STORY: "A Christmas Carol" in Jaco.

TEATRO JACO

Jaco is a surfer's town, about a ten-minute drive north of where we live in Playa Hermosa on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Its the closest beach town to the Central Valley, where most of Costa Rica's four million people live. It saw tremendous growth over the past ten years, but slowed down when the U.S. economy took a dive.

Its where we shop, bank, eat and generally take care of business. We had been watching this interesting building being constructed on the main drag for the past few months, wondering what it was. It only got its sign up last week, just in time for its first performance, "A Christmas Carol."

It is a dream come true for these two guys; Artistic Director, Darren Lee Cole (left), and Patrick Hundley from DayStar Properties, a major developer in Jaco. Its a joint partnership between Cole's Teatro Jaco and Patrick Hundley. Pat wants to inspire local talent through funding arts programs and educational workshops for the Central Pacific region.

Darren is an award-winning producer and director with the SoHo Playhouse in New York City for the past seven years. He's also a surfer who loves Jaco and is part owner in a local surf shop.

Needless to say, he comes here as often as he can. Now he plans on directing plays during the winters here and summers in NYC. He and Pat have been working on the theatre for eight years, and even during a bad economy they have managed to make it happen.

Jaco is a beautiful beach town and known more for its rather loose nightlife, than for its culture. Living in Jaco is a little like living in the Wild West, particularly at night. But people are trying to change that. DayStar has many large condo projects, some completed and some in the works, and wanted to add a cultural amenity for its buyers. Many retiring Gringo "baby boomers" are looking for more than just a beautiful beach, particularly the wives.

But, it wasn't just a business decision that made this theatre a reality. Bringing the world of entertainment to a beach town in Costa Rica will go a long way to help the local population of Jaco. Until now the only way to see, or much less participate, in such a cultural activity was to live in San Jose.

I met Darren accidentally a few months ago when our son Robby was visiting. We told Robby about a wonderful Tico painter named Felix Murillo who had a gallery his wife and friend ran nearby in Playa Hermosa.

We talked with them about meeting with us to discuss Robby representing Felix in the Felder Gallery, which he now does. We were to meet the Murillo group at their gallery after their eleven o'clock meeting with someone else.

We got there on time and the person they were meeting with was still there. We walked in and offered to come back after their meeting and they said, "No, no... we'd like you to meet Darren Cole."

He was a friendly guy and said that he was the director of the new theatre in Jaco and they were looking for people to audition for parts in their first production in the new building called, "A Christmas Carol."

I said that I wasn't an actor, I was an artist. He said they could use artists too to help out. I said I would volunteer to help maybe paint something on the set... like a chair or something. "Just give me something to paint and I'd be glad to volunteer," I said. He said there would be other volunteers helping. We went on our way and then later I received a call from Darren.

Darren asked me to meet him at the new building and he would show me around.  I was blown away by the building. With tall ceilings and a wrap around balcony, the building was first class for a small theatre, and the first in Jaco. The DayStar offices and sales center were attached.

Darren asked me what my skill set was. I said, "Uh... I can paint...  and I know how to meet deadlines." He said with a chuckle, "It will be a lot of work for no pay!"

"I'm in!" I said with a laugh, "As long as it is fun." 

Now why in the hell did I agree to do that you ask? Well, I've actually been giving it some thought in retrospect. I think the key to my desire to get involved was that I missed working with a group of creative people. My years in advertising and publishing were very exciting, even with the ups and downs along the way. I made some wonderful friends and usually held positions of considerable responsibility. I enjoyed having the last say and my opinion respected. 

If I had asked for money, it wouldn't be enough. And... I'd be working for someone. Wrong... I'll have no more of that! No, as a volunteer I would have more say in everything from when I work, to what I paint. I could make more money just staying home and working on an oil painting. But, hey! I'm retired! I have choices!

Well, Darren went back to NYC where he was working on another production. Some time went by. Then, I started getting emails and Skypes from Darren, and he was copying the other members of the team. Kevin, the technical director; Gregg the production manager/lighting designer; and Wendy, an interior designer in Jaco responsible for sewing and hanging the backdrop that I was to "help" paint.

