The Ties That Bind

The Ties That Bind by Matthew Witten tells the story of a lesbian couple in the 1980s who wanted to have a child of their own. This was the first show to premiere in the Annie Sellars Parlor Theater since 2019, so transforming the space was labor-intensive and unfamiliar. Because of the nature of the small space, I took heavy inspiration from 1970s and 1980s living rooms with bright paint colors, leather couches, wainscotting, and central entertainment centers. The intimacy of the space transports the audience into the living room with the characters, and the layers of walls give it depth. 

I love working in black box spaces, so I jumped at the opportunity to be the first to design in this space after so many years. Because of the nature of black box theater, I took heavy inspiration from 1970s and 1980s living rooms with bright paint colors, leather couches, wainscotting, and central entertainment centers. The intimacy of the space transports the audience into the living room with the characters, and the layers of doors and walls give it depth. I chose sage green paint for the walls to bring in the boldness of the 80s and muted it with the cream and brown furniture accents. Although one of the characters, Eileen, is a lawyer, I didn’t get the impression that the young couple spent their money on a wealthy living space or expensive furniture. 

Although I didn’t get to texture the molding or entertainment center as originally planned, I got the level of detail I hoped for through the set dressing. The bookshelves were filled with trinkets and decor but still allowed the actors to emote through the openings. The furniture was lowered to the ground to emphasize the space's levels and make it accessible for audiences on all three sides of the space. In the end, I think it lends itself to the space it was created for.