CHRISTMAS OF SWING

History Theatre, November 2021

by Bob Beverage

Director Ron Peluso

Scenic Design Nicole DelPizzo

Lighting Design Mary Shabatura

Costume Design Kathy Kohl

Sound Design C. Andrew Mayer

Video Design Kathy Maxwell

Photos: Rick Spaulding

Set on Christmas Eve of 1944, Christmas of Swing is the fictional story of the real Andrew Sisters as they rehearse for a USO show. The show juxtaposes the harsh reality of war with cozy holiday classics through the reading of letters written by WWII Soldiers to their loved ones.
Design for the show sought to show both the grit and the glamour of Christmas at war time. We chose to set the show in an old gymnasium instead of rehearsal hall to lean into the idea of using what you have and finding ways to continue making art in times of hardship. The structure of the gymnasium allowed a flow between the real world and the imagined world of the letters. The upper level running track became an imagined island for the soldiers to call their own.