More and more emails flew by. Someone finally e-mailed me a script, and I went through it marking the places that would have an effect on the design of the set and making notes. Darren first thought maybe a series of vignettes in boxes painted on the backdrop would be nice, each scene representing a location in the play. I wasn't crazy about the idea and suggested the traditional London street scene. We agreed that it would go farther in placing the actors and audience in the scene. And, I thought that it might work to have spotlights shine on different buildings to show the location of the scene to solve that problem.

I did some Google image research on "A Christmas Carol" set design to see what was out there. There was some good sets, but most required elaborate construction that would not fit in our theatre. I saw a couple I liked and then threw my own thoughts into it. Linda rented me the old black and white movie of "A Christmas Carol," and I read the script several times, so I believe I had a good idea of what was needed. I produced this rough sketch below without any dimensions. 

The shaded doors on the left and right are open to backstage where actors can come and go. Usually black drapes cover those doors and connect to short drapes that go across the top of the set.

I asked if I could have the area above those doors for the set. I'd make the openings look like doors and then the black drapes could go behind them for entrances and exits.

There was to be a band on the right of the stage, so I suggested a row of fake bushes and wrought iron fencing to divide them from the actors. Scrooge's chair was a given; as was some sort of tombstone. I suggested the chair swivel exposing the tombstone when the time was right.

I emailed my sketch and some notes to the group, and everyone responded favorably. There were some issues to work out. I was sent a pdf of a CAD elevation of the building's stage interior by Gregg, the production manager. He spoke perfect Spanish, so I asked him where he learned it. He said he grew up in a Cuban family in Miami. This guy was such a pleasure to work with and a major talent in getting things done with the least amount of stress. I had worked with production managers in advertising and publishing in my past life, and already had a great appreciation for their skills. He was on his way to South America to produce a show the day after our premiere. 

So with Gregg's CAD drawings where I could get dimensions, I created this sketch below with the right proportions. Everyone liked it. It might come as a shocker to my design friends, but I actually used a t-square and triangle on tissue paper taped to my old Oak drafting table that I've drug around with me from my days working at Warren Reed & Friends in mid-seventies.

Imagine! Creating art without a  computer!

I started with pencil getting a perspective that went off into the distance, and ending with London's famous Big Ben, an integral part of the story. The clock would chime on the hour to introduce the next ghost to visit Scrooge.

Once I had the pencil sketch the way I liked it I was about to create a new tracing, this time in ink. But, I had a new idea. What if I left some of the windows just raw muslin to let light shine through from the back, thus a better way to indicate which building was the setting for the scene.

Darren and Gregg tossed the idea around to see if they could make it work. Finally they said they could do it some how. The area behind the backdrop was very narrow and could be hard to light, but Gregg said he would try.

So, with this new idea, I created a simple tracing of where those lights would be and sent that to the team with notations as to which buildings would be lighted. I needed Scrooge's office, Scrooges home, Fezziwig's, Fred's house and Bob Cratchit's house. Cratchit's house was second in importance in my mind, so I made it large opposite the office. These two buildings acted like "bookends" in the composition, almost going the full 16' height of the backdrop. The width of the backdrop was 30'. Everyone liked it.

Now I was ready for the final drawing from which I would paint from. Reviewing the script again I noticed that Fezziwig's was the scene of a big party in a warehouse, so I made the second building past Scrooge's office on the left into a warehouse with windows above for the big party.

I put a new sheet of tracing paper over the pencil sketch and drew this sketch below in ink. I shaded in areas with ink so I could get some idea of values, particularly the contrast between the white snow and the rest of the scene.

Once done, I needed a way to scale up this drawing to the 16' x 30' backdrop. So, I drew a grid of one-inch squares in red ink and numbered them. The scale would be one inch to two feet. In other words, for every one inch on the drawing, I would measure two feet on the backdrop (Scale: 1" = 2'). It reminded me of my college days as an Architecture student before switching over to Art.

