World Builders is a new work by Johnna
Adams. Whitney and Max are two patients in a drug trial at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Both
have schizoid personality disorder, resulting in the creation of private fantasy worlds inside their own heads. But as the drugs take effect, they begin to interact in
unexpected ways.
The show takes place in an interior room without windows. Our production was staged in the round. The looming practical fixtures gave me a concrete "ceiling". To indicate time shifts, I used systems of cool lavender and blues to create emotional range and suggest the harshness of hospital fluorescents.
I suggested their worlds without overpowering the action and blended reality and fantasy using texture and color. I used a system of pixelated boxes to contrast the organic shapes of the set. I also added LEDs under the "floating" platform to further highlight the isolation of the room.
Director: Rob Gretta
Scenic Designer: Brian Jones
Costume Designer: Nancy Pipkin-Hutchinson
Lighting & Sound Designer: Ethan Hollinger
Photography: Ethan Hollinger & Carrie J. Cole