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TOY research - One of the three characters in this thriller is ten-year old JOHN, played by Conrad Sager in Simpatico's production. To get a sense of what John might play with and to fill the living room space onstage and give Conrad some objects to identify with, I've researched popular toys of the 1950's. KNIFE research - One of the most significant props in this play is the KNIFE. John's father, Robert, a character never seen onstage, is the central motivating factor in the lives of the three characters we do encounter: his wife, Donny, his son, John and the family friend, Del. The knife belongs to Robert who picked it up under mysterious circumstances during World War II or maybe from a street vendor. It holds mythic and symbolic importance to both Del and John and leads to a crucial plot point. The knife is described as a German Pilot's knife that would be used by paratroopers to cut their cords should they become entangled in a tree after their jump. Doing research on knives was enlightening as there are several variations on the "pilot knife". The one pictured above is the closest I could find that fits the scripts description of its origins and size. The play ends with young John carrying the knife upstairs by himself into a dark unknown where nothing good can happen.  RADIO research - Set Designer, Meghan Jones and Sound Designer, Larry Fowler, have been discussing ways to include a vintage 1950's radio as a practical onstage. The one pictured above is typical of the period with a hard-plastic shell, two knobs for tuning and volume and a large speaker face on the front. This prop will live onstage for most of the show and will be somewhat central to indicating the time period of the piece. Hopefully, audiences will recognize the radio as being from the 1950's along with the costumes being designed by Janus Stefanowicz. |