Then, I found out that the volunteers that I had been promised to help were not helping. Our photographer friend, Teri, did come one day to help paint some of the street and took a few of these pictures of me painting.

After some lost time getting the backdrop material ordered, sewn, hung and primed; I was ready to do my part. I had a large blank canvas in front of me, but I wasn't fazed. I needed to just jump in feet first, but I was prepared and knew what to do. I had spent a lot of time thinking it through. 

First I had to locate all the windows that I would leave unpainted so the light would shine through. I had a little help holding the other end of my chalk line to put the two-foot grid over the white muslin. Once that was done, I drew the windows on the muslin with a black Sharpie.

Next, I was given $200 from Darren to purchase supplies (paint, etc.) Most of the painting supplies I already had from home and was ready to go. I just needed paint, and I purchased that from the local SUR paint store, doing the best I could with my broken Spanish.

So, I started painting a dark blue color across the whole backdrop, leaving the window areas blank as planned. I used a roller for most of it, and did have a little help from one of the Tico guys to some of the rolling in the large, non-critical areas. 

Once dry, I brought out my chalk line again and popped the red chalk grid back on, over the dark blue. It didn't show that well, but I could see it enough.

Then, I drew the whole thing with white chalk, matching the areas I had left blank for the windows. I was now in my second day and felt I was making good progress. 

So, day after day, I kept showing up and painting. Usually I started about 8 a.m., sometimes having to wait for someone to open the doors with a key. I had ten days to complete the piece from start to finish, so I had to judge my time. I worked on the most important things first, saving some of the details that may or may not make the deadline. 

The building was still being finished, so workers were everywhere. Often, I had to give up my scaffolding to the workers who were hanging the new theatrical lighting across the ceiling grid, but we just worked it out. I'd move to a lower area to paint when they needed it.

Then, the actors arrived from New York. 

The cast was a combination of seasoned actors that Darren chose from New York –– uh, lets see –– three weeks in Costa Rica performing –– how about "YES!" Auditions were held weeks ahead of time to select the part of the cast who were Costa Rican. 

A voice coach worked with the Tico actors, which included a wonderful group of school children.

Workshops were held in the local schools, a new experience for Jaco kids.

The musical instruments which were going to be used in the play were somehow stolen before they could make it to the theatre, so new ones had to be purchased.

New Yorker, Michael Sgouros (left), was brought in as the composer and musical director of the play. It was a wonderful experience for me to be up on stage painting, while small groups of actors practiced their singing and choreography below. Michael and his assistant practiced their work with a marimba and various percussion instruments in another corner.

It was heavenly, and made all the hard work and volunteer time worth every minute. I have to admit that I actually had to wipe a tear or two from my eyes as I worked and listened to their wonderful music and voices. Scrooge himself, played by Osborn Focht, had one of the best voices (think Phantom of the Opera).

I would work sometimes all day and sometimes only a half a day. I put in as much time as allowed. The actors and musicians took the stage in the afternoon towards the end in order to practice together. 

The Tico kids were the best. They worked hard for weeks before the New York actors arrived, and they were ready.

Sometimes I would work upstairs painting the other props that were required, while they practiced on stage below me.

Other props included the short wall in front of the musicians that had now changed to a stone wall topped with snow; the wall behind Scrooge's chair that was painted to resemble bricks; a hinged wall on the left side of the stage to extend the space and interact with the wall behind Scrooge's chair to create an indoor scene; the tombstone revealed when his chair was spun around; and stools and tables that needed painting and distressed.

I brought a few props from home that worked well. I had an old quill pen that I taped on a Barn Owl Feather; a large old book to be used as Scrooge's journal in which he tracks his money; and a small leather suitcase I had saved to be used by Scrooge as a boy.

I had the most fun creating Scrooge's tombstone. The one that the Ghost of Christmas Future pointed out to him. At one point a truck pulled up out front and unloaded a ton of large cardboard boxes filled with the equipment to run the lighting and sound. It was all brand new and had been sitting in Customs for some time –– always a worry when shipping something to a foreign country.

