Barberman: The Alexander Clark Story
Scenic and Costume Design.
Muscatine Arts Center
The Alexander Clark Story. A tale of the past, the present, and the future.
Written By: Cianon Jones
Directed By: Michael Flores
Scenic: Bella Fortunato
Costume: Bella Fortunato
Lights: Jackson Kopesky
Process & Research
As the show developed the creative team decided that each character getting their own distinct chair would be a good way to set tone of the space simply. Wooden crates were used to store Props and Costume and Costume Pieces onstage.
The cast pulled a simple base costume in a curate color palette from their closets creating a neutral modern day look for the ensemble. The full cast sat onstage for the entirety of the show and came into character for their moments in the story. During these moments they stepped into simple costume pieces that defined and established their characters.
Figurative Research Collage: Created in Photoshop
Figurative Research Collage: Created in Photoshop
The goal of this project was to develop a play that tells the story of Iowan abolitionist Alexander Clark. The final product of this process was filmed to be distributed as part of an educational outreach program aiming to better inform Iowan students about the history of their state.
In this play we explore who Alexander Clark was and the impact he left on Iowan legislation through a series of fluid moments in time that create parallels to modern day. Alexander Clark was a freedom fighter, a barber, a father, a husband, a public speaker, and above all, a proud Iowan.