ANNIE JR.
Director: Jeanne Flahiff
Lighting Designer: Joseph Flahiff
Props Head: Jeanne Flahiff
Costumer: Jillian Flahiff
Scenic Designer: JoHanna Flahiff
Scenic Construction: JoHanna Flahiff, Joy Flahiff, and Joseph Flahiff
Scenic Painting: Joy Flahiff, Joseph Flahiff, and Atlas Stocker
SCENIC DESIGNER/CONSTRUCTION: KENMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL
DESIGN CHALLENGE : Design a set for Annie Jr. at a Middle School... simple enough, right?​
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Being a rapidly growing program at a public middle school comes with unique design restraints such as:
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The KMS theater is not a traditional proscenium theater, it is a small cafeteria stage with a concrete floor that must fit 60+ actors and 50+ techs at certain moments alongside any elements onstage.​
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Our budget is minimal, we thrift, salvage, upcycle and recycle wherever we can. We don't have any stock to pull from; but this year we made some traditional set pieces we will be able to utilize going forward!
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KMS does not have a scene shop. All wooden elements of the set had to be pre-built separately and transported to the theater to be assembled in the back of a Suburban.
PRODUCTION NOTES:​​
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When the show is going, it is entirely student-run including all technical elements, we run a full tech team with everything from spot ops and sound board to SM and deck techs - the kids truly run it all and I am so proud.
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For this show we had 120 students involved between, actors, techs, and front of house
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The house count ranged from 250-350 people each night - 5 shows in total
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I have been involved with the theater program at KMS for 3 years. In that time we have grown the program from 16 to 120+ students in the after school musical in both acting and tech roles, all at no cost to the kids.
The current production/design team consists of 5 people who work tirelessly to put on the highest level productions we can every year for these kids, and I could not be more proud of what we accomplish. ​​​​
DESIGN FEATURE: STREET LIGHTS, SOLO PROJECT, 1 DAY BUILD, NOVEMBER 2025 (ANNIE JR.)
​​Materials: Cardboard, Vellum, PVC, Spray Paint, Hot Glue, Masking Tape, Scrap 2x4, Dollar Store faux tea light, and old empty cans
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Based off street lamps of the 1920/30s I designed these lamps with very little budget. The only purchases were: spray paint, pvc, and faux tea lights.
In one afternoon I came up with the lamp design and made a pattern so they were easily replicated (learned my lesson with those turtle shells in Nemo!)
​The following day I built all three lamp posts.
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One pane of the lamp was left without vellum so that the tea light could be turned on and set inside on top of the can. This was done by the deck techs just prior to bringing them onstage. They made sure this side was always upstage so the empty pane was not visible to the audience.
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The lamp posts were featured in several numbers including "Tomorrow" and "NYC" ​
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DESIGN FEATURE: MOBILE CURVED STAIRCASE, GROUP PROJECT, PRE-BUILD + 1 LATE NIGHT ASSEMBLY
The curved staircase is only present in certain scenes, so it had to be built on a wagon that was moved on and offstage by student technicians.
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The stair unit was a major design challenge for this production; I came up with the initial concept for this stair unit, and then Joy and I collaborated on how to make it a reality.
The stairs had to curve up to a 4’ wide 5’ tall platform, be on a wagon to be taken on and offstage, and be stored in the VERY minimal space backstage.
The final design consisted of each stair resting on the one above it via a 2x4 on the front of each step and legs supporting underneath each stair as well, this way we maximized stability, and were able to build in sections to transport to the theater.
The base of the unit was a traditional wagon in a curve shape with 7 castors with locks. The castors were from RH Brown, a company in Seattle that works with a lot of theater technicians, and the quality made the staircase roll incredibly smooth despite its weight, which was beneficial for our young student technicians.
​​​​​​​NOTES ABOUT KENMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATRE PROGRAM:
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A core value of our program is inclusion. We believe any student who wants to be involved should be, and we will work with them to make it possible. Here are a few examples of how that works in our program:
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​Participation in the program is free for all students.
Tickets to the show are free so as many people as possible can come support our students.​
Ensuring that the house and stage are both wheelchair accessible in their design, I work closely with our front of house team to empower them when setting up the space and interacting with our audience.
Working with our accessibility team which consists of individual student aids, interpreters, and student volunteers (they assist their peers both onstage and backstage).
Using a speaker to amplify an actors Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device so he could say his lines through it as President Roosevelt.
Incorporating ASL into our shows for an actor who is deaf, adding signing into certain songs/scenes, she signs all the songs she's in, and making sure to have sightlines to her interpreters clear at all times.
Making sure to have a green room space that is quieter so if a student needs a break they can have it.
Utilizing methods to aid our students into the blocking and directing as needed, such as giving a student props to hold to keep their hands occupied and having peer support when onstage.
Allowing students to have headphones incorporated into their costume so they are able to perform comfortably during rehearsal and performances.
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I can't wait to see what this team dreams up for the 2026 Kenmore Middle School musical! Stay tuned :)​
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