Love's Labor's Lost

Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 2017

Director: Marti Maraden

Designer: Kevin Depinet

It is only appropriate that when the King of Navarre and his companions take an oath to forgo women in lieu of knowledge for three years they do so from behind a sensible lectern. I constructed a steel base welded from 16-gauge steel (1" x 1" boxtube) that was later adorned with swirls and curves. In total, I made twenty-four individually bent pieces (made from 1/8", 1./4" and schedule 40 pipe) that were ultimately welded into fourteen pieces of decoration.  I made a total of five jigs used in the bending of flat stock with an Oxy-Acetylene torch to the desired geometries; all jigs mimicked on the interior of the curves so that I could bend from the "outside" of the curves.  The top of the podium was made from 3/4"  plywood that was lag bolted to the frame. The paper rail was hinged and secured with magnets, this assured the detail would not break off when carried on/offstage and naturally pulled into the body of the stage hand due to its weight. The carved piece at the front of the lectern was purchased.