: domestic appliance.

They had many suggested uses, none sexual. The White Cross Electric Vibrator (photo above) was marketed as a tool to cure "Acne, Alopecia, Asthma, Bladder, Bust Development, Change of Life, Cold, Colic, Constipation, Cramps, Deafness, Diabetes, Gout, Obesity" and more.

Can you imagine opening the pages of the Sears Roebuck catalog and seeing a full-page ad for a vibrator?

It clearly illustrates the different context for use in the early 1900's, as you can learn more about in our upcoming production of In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)!


* Want to learn more? Check out The Technology of Orgasm: "Hysteria," the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction by Rachel Maines for the full story.

50th Anniversary Festivities in Jackson, MS

The Freedom Riders are returning to Jackson, MS. This week, people from all over the country will descend upon Jackson to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides of 1961. Playwright/Director/Actor Mike Wiley will bring their story to PlayMakers this Fall in the professional World Premiere of The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the '61 Freedom Riders.

Tar and Feathers and BIG RIVER!

A new "behind the scenes" video! See Costume Designer Bill Black and Crafts Artisan Rachel Pollock give an inside look at the famous "tar and feathering" scene in Big River.

Video by Braxton Hood.

Big River runs April 6 - 24, 2011. Explore the show here.