‘I Come From Arizona’ Scenic Design
Yu Shibagaki designed a beautifully realistic set for our upcoming production of ‘I Come From Arizona.’ From the bold murals on the backdrop, to more subtle hints downstage, Yu walks us through the creation of Gabi’s world.
Yu Shibagaki is no stranger to designing scenery for productions set in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood: in 2013, she designed the set for Mojada, at Victory Gardens Theater. An adaptation of Medea, Mojada tackles the story of a family crossing illegally into the United States to escape a dangerous past, and their ensuing struggles to adapt to a new culture and keep their family together.
I Come From Arizona had its world premiere at Children’s Theatre Company October 9 through November 25, 2018.
“[I Come From Arizona] has history, with a similar journey, though Gabi is the second generation,” Yu said. “[Mojada’s story] gave me a little fundamental information about how Reymundo and Gabi’s mother got to Pilsen.”
When it comes to the Pilsen setting in I Come From Arizona, Yu’s prior knowledge and collaboration with playwright Carlos Murillo and director Lisa Portes helped the vision of Gabi’s world come to life.
“Set design comes with what the script says, but a lot of work is happening when you meet with the director; they finesse your design,” Yu said. “Carlos and Lisa have much more familiarity with the neighborhood, so when I visited, they said, ‘oh, let’s just drive around and take photos.’”
During that drive around the neighborhood, Yu was able to come face to face with real signs, real art, and the real people of Pilsen, which infused her designs. (Want to see more of the murals and street art in Pilsen? Check out this guide from The Grid, by the Chicago Sun-Times.)
“That yellow sign is an awning of a real store in the neighborhood,” she said. “And the graffiti work, those are actual pieces…the graduate, working man, the dancers, plus the brick pattern. You get the Chicago feeling with all of that.”
The graffiti featuring people in graduation caps is an integral part of the background, too.
“With her education, Gabi is taking another step from what others in her family didn’t quite have; that graduate graffiti work is very important to us [on the creative team],” Yu explained.
And the red dirt texture far downstage? That’s to pay homage to Reymundo and Dolores’ (Gabi’s parents) time in Arizona, traveling from Mexico to Chicago.
The set itself is versatile, with the backdrop remaining throughout the show, and other scenic elements rotating in and out to bring the audience into Gabi’s world. Lockers roll in when Gabi first goes to her new school, and chairs for the classroom; a grand kitchen island appears on stage when Gabi visits the elegant home of Fiona, one of her new classmates; Gabi’s bed pivots on the stage left corner when she’s not studying at her own kitchen table. But, the backdrop remains the same — and so does the set for Gabi’s family’s apartment.
“We want to visualize that Gabi always has a home in the set,” Yu said. “Her home is always there; that mural wall, a little resonant of the neighborhood and community that’s she’s from, with her apartment on the downstage corner.”
Having the constant presence of home for Gabi is something about which Yu feels passionate. Having immigrated to the United States 15 years ago, Yu remembers that journey, and sees it in Gabi’s story.
“To come to a world or environment that you’re not familiar with, how uncomfortable it is, and how you face that community where the people are also not aware [of your story]…I feel that in Gabi’s journey,” Yu said.
Gabi moves through the play trying to discover how she fits in, and trying to learn what it means for her parents to have come to the United States, so there’s a sense of chaos — but she can visualize, and comes to discover the truth later in the play. Yu hopes the audience is able to go on this journey with Gabi, and to feel like they’re part of the story, too.
“I’m always interested for the scenery to not look scenic — if I can create an environment [in which] audiences don’t feel there is a separation, or a presentation of the performance, but they can feel that this can happen, that they can travel easily between [their seat and the story]…that’s my goal.”
I Come From Arizona had its world premiere at Children’s Theatre Company October 9 through November 25, 2018.
