In October 2021, I did the scenic design for a student-directed production of Endgame by Samuel Beckett. The term Endgame refers to the point in a chess game where only a few pieces remain on the board. This terminology was the backbone for how I approached the scenery for this production.

In my early concepts meetings with the director, I took note of the way that she talked about Beckett’s tendency to “mockingly idolize the concept of god.” That struggle with a higher power helped solidify the idea of the characters in this play being the playthings of an unseen deity, and was the inspiration behind the walls of the room, meant to indicate the fingers on the hand of god looming over the chess board.

The overall mood for the play was one of repetition, destitution, neglect, and the never-ending march of time, all seen in the dirty, rusty, moldy, cracked, and altogether gross state of the scenery. 

Director: Emma Banner

Scenic Design: Olive Palmer

Costume Design: Olive Palmer

Lighting Design: Alex Snodgrass and Zach Cue