Tonight, Lost Girls, the riveting new play and Time Out New York Critics' Pick, closes its off-Broadway run at MCC Theater after a weeklong extension. This was the second time we had the honor to work on one of John Pollono's new works, having designed the artwork for his critically-acclaimed Small Engine Repair two seasons ago, also at MCC. (The artwork now appears on the script as well!)
Here's how the show was billed:
When Erica, their sixteen-year-old daughter, goes missing during a winter storm, Maggie and Lou--former high school sweethearts, now divorced--are forced to confront the legacy of their past decisions. Lost Girls is a hard-hitting drama about a blue-collar family struggling to rise above their limited prospects to prevent history from repeating itself. Filled with simmering passion, twists and dark humor, the play remains at its core a poignant love story.
We began the keyart design for this show last winter, in the dead of the Boston snowstorms that dumped over 100 inches of snow on the city. MCC Theater's marketing team had the wonderful idea of writing the play's title on a snow windshield... so every time (read everyday) the snow fell last January, I donned my snow gear, shoveled our sidewalks, and then trounced to find our car in the street, tried to write the words, shoot some photos, and edit them.
It was most always illegible, and our Mini Cooper wasn't exactly the right style for the show. But, I had enough letters that were usable to do some handy-dandy Photoshop work, found the right car, and we were able to compose the artwork below. It was a fun challenge for me, I learned a few new techniques, and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out.
Above clockwise: Playbill cover, digital ad, and two front of house marquees.
Congratulations to the artistic and production team at MCC on a great production. Their next production, Smokefall, featuring Zachary Quinto, opens in February.