Great River Shakespeare Festival 2022
(Upcoming)
This Year I am thrilled to join the Great River Shakespeare Festival as a Scenic Designer for all three productions playing in rep, the challenge is accommodating three very different productions in the same space with a limited time for changeover between each performance. I have approached the design almost like a multi-set musical, a lot is in casters, a lot is up in the air, I have also tried to emphasize the nature of making theatre and wanting it to be recognized as the same stage. The deck, which is permanent for the season, highlights the performer-audience relationship.
(Upcoming)
This Year I am thrilled to join the Great River Shakespeare Festival as a Scenic Designer for all three productions playing in rep, the challenge is accommodating three very different productions in the same space with a limited time for changeover between each performance. I have approached the design almost like a multi-set musical, a lot is in casters, a lot is up in the air, I have also tried to emphasize the nature of making theatre and wanting it to be recognized as the same stage. The deck, which is permanent for the season, highlights the performer-audience relationship.
The Taming of the Shrew
Twelfth Night
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The African Company Presents Richard III by Carlyle Brown
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Romeo and Juliet
The New School - New York, NY. - 2021
Directed by: Cristina Angeles; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Olivia Hern; Lighting Design by: Emma Deane; Sound Design by: DJ Potts; Fight Choreography by: Thomas Schall; Intimacy Direction by: Lauren DeLeon; Student Assistant Director:Hannah Penderson; Production Stage Manager: Jennifer Gallo; Assistant Stage Manager: Jenna Ng Lowry.
Production Photos by Nathaniel Johnston Photography.
The New School - New York, NY. - 2021
Directed by: Cristina Angeles; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Olivia Hern; Lighting Design by: Emma Deane; Sound Design by: DJ Potts; Fight Choreography by: Thomas Schall; Intimacy Direction by: Lauren DeLeon; Student Assistant Director:Hannah Penderson; Production Stage Manager: Jennifer Gallo; Assistant Stage Manager: Jenna Ng Lowry.
Production Photos by Nathaniel Johnston Photography.
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Mary Stuart
Lee Strasberg/NYU - New York, NY
When using proscenium style, I love justifying the separation between stage and audience, with that in mind I was inspired in museums and museum exhibits. With this being a theatre piece based in history, the Director and I were interested in how history is portrayed and biased, we were also interested in how together as an audience can judge a figure or story, and emphasize how women in positions of power are placed in a pedestal and judged with a higher standard. The commonalties between a stage and a museum display were interesting for me to explore.
Directed by: Nicholas Polonio ; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Keyon Woods; Lighting Design by: Erin MacDevitt ; Sound Design by: Chelsea Daniels.
Lee Strasberg/NYU - New York, NY
When using proscenium style, I love justifying the separation between stage and audience, with that in mind I was inspired in museums and museum exhibits. With this being a theatre piece based in history, the Director and I were interested in how history is portrayed and biased, we were also interested in how together as an audience can judge a figure or story, and emphasize how women in positions of power are placed in a pedestal and judged with a higher standard. The commonalties between a stage and a museum display were interesting for me to explore.
Directed by: Nicholas Polonio ; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Keyon Woods; Lighting Design by: Erin MacDevitt ; Sound Design by: Chelsea Daniels.
Production Photo.
Production Photo
Production Photo
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Rendering
Production Photo
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Fruma-Sarah(Waiting in the Wings)
The Cell Theatre - New York, NY.
Off-Broadway production starring Emmy nominee Jackie Hoffman and Kelly Kinsella, the set consisted of creating the backstage wing of a community theatre during a production of "Fiddler on the Roof", with a constrained time and space the design became about finding the essential, I also had fun playing with perspective and placing elements in a unnatural layout. Directed by: Braden M. Burns, Play by: E. Dale Smith, Sound Design: Germán Martínez, Lighting Design: Dan Alaimo, Costume Design: Bobby Goodrich.
The Cell Theatre - New York, NY.
Off-Broadway production starring Emmy nominee Jackie Hoffman and Kelly Kinsella, the set consisted of creating the backstage wing of a community theatre during a production of "Fiddler on the Roof", with a constrained time and space the design became about finding the essential, I also had fun playing with perspective and placing elements in a unnatural layout. Directed by: Braden M. Burns, Play by: E. Dale Smith, Sound Design: Germán Martínez, Lighting Design: Dan Alaimo, Costume Design: Bobby Goodrich.
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"...Rodrigo Escalante’s set brilliantly re-creates the tangle of ropes, pulleys and mysterious rows of handles that is the backstage of a theater...."
