Princess and the Pauper Maquette

For this assignment I decided to design the set for one of my favorite movies as a child, and one which I think would make a fantastic stage performance: Barbies Princess and The Pauper. The story, inspired by Mark Twain's Prince and the Pauper, is originally set in 1547, however the Barbie movie uses this date very loosely in its designs, feeling as though it is set in a fictional blended past of many time periods, and I wanted to maintain this historical ambiguity in my designs. Although I am a fan of historical accuracy, I did not believe that it would be appropriate for this production, as it is likely to restrict and distract from the fictional story, rather than elevate it.  I noticed throughout the movie that much of the blended design elements consisted of mid 14th century and mid to late victorian era, particularly noticeable throughout in costuming, and decided to base my designs from these two time periods blended together. The small thrust stage on which the performance takes place restricted my options for set design, and I had to rely heavily on projections, frequent set changes, lighting, and truck units.