Shane J. M. Liesegang

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A large part of the burden of student theatre is simply letting the University know that productions are happening. All the production values and talent in the world means nothing if people don't come and pay money. (This view is overly pragmatic, but most plays cost money, especially the types that student groups at U.Va. choose to produce.) I served as a Publicity Chair on a number of productions for First Year Players, and also designed a few logos purely for their own sake.

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First Year Players

First Year Players is a fully-student run and financially-independent organization at the University of Virginia which produces a musical each semester. The cast is limited to first-year students or new transfers (those who have not yet been able to worm their way in to Drama Department productions), and upperclassmen serve as artistic and production staff. After performing in Damn Yankees in the fall of my first year, I became a member of the publicity staff and designed this logo for the organization which has been used every subsequent semester on such diverse materials as posters, t-shirts, coffee mugs, and underwear. We wanted something black and white, easily stenciled, and readily recognizable. Several proposals were made before this final design was accepted.

HAiR, Spring 2001

The American Tribal Love-Rock musical has permeated cultural consciousness, if only for it's notoriety due to the traditional presence of nudity. The campaign attempted to draw attention to the message of the play, as well as evoke the same spirit of "living in interesting times" that existed in the 60s.

The University of Virginia "V" is a recognized symbol around grounds. Many groups create t-shirts with a single word which represents them placed over it. Interlacing it with the Peace symbol has a relatively alarming effect given this context, and even the title "HAiR" does not conform to traditional text accompanying the "V". A very subversive logo, indeed. The logo used on the T-shirts, at left, is simplified since the crazier design seen on the fliers (below) would not have transferred well.

Phase 1 of publicity began three weeks before the show. Fliers were made posing questions raised by the show along with the logo (sans title) and the dates. The purpose here was to get people wondering what the heck was going on and to begin considering these questions for themselves.

Phase 2 began two weeks before opening night. The same fliers were deployed, but the title was restored.

Phase 3 was started the week of the show itself. Research images of protests which occurred at the University during the 60s were emblazoned with a phrase which bordered on mantra: "It was important then... it's important now." These new photographic fliers were part of a dual-flier system -- they were all put in place next to a final version of the Peace-V fliers which gave ticket information and precise tiems. Given the modern U.Va. student's proclivity towards political apathy, these photographs serve a stark reminder that people once passionately cared about these sorts of things. HAiR's contemporary relevance hinges on the fact that society simply doesn't consider these issues anymore. By showing them the way the University existed a mere thirty years ago, we bring the questions to the forefront of people's minds, and entice them to see the show for further exploration.

Crazy for You, Fall 2001

Due to a severe decrease in the Publicity Budget the following semester, an equally extravagant campaign was impossible. Given no other choice, we contented ourselves with a single phase of simple fliers. The logo, however, was far superior to the HAiR logo, at least from an aesthetic perspective.

Crazy for You is a relatively new show built around classic Gershwin songs. The plot is a bit silly as it bends over backwards to accommodate some of the songs, but the show is a delightful, lighthearted affair. The logo was designed to reflect the classic, familiar feel of the show. Deep, comforting colors combined with a balanced composition support this goal.

Once on this Island

First Year Players has never produced this show, nor has any group at the University. I have such a fondness for it, however, that I created this logo for it.

Once on this Island is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's Little Mermaid story in a Caribbean setting. The island in the story has a rigid class system and is watched over by four gods representing Earth, Water, Love, and Death. The music is generally upbeat, whimsical, and above all, fun. Bright, cheery colors and the symbolic nature of the "god quadrants" portray what Francis Hodge would call the "special world" of the play.