Wait Until Dark

A friend of mine has wanted to do this show for years. When I visited with them almost two months ago, things were looking promising and we started spit-balling ideas for promoting the show. A few weeks later, they had received the go ahead, and they asked if I would work something up. Did I ever.

The first two attempts are variations on the same theme. I just changed the size of the door. The play was originally produced in the mid-1960's -- my friend does not plan on updating it -- so I wanted to give the title that feeling. I pushed the text all the way to the edge because I think some people find it unusual, and it goes against my regular style of putting a frame around everything. It's good to get out of the box.

In this version, I added another graphic element, playing with some angles, and revealing more white space. It's interesting ... but let's keep going.

Another theme, two variations. I'm leaning towards the one on the right. I'm satisfied with the way the door is placed, opening in and the light leading us down to the title.

All of these were created on an 8-1/2" x 11" canvas. Normally, Curtain Call runs their materials off on a photocopier. With all this black, even in the third prototype, this has to go to a printer, especially with the full bleed. The effect of the text running off the page could not be achieved with most photocopiers. (Granted, I'm a little behind on copier technology, but given what I recall of the ones in that area, it's not going to happen.)

Now I could scale this to make it work on a letter size sheet. However, running it on legal gives us three inches on the bottom; plenty of room for the dates, ticket info, and what have you. I think we'll leave the bottom white; I like how the title reaches into the darkness from below. Once I have those additional details, I won't run them to the sides, it will be in the white box, so as not to take away from the graphic elements above.

Hmmm ... I wonder which one they'll pick?

And the last one is the winner! However, part of their marketing strategy involves putting an insert in the Chamber of Commerce newsletter. After straining the limits with an 11"x17" insert, they're strictly enforcing the letter-size rule. Yes, when you fold 11"x17" in half, you get letter-size, and we paid extra, but it did create a hassle on the Chamber's end that should be avoided.

Therefore, I tailored a letter-size look:

I'm not in love with it like I am the original, but it conveys a similar impact. I think in the larger format, the overall graphic mimiced the height and width of the door. The redo is a little boxy.

Since there are fewer audition posters, these will be photocopied, so I created a black and white logo:

Even without the door, it still gets your attention.