Ragtime

Set Designer

Ragtime follows three families in pre-WWI New York, from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds and how the events of their time force them to change and grow. It shows American experiences from different groups. Ragtime music is all about time; rag music never stops and is always flowing. Thematically, the story mirrors that idea. We, as people, never stop to look at our surroundings until the unthinkable happens. Only then does time and the music stops. The design reflects two different buildings of the era, Ellis Island and Penn Station. Both places represent travel, and they are a place where class didn’t matter. We also wanted to further incorporate the theme of time and movement, so there was a revolve that helped maintain the motion throughout the play.