I’m certain that if I were able to read all six scripts before the design process began, you’d be looking at very different images. But with three playwrights writing over the course of a year, that just wasn’t to be. Most of the time, all I had was a location name and a few plot points to go on, because the scripts are usually being revised right up until the weekend before the performance. When the dart toss took us to Lake Huron, Michigan, all Jennifer could tell me was that the sisters somehow ended up in a kayak, the shape-shifting raccoon from Ep. 2 was making a return appearance, and that we were going to be repeating the same day over and over again. Well first off, the map. I figured, what was good enough for Missouri was good enough for Michigan. No change, I’ve got bigger fish to fry.
Jennifer’s Groundhog Day theme necessitated an image that showed the sunrise and the sunset, and the best solution seemed to be to find a photo of each and splice them together. I hoped the two different colors of the lake water, washing up on the same beach, and the two different cloud formations would convey enough of a time difference. I placed Turnip Rock in the center with Bertha the Buick and the kayaking sisters on opposite sides to reinforce that they were all in the same place at the same (relative) time. And of course, I had to include our shape shifting raccoon!
Jennifer’s Groundhog Day theme necessitated an image that showed the sunrise and the sunset, and the best solution seemed to be to find a photo of each and splice them together. I hoped the two different colors of the lake water, washing up on the same beach, and the two different cloud formations would convey enough of a time difference. I placed Turnip Rock in the center with Bertha the Buick and the kayaking sisters on opposite sides to reinforce that they were all in the same place at the same (relative) time. And of course, I had to include our shape shifting raccoon!
Throughout the year, I really wanted to make sure that each postcard’s tag line was authentic to that vintage postcard feel, but also appropriate to the episode. Some lean more one way or the other, but they all seem to fit. “Howdy from (Bottle Hollow)” and “Please join us in beautiful (Ancho)” were both taken directly from several 20th Century postcards, and as the scripts developed, turned out to have double meanings. “Good Luck from (Reno)” was a no brainer. Missouri was the first location where our sisters really had to depend upon the kindness of strangers, and “Make Friends in (Missouri)” came from a vintage postcard as well. “Get Lost in (Lake Huron)” and “Find Love in (Niagara Falls)” didn’t come from real postcards, but certainly could have, based on what I’ve seen.
Finally, a map change! I didn’t really need to do it, but I’d been holding onto a few New York maps, and for the final episode, it seemed like a fun way to commemorate that the sisters had reached the end of their journey.
Choosing the right photo of Niagara Falls was a little more difficult, and this was the only postcard that got a complete redesign after I read the script. I axed the traditional shot of the falls because the Three Sisters Islands (in the top left corner) figure so prominently in Ep. 6 that I had to get them in there somehow. Niagara Falls are known for the colorful nighttime illuminations and for guaranteeing a rainbow on every sunny day, and rainbows symbolize prosperity at the end of a journey, so I thought it was fitting to add a few. I also added a vintage filter to the image, to evoke a feeling of this postcard coming from Morta’s stash in the time capsule from Ep. 5. And of course, I had to include Bertha! In spite of us, she made it to the end. I hope you’ll join us to see how it all comes together. It’s been a fantastic year.
Finally, a map change! I didn’t really need to do it, but I’d been holding onto a few New York maps, and for the final episode, it seemed like a fun way to commemorate that the sisters had reached the end of their journey.
Choosing the right photo of Niagara Falls was a little more difficult, and this was the only postcard that got a complete redesign after I read the script. I axed the traditional shot of the falls because the Three Sisters Islands (in the top left corner) figure so prominently in Ep. 6 that I had to get them in there somehow. Niagara Falls are known for the colorful nighttime illuminations and for guaranteeing a rainbow on every sunny day, and rainbows symbolize prosperity at the end of a journey, so I thought it was fitting to add a few. I also added a vintage filter to the image, to evoke a feeling of this postcard coming from Morta’s stash in the time capsule from Ep. 5. And of course, I had to include Bertha! In spite of us, she made it to the end. I hope you’ll join us to see how it all comes together. It’s been a fantastic year.
The final episode of Terra Incognita stages Thursday, October 20th at Octopus Literary Salon in Oakland. 7:00pm, admission is free but seating is limited. To guarantee yourself a spot, reserve online at exnihilotheater.weebly.com/events