The Crazy Locomotive

By Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz
Produced by imaginary beasts, at the BCA Black Box, April 2011

Directed by Matthew Woods
Lighting Design by Mike Underhill
Costume Design by Cotton Talbot-Minkin
Scenic Design and Construction
Photos: Meg Taintor

Review in Slavic and East European Performance, Vol. 31, No. 2:

“Also noteworthy was the way the production’s acting and scenography worked together. The ingenious Actor/Designer Mac Young bridged the gap between the cast and the production crew... The initial image that greets the audience at the top of the show is of Young, as the locomotive’s fireman, athletically shoveling imaginary coal to stoke the locomotive’s “engine.” Each movement was performed in a space perfectly configured to highlight the human’s role in the engine’s operation. This movement was striking because it was clear that the scenic designer had created a set that was, first and foremost, an “acting machine” (the design had clear constructivist influences), and that the actor understood precisely how to operate as the critical element of that machine.”

Empty stage with three vertical white screens and a white circular table in front, all set against a dark background.
A man with a beard in theatrical costume, wearing yellow boots, is lifting a black circular object on a stage with minimal scenery, including a white chair and a small white bench, in a dark setting.
A man dressed as a mime clown wearing a black top hat with red and yellow feathers, black suit, white shirt, and black bow tie performing on stage, with dramatic lighting highlighting his face and hand.
Four puppets on a stage with spotlighted backgrounds, including a person in yellow rain boots holding a cane, a clown with a hat sitting on the floor, a man in a coat standing at an easel, and a person in black with a hat.
Stage prop resembling a small boat with a wooden deck, a chair, a small platform, and a potted plant, all made of white painted wood, set in a dark theater or studio setting.
Shadow of a person wearing a hat and holding out a hand, cast on a wall illuminated by a large light source in the shape of a circle, with a piece of furniture in the foreground.
Performer dressed as a mime in a black suit with striped shirt, sitting on a white chair on a ladder, with a mirror in the background, on a dark stage.
Actors performing a scene on stage with three characters in the center, one person holding another in a hug, and a person sitting on a bench with a shovel behind them, in a theatrical production.
The image is of a theater scene with four actors. One actor is dressed in black with a feathered hat, sitting at a round table, deep in thought. Two actors are leaning over the table, one with red hair and the other with blonde hair, both observing t
Two actors performing on stage, one in black suit and striped pants, the other in a beige shirt and yellow boots, with the man in the beige shirt pointing outward.
Two performers dressed in mime costumes, one with a mustache and suspenders, holding a prop, and the other with makeup and a hat, standing behind.
A woman with curly hair wearing a patterned dress standing on a stage, pulling back a curtain with a smile, illuminated by red lighting.
A theatrical performance with five actors in costume on a stage with a black background. One actor is pointing a prop gun at another actor dressed in dark clothing and a hat, squatting with a paper hat. Two other actors are standing, one in a striped
A theatrical stage performance with actors in clown makeup and costumes, some on a wooden structure, in a dark setting
A group of actors in costume posing on a theater stage, dressed as clowns and comedians.
A dark room with a curved, freestanding white fabric screen or backdrop on the left and a tall, smooth wooden wall illuminated by warm light on the right.