NEMO JR (037) | Mysite

NEMO JR.

Director: Jeanne Flahiff

Technical Director: Joy Flahiff

Lighting Designer/ Projectionist: Joseph Flahiff

Props/Puppets: JoHanna Flahiff, and Jeanne Flahiff

Costumes: Jillian Flahiff, Jeanne Flahiff, JoHanna Flahiff, Leanne Robinson

Scenic Designer: Jeanne Flahiff

Scenic Construction: Joy Flahiff, Joseph Flahiff, JoHanna Flahiff, Jeanne Flahiff, John Knappe, Anna Marroquin

Scenic Painting: Joy Flahiff, and Jeanne Flahiff

PUPPET DESIGNER/COSTUMES: KENMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL

DESIGN CHALLENGE : Create a Barracuda that at the top of the show that chases Nemo's mom offstage as well as transform an ensemble of 19 students into sea turtles that are able to sing and move around freely

Being a rapidly growing program at a public middle school comes with unique design restraints such as:

The KMS theater is not a traditional proscenium theater, it is a small cafeteria stage with a concrete floor that must fit 50+ actors and 40+ techs at certain moments alongside any elements onstage.

Our budget is minimal, we thrift, salvage, upcycle and recycle wherever we can.

PRODUCTION NOTES:

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.

For this show we had 90 students involved between, actors, techs, and front of house (and all free of cost)

The house count ranged from 250-300 people each night, 5 shows in total

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.

This show is based on a cartoon, and set under the sea, so the technical elements showcase a more cartoon-like quality in style and color.

DESIGN FEATURE: BARRACUDA PUPPET, SOLO PROJECT, DECEMBER 2024 (NEMO JR.)

Materials: Cardboard, Hot Glue, Old Plastic Angel Wings, Scrap Fabric, Masking Tape

I designed this 7 ft barracuda puppet for two kids to operate with only materials we already had so it was a free build.

The base movement of the puppet was a play on those little wooden snake toys I had as a child to create the fish-like motion

For future puppet designs I want to make sure to do more movement tests earlier on, it took the students longer than anticipated to get the hang of the full body movement of it.

The puppet entered the stage from the house in the first number to ultimately chase nemo's mom offstage and eat her.

This path took it directly past the carpet we place at the front of the house for little kids to sit on. This meant two things, firstly that the puppet would be seen from much closer up than is normal for stage and second that I needed to make it feel threatening without completely terrifying the children

If you look at a Great Barracuda you will see that their eyes are perfectly round, however I needed this puppet to be more menacing so I changed the pupils to be angular. This helped to strike a more intimidating look that wasn't overly scary

DESIGN FEATURE: TURTLE SHELLS, SOLO DESIGN/GROUP ASSEMBLY, 19 TOTAL, DECEMBER 2024

Materials: Cardboard, Hot Glue, Tissue Paper, Paint, Scrap Fabric, Staples

I designed these turtle shells based on the initial concept that one of the students in the program developed. I iterated on their design until I developed a shell that was made entirely of materials we already had and could be attached to a backpack

I then developed a pattern off the initial one and then had much help assembling the rest of them since we needed 19 in total

The turtle shells were made of layered cardboard and made to fit onto backpacks worn by the actors. Once the shells were assembled, they were then covered with paper mache tissue paper to get rid of the cardboard texture.

The turtle shells were base painted green, then added shadows and highlights to add dimension and variety to the shells.

I was foremost focused on honoring the students initial design so while it was able to be made with the pattern I developed, I would have simplified the design had I known the number needed in total (this is a lesson I will carry with me!!)

NOTES ABOUT KENMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATRE PROGRAM:

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:

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.

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.

I can't wait to see what this team dreams up in the future! Stay tuned :)