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Lower Schoolers Help Create Willy Wonka, Jr., Set

Set Design is one of the many after-school activities open to Ranney fourth- and fifth-graders during the winter months leading up to the division’s spring musical. The club is typically held on Mondays, so that students acting in the play can also participate (they rehearse Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays).
 
With a list of props and flats to create, the students in this spring’s Set Design Club, led by Lower School Visual Arts Teacher Barbara Levine, started out by conducting research in the computer lab. With Willy Wonka, Jr. as the musical, they researched images for candy bars, boat scene silhouettes, the infamous golden ticket, old fashioned radios and TV sets, as well as ideas they could use for the backdrop and stage flats. Then, the Set Designers met once a week in Mrs. Levine's studio to build and create the props.
 
To finish painting the backdrop and flats, the students came in one day over their Spring break in order to have a full day’s access to the stage. This year, the main backdrop is a view of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, featuring a garden of flowers, trees, lollipops, and a chocolate river. With the walls primed by Mrs. Levine, our young designers were able to focus on creating all the fun images for the scene. The final step in being part of the Set Design crew was to sign their names on the back wall. The students’ signatures are hidden among all the brightly painted walls!
 
“Set Design gives all students, even those not comfortable performing, to have an opportunity to be part of the musical,” says Mrs. Levine.
 
In this video, a few Set Design members show off their work. See if you can spot their signatures!
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.