PIPPIN
2023
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Art Direction, Illustration, Publication Design, Typography
We've got magic to do...
In 2023, Syracuse's First Year Players (FYP) celebrated their 30th anniversary. The entirely student-run theatre organization decided to return to one of the first shows they ever did in honor of the occasion, and selected PIPPIN as their spring musical.
As the Head Graphic Designer, it was my second year leading my team through a year-long process of creating all promotional materials for the show, from audition announcements, to show fliers, to cast t-shirts, and the biggest undertaking: the program. I sought to improve the process from the year prior, and feeling a bit more comfortable, I wanted to make something really beautiful.
Conceptualization
One of my favorite things about theatre as an art form is how it is so interperteive. You can see twenty productions with the same script, same music, same story, and yet, it will never be anything like the others. I especially love when a theatre group takes that a step further and assigns a unique conceptual angle to a production.
That is exactly what FYP. PIPPIN is an interesting show to begin with, featuring a "show within a show" concept that through the years has been interperted with mideival themes, circus themes, and more. FYP decided to lean into this and our direction was a sort of Shakespeare in the Park theme, set in the 1970s.
Well, I loved this, as my work typically falls in the themes of retro and nature. I immediately started brainstorming how to bring this to life and truly advertise the vibe through our visual materials. We selected colors and typefaces reminiscent of concert posters from the era.
One of my favorite things about theatre as an art form is how it is so interperteive. You can see twenty productions with the same script, same music, same story, and yet, it will never be anything like the others. I especially love when a theatre group takes that a step further and assigns a unique conceptual angle to a production.
That is exactly what FYP. PIPPIN is an interesting show to begin with, featuring a "show within a show" concept that through the years has been interperted with mideival themes, circus themes, and more. FYP decided to lean into this and our direction was a sort of Shakespeare in the Park theme, set in the 1970s.
Well, I loved this, as my work typically falls in the themes of retro and nature. I immediately started brainstorming how to bring this to life and truly advertise the vibe through our visual materials. We selected colors and typefaces reminiscent of concert posters from the era.
The Program
In theatre, the program (often known as a playbill) is arguably one of the most important promotional device related to a production, serving as an immediate and direct line of communication to the audience, showcasing everyone (and everything) that brought a show together. Due to the significance, as well as the vast size of 50 something pages, the program for PIPPIN was arguably one of the largest undertakings of my team.
Growing up in theatre, I have seen a LOT of programs. And while I understand that they are meant to be a tool, and therefore simplistic most of the time, I don't see why they can't still be beautiful. If it is meant to capture the essence of the show, I believe it should do that through information AND aesthetic.
In theatre, the program (often known as a playbill) is arguably one of the most important promotional device related to a production, serving as an immediate and direct line of communication to the audience, showcasing everyone (and everything) that brought a show together. Due to the significance, as well as the vast size of 50 something pages, the program for PIPPIN was arguably one of the largest undertakings of my team.
Growing up in theatre, I have seen a LOT of programs. And while I understand that they are meant to be a tool, and therefore simplistic most of the time, I don't see why they can't still be beautiful. If it is meant to capture the essence of the show, I believe it should do that through information AND aesthetic.
When we selected the design direction for our materials, I wanted to play with illustration by creating a gallery of hand-drawn floral and nature clip art to use throughout the year. Each team member drew out several flowers, leaves, vines, and insects, which were then vectorized. These were used across all materials, but it really shines in the program.
Being a bit of a typography nerd, I took great care to ensure that the text was all lined up perfectly across every single page of the program, remaining conscious of principles such as leading, hierarchy, and grids. Once this was done, I got to work strategically decorating each page with a tasteful sprinkle of the handmade clip art. The goal here was not to overdo it, but to tastefully fill some space with just enough to retain the personality of the show on the pages.
When we selected the design direction for our materials, I wanted to play with illustration by creating a gallery of hand-drawn floral and nature clip art to use throughout the year. Each team member drew out several flowers, leaves, vines, and insects, which were then vectorized. These were used across all materials, but it really shines in the program.
Being a bit of a typography nerd, I took great care to ensure that the text was all lined up perfectly across every single page of the program, remaining conscious of principles such as leading, hierarchy, and grids. Once this was done, I got to work strategically decorating each page with a tasteful sprinkle of the handmade clip art. The goal here was not to overdo it, but to tastefully fill some space with just enough to retain the personality of the show on the pages.
In result, flipping through the PIPPIN program is both an informative, and visually engaging experience that not only gievs credit to those who brough the show together, but also the essence of the show itself.
In result, flipping through the PIPPIN program is both an informative, and visually engaging experience that not only gievs credit to those who brough the show together, but also the essence of the show itself.
