The Department of Theatre and Dance has collaborated with ETSU Marching Bucs for an upcoming show entitled “Bucs on the Bayou: Voyage to Bourbon Street.”
“This is the second collaboration, at least in recent history, between our two departments,” said Jonathan Taylor, scenic designer for the Department of Theatre and Dance.
Taylor worked with Dr. Joe Moore, director of the Marching Bucs, on the inspiration for the production.
“His idea was to set it on Bourbon Street, you know, set it during Mardi Gras,” said Taylor.
One of the trademarks of the Mardi Gras parade is the giant puppets featured in the lineup.
“The idea was to make five puppets,” said Taylor. “My role was to design both the puppets and the costumes that the puppets wore for this production.”
One of the puppets represents a voodoo doll, which will be controlled by a member of ETSU’s Color Guard, and the other four are jesters in full Mardi Gras colors and outfits.
“These puppets started out being, I think, 15 or 16 feet tall. The puppets are now closer to 12 feet tall, ‘because that’s a reasonable number,’” laughed Taylor.
Beth Skinner, Costume shop supervisor for the department, worked with Taylor to build the puppets and craft their costumes.
Skinner also designed custom jackets for the drum majors who will be performing in the show.
“Those jackets were made from scratch,” said Taylor.
The jackets were measured and patterned individually by Skinner and a student and then handcrafted.
“Our students have loved working on this,” said Skinner.
Both the costume shop and scene shop are located in the Martin Center for the Arts on campus.
The marching band will soon be performing “Celebration on Bourbon Street,” “Down the Mississippi,” “New Orleans Fanfare,” and “Voodoo on the Bayou.”
