The Lavenders
Director
Produced / Hired By:
Clark University Theatre Department
Playwright
Emily Denny
Year
May - Nov. 2017
About this play:
The Lavenders, written by Emily Denny and directed by Amelia Mohr, details the lives of a gay woman (Grace) and a gay man (Beverly) masking as a heterosexual couple during the Lavender Scare in the 1950s. This play blended comedy and drama.
In directing this piece, I wanted to create an immersive period experience for the audience. Sound design by R Baldwin was live. As the audience entered the room and took their seats, music from the 1940s played on a record in the show’s living room set.
This play was one of six productions showcased in a month-long New Play Festival.
The production and set design needed to be functionally transient. The blackbox theatre was shared across all productions, with only 24 hours transition between shows. With simple set pieces, I worked closely with the production and lighting designers to ensure the show still captured a specific time and emotion.
The Lavenders Sides
The team
“The Lavenders” cast and crew (2017)
This production will always be close to my heart. It was a privilege to bring Emily Denny’s writing to life, and to do it with a team that believed in the potential of the final result. I am grateful for the effort of every team member in this production, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Playwright Emily Denny (left), and Director Amelia Mohr (right)