I know, this is the graphic design blog, I promise we’ll circle back around to it just trust me!
My dear friend Avery and I studied together at Pratt Institute 5 years ago where we played volleyball, drank a lot of boba tea and over time became very close. A recent creative writing graduate, Avery got the opportunity to work with Anna Meyer, a young director and actress in New York City, and her visions of a performance about reclaiming ones power as a woman after it’s been stripped away from them. Now, these dreams are becoming a reality as Avery and Anna put their visions to work this spring! Your Power follows the journey of a young woman from puberty through adulthood and explores taking back one’s power when it has been stripped away without consent. Based off true events and shared experiences, it is truly inspiring to see these amazing women take their trauma, learn and grow, and ultimately turn it into beautiful art to share with others.
Officially a play writer now, Avery gave me a call to share the news that the script was finalized, actors were casted, venue is booked and date is set! What an exciting moment for my fellow creatives and friends, she told me she’ll be in New York for the first half of March to see the play in action on opening night (Sunday, March 12th). Avery also mentioned that the next step for her and Anna was to get some marketing out there and promote the play, mainly on social media, but they needed logos and posters, so this is where I come in! I was honored and so excited to join the creative team and not only have the opportunity to work with my best friend, but to be a part of such an empowering project.
So, during my first meeting with the creative direction team, we went over the moods, themes and symbols of the play to really get a clear picture of attributes that best define the message of the play. With that, we came up with a list consisting of cakes, mirrors, dating, fruits and a few more things. Focused on the cake, and the semi-satirical message, I came up with a few poster sketches to which we decided on a messy, three tiered raspberry and strawberry cake, topped with candles that spell out, “YOUR POWER.”
When working on your sketches, especially when it’s for a client, it’s important to make sure that you listen to the clients ideations too. Then using your ideas and their ideas to work up thumbnails that have a variety of different concepts. I like to try and do type based thumbnails, iconography, illustration and different fonts available as well. The more variety the better!
At first, I was going to take a more graphic route, however once we started talking about the ideations, I knew it would be so much better to illustrate it, despite being a big project. I spent a good 30+ hours on the digital illustration on an 11x 17 in canvas. It was really nice to exercise my illustration skills again, I haven’t done much drawing since high school and it was interesting to see how my craft and skills have grown over the last 5 years. I can say the work was definitely worth it, looking back at the small details hidden within the cake. From there, I was able to take the cake and format text and a QR code to ticket sales around it for the poster. I think the only thing more rewarding than the finished cake would be to eat the cake!
The cake symbolizes so many things in the context of the play. Being a raspberry and strawberry cake, with multiple layers and a thick, sticky syrup it represents femininity, sexuality, perseverance and strength. The fruits resemble the sexuality and depth of women, and how they’re desired and percieved in society. Multiple cake layers represent strength and perseverance though many of the traumas, sexualization and objectification that are faced throughout womanhood. The thick syrup is a vehicle for the way trauma stays with a person and always leaves some residue no matter how much you try to clean it up.
If you would like to look into tickets, you can use this links below depending on the showtimes that work for you. The play will be held on March 12, at Arts on Site in New York City. There are two shows being put on and each have limited ticket availability, so get your tickets now!
