Setting the Stage at East Ridge

Recreating 19th century London on a stage in Woodbury is no simple task.

The challenge has been taken up by Joe Johnson, an senior who is in charge of the set-design duties for the high school’s of The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

It’s the first time a student has been tasked with crafting the set for a Loft Stage student play.

Previously, that work has often fallen to George Juaire, who has decades of experience in community theatre. But this year Juaire took a step back to “allow Joe’s vision to come to life,” said Amanda Hestwood, English Department chair and the play’s director.

“Joe sets the tone,” Hestwood said. “He’s spent his afternoons working with the kids and they know that his fingerprints are all over it.”

At first, the project was “nerve wracking,” Johnson said—he had never done something like this before and the technical aspects of set design required him to think differently about the art.

“We all learn as we go,” said Johnson, a 17-year-old from Woodbury.

At Hestwood’s request, he started sketching his ideas for the massive 60-by-30-foot backdrop of a London street last spring as part of an independent study.

He continued to work through the summer and has been guiding fellow students as they create the set for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Johnson singled out Katherine Spicuzza, Alex McKenzie, Jack Boyd, and Mandy Durose for their help with the backdrop.

“As a teacher, it’s great to see Joe work with the other students—coaching and teaching them,” Hestwood said. “That’s just wonderful.”

In working on the designs, Johnson said he quickly realized that the challenges were less about the medium and more about “the theatrical art.” From the lighting to the sightlines to where the curtains will be positioned, he has to work within the space and turn his drawings into functional part of the play.

And on top of all the set work, he’s also performing in the play.

After college, Johnson said he hopes to go into animation—working at Disney’s Pixar would be a dream job—and the efforts for The Mystery of Edwin Drood will go into his portfolio.

Johnson’s work illustrates how much behind-the-scenes work is involved before a play is presented to the public, Hestwood said.

“It’s so much more than just the actors on the stage,” she said.