PRODUCTION DESIGN

Zink: the Myth, the Legend, the Zebra

Zona Gale Theatre
 Portage Center for the Arts
Portage, WI
September, 2003
Director: Stuart Pate

Computer Rendering of the scenic design.  (Generated with VectorWorks Spotlight with Renderworks 9)

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Opening moments - dance with the mask pieces.

Costume rendering of Ice Z - a zebra.  Ice Z ended up being cast as a female and the costume was slightly modified as the side slits would have been too revealing.	Costume rendering of Zilch - a zebra.  Again, Zilch was ultimately cast as a female.  All the zebra costumes were modeled after traditional African dress.
Costume rendering for the school outift for Becky and her class mates, these costumes were built by Beth Turner.	Costume rendering for Schlep - the monkey.  While the Zebra costumes were drawn from plain areas of Africa, Schlep, who is the outsider, has his dress modeled after the more mountainouts regions in northern Africa.
Becky in the opening of the show sings "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" with her stuffed zebra.	After Becky dies from Leukemia, she returns as Zink, the spotted Zebra.

Becky in the hospital being visited by her class mates and being looked after by her zebra trio.
 

Becky's mom waits in Becky's bedroom anticipating Becky's death.
 

Papa Zeke tells the story of Zink the zebra.
 
 

Another angle of Papa Zeke telling the story of Zink the zebra.  Since the stage is a thrust, this shows the difference of the views from center to the edge of the stage.  The upper left of the photo also dimly shows one of two large tapestry pieces that hung over the audience members.

Production Notes:
Zink the Zebra was produced at our local Center for the Arts.  While a community theatre production with a modest budget, there has been a longstanding children's/youth theatre summer workshop program, headed by Dr. Xan Johnson of the University of Utah, so there is no shortage of talented performers or experienced theatrical leadership.

This was the first time in years that I designed scenery, lighting and costumes for a single production.  While I frequently will do lighting and scenery, I rarely add costuming to the mix, but the costume design for this show was so appealing I just had to do it.

A real life story and the inspiration for the Zink the Zebra Foundation, the play revolves around a young girl, Becky, and her battle with leukemia.  Alongside her story with her parents, brother, school mates, hospital room mate and nurse is the story of the zebras of the plains of Africa.  It is from these zebras,who come to interact with Becky, that she learns about Zink - a zebra with spots.  So along with her zebra guides,  Becky travels "via her imagination" to Africa to experience their world, including the comic Schlep the monkey (who thinks he is a zebra) and the lion predators that threaten their lives.

The design drew heavily upon African influences, from traditional clothing to art works to decorative elements.  The large mask that was presented in the opening of the play in a ritual by the zebras and symbolized Zink developed  from African art research as well the idea of people using masks.  There are masks worn in the medical arena for protection.  There are the symbolic masks we wear to hide our fear, anxiety, and sometimes even our love.