Melancholy Play centers on Tilly, a woman whose sadness is so beautiful that everyone in her life falls in love with her. They are then thrown for a loop when Tilly suddenly becomes happy. This play explores mental health, relationships, and the social contract.

I was the assistant scenic designer on this piece. In supporting the lead scenic designer my main responsibilities included props and paint elevations, as well as notes and paperwork. The set consists of a wall made of ropes and an elevated, almond shaped deck. Specific locations such as a tailor shop, therapist’s office, or living room were shown using furniture and props. It was important to this production to visually define the difference between ‘melancholy’, ‘happiness’, and ‘depression’. The unit set was painted calm, wistful shades of blue and brown, representing the melancholy that is the base emotion of this show. Happiness was represented by hot, uncomfortably bright colors created in collaboration with our lighting team. Depression is something entirely separate, a space without any color at all, physically set apart from the rest of the playing space.