EMPIRE TRAVEL AGENCY
scope
Production Design
year
2015
location
lower manhattan
client
woodshed collective
press
“[Woodshed] produced another enthralling site-specific adventure that fully immerses you into a world of mystery and suspense.... In a way it never stops—certain New York City locations are now, for me, permanently imbued with magic.”- The Gothamist
“Surprising, innovative, and almost impossibly exciting, it was a show whose limited budget was no curb on its boundless imagination.” – The Guardian 10 best of 2015
“…Gloriously inventive and appallingly fun. What this play does, perhaps better than any piece since Deborah Warner’s “Angel Project,” is use the city itself as a set...‘This trip,’ says one travel agent, is ‘a journey through the mysteries of the city to help you find more.’ Take it”. – The New York Times
ADDITIONAL CREDITS
Conceived and Designed by Woodshed Collective
Text by Jason Platt
Directed by Teddy Bergman
Production Detail Design by Katherine Fleming
Sound Design by Will Pickens
Lighting Design by Mike Inwood and Amanda Lyon
Costume Design by Becky Lasky
Technology Design by Eamon O'Connor
Production history
As members of Woodshed Collective, William & Gabriel participated in the development and creation of Empire Travel Agency. For the production they served as the Production Management and Production Design team responsible for creating and implementing the physical landscape of the immersive piece.
The challenge on the Production Management for Empire Travel Agency was not only to adapt a historically landmarked Customs House in lower Manhattan into a multi-floor series of fully functional and designed installations for performance, in a building whose infrastructure had been destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, but also to extend the visual design and systems of communication and show control to various locations throughout lower Manhattan. We built and installed sets and scenic elements for payphones, cars, subways and art galleries, created installations in abandoned buildings, storage units, and parks, and designed and implemented a system of show control to communicate with actors, technicians and audience though the adventure in all these various locales throughout the city. We managed and led an install and build covering the spectrum from dividing space, building rooms and walls, to fully sculptural installations including the design and creation of a multi floor tree sculpture with working mechanical lungs that breathed out fog.
