Whenever I watch home improvement shows or interior design makeovers I always think, “Theatre has been doing this for years!” Theatre artists are the ultimate “upcyclers”— people who create something new from discarded materials. Due to creative possibilities, and budgets, we continually give a second life to “old” products. At Nashville Children’s Theatre we’ve created sets out of everything from cardboard to pool noodles. We’ve even built furniture for productions that has become reused in the building.
Each year we produce 6 new productions, if you count our gala fundraiser as a production that’s 7. In addition to our usual efforts of resourcefulness, we’ve also begun to look at ways we can redesign and repurpose pieces throughout the season. A set piece may start as one form for the first show and end up as something else by the end of the season.
This creativity not only helps the budget, but also cuts down on materials and waste. Like so many other theatre artists, we’ve become experts at “Redesign Design”. Now if we could only sell the TV rights!
Rachael Silverman
Nashville Children’s Theatre Director of Production
