Church Basment Ladies

"Your closer to Heaven in the Church Basement-"

Well Readers, I've been at it again...

Church Basement Ladies is a show set in 1964- 1967 about four Lutheran women and pastor in their sacred Church Kitchen. What I  have loved about the set of this show is that I had the responsibility of creating a pre- 1965 Kitchen and all the little details to go with it!

My Projects included -

Finding a Vintage stove

Finding a vintage fridge

Finding a Vintage deep freeze 

designing a 1950's "dated" kitchen from the studs up

gathering scads of things to put in said kitchen!

(A hot mess, I know, but in a weeks time...)

(A welcoming collective kitchen)

This is a little known show, but usually ends up being a hit wherever its put on, I am very proud to say that our production is the FIRST EVER to sport two tone pink and gray walls with an off white wainscoting, along with this particular floor layout. I love the way the colors turned out all soft pastels really warm the set up and make it feel more like Grandma's kitchen rather than a set. Other productions have the kitchen in pastel blue, green, or yellow but ours is the very first to claim the color pink and make it work! I could go on and on about the things I found and used on set, but I feel this pictures say it all, click on them to make them larger and look closer!

 (Stage Right )

I love about this set was the challenge it posed in finding all vintage appliances. I posted about scoring the 1946 stove for $25.00, The 1954 fridge came in the same week as a Craigslist find for $135 and a trip to Bowie TX.

 I have been up to my elbows in scrubbed 70+ year grime off almost everything that's on set, and painted to look like new just about anything that would stand still long enough.

 In the show there has to be a chest deep freezer, (the actors hide in said freezer during the show) I protested that "If all the other appliances are going to have these great 1950's curves then the freezer should too. Well finding a vintage freezer was a little harder than I thought, but finally friend Sheldon saved the day when he discovered this 1942 model where he worked!

 It too was well loved, but as you can see in the picture it cleaned up nice with a fresh coat of paint!

 (Stage left)

The more authentic the applainces were, the more the kitchen really became a kitchen and not just a set!

(The Kitchen island slightly Off Center Stage)

 I adore every detail of this set, I was working with Directors Spencer and Lara (who was the Director for Suessical ) I had begged them to do a period show with me and this one was a dandy! One of  my favorite (and many) details on the set is the all star cast of Pyrex that is on loan from the Casablanca.

Sporting 25 pieces on set, we have Pyrex for EVERY season of the show from turquoise and whites for Winter, soft pastels for Spring, and bright colorful pieces for Summer!  I must confess that I have threatened the cast within inches of their lives if they break my Pyrex and thus far we've had no problems and it looks GREAT onstage!

(This corner is my favorite, I love the ivy plates on the pink wall)

So many things in this kitchen are on loan from the Casablanca and my collection of props, Pyrex, aprons, step stool chairs, you name it!  But every piece just makes this set, before the show ever opened or had everything on the walls people were already telling me how much they loved the detail and thought that goes into not only this shows sets but all of my work.

 When you mix in the excellent actors, wonderful costumes and lights its just like going back into 1964, and that gives me the feeling of accomplishment.

(The Set Team/ Cast/ Crew Heather, Abbie, Spencer, Lara, Bryson, Sheldon, Holly, Katie, Myself & Cindy)

Of course the finished product wont not have been possible with out the team! I also owe a HUGE thanks to Larry and Bryson for working down to the wire and hanging doors and putting up the wainscot for me to paint! Chalk another show up to success, now we just wait for the review!

-Mick-