Theatrical backdrop design for “Cinderella: An East Van Panto”.  The design was enlarged to 17 feet high by 24 feet wide. The script describes Grump Towers as “an opulent office/residency mix.” The best place to find inspiration for that is Donald Trump, whose own Manhattan Penthouse is decorated in Louis XIV “Sun King” style which means lots of marble, elaborate molding, and 24K gold.

The view from Grump Towers shows Vancouver’s North Shore mountains behind straight, rigid skyscrapers. These buildings couldn’t be my usual flexible structures but rather something more unyielding and full of crowded concrete. The thing most Vancouverites prize about where they live and work is their view, which is constantly threatened by an upsurge in buildings and density. I combed through several boardroom and office tower views and settled on the view from the top of 885 W. Georgia Street because it towers over the other buildings and has a view of the mountains. I included Harbor Center on the right hand (east) side to make it more obviously Vancouver.

The Pan Pacific sails are visible, too, looking like devil’s horns. There is a single orange harbor crane in the view looking tiny and vulnerable. This is a voracious developer’s view, after all, and cranes always represent East Van to me. And since this is the villain’s location, I hid a few frightened faces in the detail. See how many you can find!

The show ran Dec 3 – 28, 2014.

Acrylic on canvas, 18″ x 24″
Fall, 2014
Located at: Theatre Replacement Office