-theaterscene.net "...The rest of the modest production is just right, including Rodrigo Escalante's arrangement of stage curtains and rigging..." -Lighting & Sound America |
Color Sketch.
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Pencil Sketch.
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Ragtime
The Lucas Theatre - Savannah, GA
It was a great experience to design for such a big historic theatre, the Lucas Theatre in Savannah, GA. This was such a big show with a very constrained budget and quick turnaround, I approached it with a very simplistic design. Due to an unexpected turn of events, I also designed projections for this one. Directed by: Michael Wainstein, Costumes by Dawn Testa, Lighting by Jordan Wiggins, Musical Direction by Kevin Wallace.
The Lucas Theatre - Savannah, GA
It was a great experience to design for such a big historic theatre, the Lucas Theatre in Savannah, GA. This was such a big show with a very constrained budget and quick turnaround, I approached it with a very simplistic design. Due to an unexpected turn of events, I also designed projections for this one. Directed by: Michael Wainstein, Costumes by Dawn Testa, Lighting by Jordan Wiggins, Musical Direction by Kevin Wallace.
Production Photo, bows after a performance of Ragtime.
Production Photo. Opening Number
Production Photo.
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Production Photo. Baseball
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Scale Model.
Paint Elevation. The wall at the back of the stage was massive and had to be built in parts for assembly at the theatre. I designed rivets around each section of the wall, so in case visible to the audience, the seams would look intentional.
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Production Photo. Make Them Hear You
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Production Photo. Mr President.
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Production Photo. Crime of The Century
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Godspell
The Little Theatre - Queens, NY.
The Director's vision was to have this production set in a warehouse. It was very fun for me to have a design informed by very industrial settings which is something I've always been inspired by. Directed by: Rick Roemer, Costumes by Heather McDevitt, Lighting by Joe Cantalupo, Musical Direction by: Matthew DeMaria
The Little Theatre - Queens, NY.
The Director's vision was to have this production set in a warehouse. It was very fun for me to have a design informed by very industrial settings which is something I've always been inspired by. Directed by: Rick Roemer, Costumes by Heather McDevitt, Lighting by Joe Cantalupo, Musical Direction by: Matthew DeMaria
Rendering for production.
In the Initial design a massive wall was gonna hide the actual back wall of the theatre, due to budget constraints I had to come up with a solution. The solution was to only have a partial back wall that informed the location.
Research/ Mood Board
Production Photo.
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Production Photo
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Broadcast Set Design
Practicing 3D rendering skills and design while quarantining at home.
Practicing 3D rendering skills and design while quarantining at home.
Spelling Bee
St John's University - Queens, NY.
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This musical is written to take place in what is the gymnasium of a school. With the director we decided we wanted to emphasize the fact that this production was being presented in a school auditorium; embrace the space instead of transforming it. The concept was to have the auditorium prepared to what would look like a heightened version of a school event. Directed by: Samantha Tella, Costumes by Heather McDevitt, Lighting by Joe Cantalupo.
St John's University - Queens, NY.
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This musical is written to take place in what is the gymnasium of a school. With the director we decided we wanted to emphasize the fact that this production was being presented in a school auditorium; embrace the space instead of transforming it. The concept was to have the auditorium prepared to what would look like a heightened version of a school event. Directed by: Samantha Tella, Costumes by Heather McDevitt, Lighting by Joe Cantalupo.
Rendering.
Production Photos.
We Have Apples
West End Theatre - New York, NY.
"We Have Apples follows Jane, a quirky 19 year old who is determined to overcome her mental illness and become a successful writer. Paralyzed by the intensity of Depression, Jane's illness personified, Jane is forced to check into a psychiatric facility. In the facility, she bonds with the other patients in a writing group and falls in love with her psychiatrist's son." Book & Lyrics: Rachel Griffin and Aaron Accurso, Directed by: Gina Rattan, Choreography by: Sarah O'Gleby, Costumes by : Alixandra Eilsen, Lighting by: David Sexton, Sound Design by: Jessica Mcllquham.
West End Theatre - New York, NY.
"We Have Apples follows Jane, a quirky 19 year old who is determined to overcome her mental illness and become a successful writer. Paralyzed by the intensity of Depression, Jane's illness personified, Jane is forced to check into a psychiatric facility. In the facility, she bonds with the other patients in a writing group and falls in love with her psychiatrist's son." Book & Lyrics: Rachel Griffin and Aaron Accurso, Directed by: Gina Rattan, Choreography by: Sarah O'Gleby, Costumes by : Alixandra Eilsen, Lighting by: David Sexton, Sound Design by: Jessica Mcllquham.
