Brandon Compton has created dozens of animals to bring the Children of Eden set to life. Opens this week! Photo by Alex Stocksdale (Alex@tagsgf.com)
By David Norman, The Statler’s Waldorf
David@tagsgf.com
It’s always interesting to look behind the scenes of a production because you feel like you’re privy to secrets only known to the director, cast, crew, and set designers; like the veil of willing suspension is lifted and you quietly, without all the lights and makeup, observe creativity in its raw form.
When TAG photographer Alex Stocksdale and I walked into Landers Tuesday afternoon we were lucky enough to not only learn some secrets and lift a veil or two, but witness an exceptional artist at work.
We first met Brandon Compton while he was making an alligator. Let me say that again, he was making an alligator, from scratch – like a four foot long, toothy, vicious (yet still rather approachable) reptile friend that he had designed and constructed entirely through his own ingenuity and imagination (…and glue and cardboard; but before you assume, this kid is no amateur, he’s allowed to run with the sharp scissors and use the hot glue). Needless to say, I was impressed, but in the office I saw only a small portion of what this young aspiring teacher has accomplished in his time leading up to Springfield Little Theatre’s production of Children of Eden. There were elephants, and rhinos, and ostriches…oh my.
The Statler’s Waldorf: How’d you get involved in this?
Brandon Compton: My high school actually did this same production and I made most of the masks for that show. I got a call from The Little Theatre about a year ago and they asked me if I would help with this one.
TSW: Where’d you go to high school?
BC: Willard.
TSW: Awesome, they obviously do things right there. Are you going to school now?
BC: Right now, Missouri State.
TSW: What’s your major?
BC: Theatre education.
TSW: Nice. They’re lucky to have you…and dude, really, the pieces I’ve seen so far are amazing. Where on Earth did you learn how to do this?
BC: Hm, well, honestly it’s not so much a learned thing…I really just, like, started making stuff, (he laughs) I’ve always just made sort of made stuff. I can tell you about my process…
TSW: Totally down, please do.
BC: When I begin the work I’m doing, or, specifically for this show, what animal I’m creating, I first look at prominent features, like, what catches your eye when you look at the object. Or, when a person thinks of an animal what is the first thing they see in their mind? On a giraffe, obviously, the neck; a rhino, the horns; an elephant, its size–
(And, yez sir, he made a massive, impeccable pachyderm that, with the help of actors, will walk. Ladies and Gentlemen, IT’S ALIVE…ALIVE!)
–and my ostrich, well, you haven’t seen that, it’s not here…but again, the same idea, its shape and size.
TSW: At least we know it didn’t fly away (insert laugh track)…
BC: Riiight…anyway, for instance, this rhino (Brandon holds up the rhino head – on a stick – that’s been sitting next to him), I first design the animal on paper, and then begin the construction using cardboard and hot glue. For the colors (Which are various lengths and colors of braided rope, glued to the cardboard “skin” of the animal), we decide what the feel of animal is, and whether to use a warm or cool palette for their.
TSW: The use of the braided rope for the “skin” is a neat idea. Did you use this same technique the last time you made animals for Children of Eden?
BC: No this is a completely different approach from the last time I did this for Willard High School. Lorianne Dunn actually came up with the idea, she was shopping at Earthbound and they had these little animals that were wrapped in rope, she saw them, and was inspired.
TSW: Gotta ask, are you sitting around braiding all this cloth yourself?
BC: Oh no, there are literally hundreds of volunteers braiding for us. Parents who come in for rehearsal will just grab some cloth and start working, it’s been amazing.
TSW: How many animals do you have altogether?
BC: Thirty-eight.
TSW: And you’re making those all from scratch? With no templates…you can just see them in your mind.
BC: No, no template…yeah, I just see it and go.
TSW: Dude.
BC: Yes?
TSW: How long have you been working on this?
BC: I’ve been working really hard on it the last couple of weeks, once I finished my semester I’ve really been able to devote a lot more time on it, like all day, but really, about a month.
TSW: Brandon, I can’t wait to see what SLT is going to do with your work and how they’ll use these items as set pieces, costumes, and props. Beautiful job. Bravo, sir.
BC: Thank you so much.
Children of Eden premiers Friday, June 10th at 7:30. For tickets call 417-869-1334, or visit the Springfield Little Theatre website.
Enjoy.
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