jacob t. middleton, aia




work

architecture
    10. breaking character
    09. cruising rhyolite
    08. performitory
    07. purple plushy catwalk
    06. holly haus
    05. chronicles out west
    04. at journey’s end
    03. made in asherton
    02. intakes/outtakes
    01. a sanctuary
theatre
    05. sashayed away
    04. the vanya project
    03. topdog/underdog
    02. drowning
    01. the tempest


about

  1. jacob t. middleton is a Texas native based in New York City. he holds a Bachelor of Architecture from The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture and has studied at New York University Tisch School of the Arts in the Graduate Department of Design for Stage & Film. his work has been featured by Columbia University School of the Arts, Spectacular+Texas Architect Magazine, ISSUE by UTSOA, and Archisource.
  2. jacob is an architect at Dattner Architects. previously he has collaborated with Bates Masi ArchitectsClickspring Designdots, Overlay Office, and Magic Architecture, among others.
  3. he is interested in creating work at a variety of scales that investigates performance, explores bad taste, embraces low culture, and questions existing typologies.



contact

  1. jtmidd2021(at)gmail (dot) com
  2. instagram
  3. linkedin

the tempest

a play by William Shakespeare

The Tempest, Shakespeare’s last play, combines elements of mystery, romance, intrigue, comedy, and magic. Prospero, an expropriated duke, and his daughter, Miranda, have made a nearly-abandoned island their home. Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm to bring his crew (and usurping brother) to the island, with supernatural and fantastical results.

Through the use of the set and its properties, The Tempest’s scenic design tries to erase the preconception that William Shakespeare’s work is dated and difficult to understand. A lively, modern set which constantly transforms across the play’s five acts keeps viewers intrigued and immersed within the classic story.

Drawing inspiration from the nautical architecture of ships, then streamlining and distorting those forms, a raked wooden platform is placed center stage. This platform is dressed with ropes and large metal hooks indicative of the rigging of a ship. The stage is populated with a variety of props and trinkets (eg: barrels, ladders, chests, and bottles) that serve to reinforce the setting of the play. These props dance around the stage from scene to scene as players move and interact with them. An array of colored glass bottles is suspended from the overhead section of the platform; the bottles sway back and forth during times of excitement throughout the show. Singing as they collide, the bottles act as windchimes that entrance and engage the audience. By directly incorporating sound into the scenic design a new sense of curiosity is brought to stage. Common materials and a neutral color palette help the scenic design deliver a familiar, yet modern, display of a traditional story.


project information
location: new american theater; rockford, illinois
date: 2020
type: scenic design, unproduced


credits
project team: jacob t. middleton

recognition
published in ISSUE 17
featured by arkansas shakespeatre theatre


a series of thumbnail sketches allowed multiple ideas & iterations to be tested rapdily



rendering; act one, scene one


the play unfolds across many different locations; the ground plan was utilized as a tool to conceptualize movement and blocking




rendering; act one, scene two

an array of colored glass bottles is suspended from the overhead section of the platform; the bottles sway back and forth during times of excitement throughout the show. singing as they collide, the bottles act as windchimes that entrance and engage the audience




rendering; act three, scene three


next ︎︎︎