Set before a performance.
Tech Rehearsals
Bows after a performance
Othello The Remix
Concept for a new adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. Set made with repurposed shipping containers that would act as dioramas for the different scenes, the layout of platforms provides easy access in and out of the stage.
Concept for a new adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. Set made with repurposed shipping containers that would act as dioramas for the different scenes, the layout of platforms provides easy access in and out of the stage.
3D Rendering
Miniature Scale Model
It's all in the details.
Hand-Drafting.
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Hand-drafted section.
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Speech and Debate
St Johns University - Queens, NY
Directed by: Aaron Van Syoc; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Lighting Design by: Joe Cantalupo.
St Johns University - Queens, NY
Directed by: Aaron Van Syoc; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Lighting Design by: Joe Cantalupo.
Production Photo
Production Photo
Production Photo
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Scale White Model
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Hairspray
The first theatrical production I designed after college, was a production of Hairspray The Musical at St John's University in New York. The musical takes place in Baltimore and requires a vast number of locations. The theater had no backstage space, or fly- space; which required for all the elements to be on stage. I designed a series of towers with all kind of surprises hidden in them. With the use of hinges, springs, handles; I was able to create ways to transform the on stage elements.
Directed and Choreographed by: Christopher Patterson; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Roejendra Adams; Lighting Design by: Stephen Weeks; Sound Design by: Dave Green;Musical Direction by: Trevor Pierce ; Production Stage Manager: Chelsea Guerra.
The first theatrical production I designed after college, was a production of Hairspray The Musical at St John's University in New York. The musical takes place in Baltimore and requires a vast number of locations. The theater had no backstage space, or fly- space; which required for all the elements to be on stage. I designed a series of towers with all kind of surprises hidden in them. With the use of hinges, springs, handles; I was able to create ways to transform the on stage elements.
Directed and Choreographed by: Christopher Patterson; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Roejendra Adams; Lighting Design by: Stephen Weeks; Sound Design by: Dave Green;Musical Direction by: Trevor Pierce ; Production Stage Manager: Chelsea Guerra.
Rendering.
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Simultaneous Locations.The House was a pop-up door. The Corny Collins Sign was hinged from the tower. With the use of a scrim effect, the windows became the "ON Air" studio signs.
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Photograph.
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Photograph
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Sketches for some of the signs in the show.
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The Record shop was also created with the use of hinged walls within the set. Transitioning in and out of this location could be done in less than a second. All Sketches in Photoshop.
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The Addams Family Musical
Multi-Location musical I had the challenge to fit in a very tiny theatre with very little fly space and wings, the wall of the house was used for both the outside and the inside by using scrim covering the windows and two tracking trees with a built-in gate., the center window scrim had a painted portrait of the family for the indoor scenes. The design also included two staircases and periaktoi to create different rooms within the house, the director justified all the transitions by having the ancestors move everything.
Directed by: Samantha Tella; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Heather McDevitt; Lighting Design by: Joe Cantalupo; Sound Design by: Nelson Dorado; ; Production Stage Manager: Anthony Starvaggi.
Multi-Location musical I had the challenge to fit in a very tiny theatre with very little fly space and wings, the wall of the house was used for both the outside and the inside by using scrim covering the windows and two tracking trees with a built-in gate., the center window scrim had a painted portrait of the family for the indoor scenes. The design also included two staircases and periaktoi to create different rooms within the house, the director justified all the transitions by having the ancestors move everything.
Directed by: Samantha Tella; Scenic Design by: Rodrigo Escalante; Costumes by: Heather McDevitt; Lighting Design by: Joe Cantalupo; Sound Design by: Nelson Dorado; ; Production Stage Manager: Anthony Starvaggi.
Forest
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Outside House
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Inside House
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Hallway
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OTHER DESIGNS
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Snow White
St John's University - New York, NY. 
Production Photo.
Paint Elevation
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Apartment 3A
Stella Adler Studio of Acting - New York, NY. 
Production Photo.
Vectorworks Drafting
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Wizard of Oz
St John's University - New York, NY. 
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Wayside School
The Little Theatre - Queens, NY. 
Production Photo
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She Kills Monsters
Stella Adler Studio of Acting - New York, NY.
Stella Adler Studio of Acting - New York, NY.
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