The boxes were also filled with styrofoam packing pieces. I had my eye on them from the start. Gregg had a worker collect them for me. I stacked them together with some contact cement, then sprayed a can of foam insulation in the wholes. The contact cement melted the styro and along with the spray foam growing fast, it was making an interesting mess. So, I decided to just go with it and started manipulating the action with my putty knife. It turned out great, particularly after putting paint to it. Wish I could find a photo of it.

I also applied pieces of styrofoam to the top of the wooden pieces that I had painted to look like a short stone wall in front of the band. Then, I used a bluish white for snow adding a more vibrant light blue for the snow shadows. The snow was the most fun to paint.

I did a version of this scene that I knew I could get done in the ten days I had to work. I could have painted more of a Currier & Ive's scene, getting very realistic. But that's not really theatre anyway. It is a setting in the mind and people have to use their imaginations. So I created almost a cartoonish version with specific shapes that I knew I could draw and at least paint in the timeframe I had, even if it ended up being "paint-by-numbers."

In the end, it worked great. I only purchased paint twice. A gallon of white, two gallons of dark blue; and a quart each of red, light blue, yellow, olive green, brown and black. I brought a wooden work table top with detachable iron legs for my paint mixing table. My main concern was that I was not able to paint with the actual lighting that would be used. It wasn't ready until the eve of the show and got programed at the last minute.

So, I  had to guess what colors and values would look like under stage lighting and colored lights, and for the most part guessed right.

Gregg came up with a way to light the windows with dimmers. He had his carpenter make up narrow light boxes, which he suspended behind the backdrop in the right spot. The only thing that didn't get done was frosting the bulbs so the light was more evenly dispersed. Time simply ran out. I painted a watered-down coast of blue over the raw muslin so that it looked like glass when not lit. The warm, yellow light came through it fine, each window coming on when the scene on stage changed.

When the bells chimed, Big Ben was the only light to be seen on stage. The lighting of Big Bend was accomplished by attaching two oval light fixtures on the surface. I painted the clock faces on the glass globes and that was very effective.

Here's what the inside of the program looked like. Somehow I had gone from volunteer helper to "Set Designer!" Our first year in Costa Rica has been full of surprises. Who knew I could paint a thirty-foot  theatre backdrop, and work with New York pros to help plan and execute a play? The largest thing I have ever painted was an eight-foot oil painting... and that took three months!

The nice thing about this whole experience is that everyone was so nice. No yelling or complaining. The Ticos were wonderful. The New Yorkers were wonderful. And the staff and management from DayStar were wonderful. I could go on and on with more details of this experience, but I think I have highlighted the ones that meant the most.

The opening night was full of excitement. The mirrors of the backstage dressing rooms went on the walls just hours before the performance. Everyone worked up to the last minute to clean and make it work. And it did. After a wine and hors d'oeuvres reception before the show everyone took their seats. Darren said his job was over and now it was up to the actors, musicians and staff.

The performance went off without a hitch and ended with a standing ovation. Linda and I really enjoyed it as well as our friend, John O'brien, who came with us. Parents of the Tico kids in the audience were thrilled. This little Christmas play had the power to change the lives and future of the Ticos who participated. Who knows what the future will bring for them after this exposure to a professionally produce "off-Broadway" (way off-Broadway) show.

You could see it in their faces when it was over.

It took about two weeks out of my own painting schedule, but now I'm back in my studio working on a painting of a Heron I had started.

It was an honor for me to have participated and I received a round of applause from the audience when thanked by Patrick Hudley when he introduced the performance. Some things are worth more than money. I had a great time, did my Art thing, got recognized for my efforts and went away with a warm Christmas feeling that had been missing since our move away from family to Costa Rica.

So Merry Christmas everyone! I hope this story warmed your hearts just a little. It certainly did mine.

Photo credits: Teri Dominey, John O'Brien, Randall Ortega Chaves and myself.

Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol" –– at Teatro Jaco through December 30, 2011