In addition to designing puppets, set design is also an important part of how I make my living. Bridge of the Gods, for Tears of Joy Theater, is a good example of the type of collaboration I'm often asked to do.

This is a Native American story about two brothers, Klickatat and Wy-east. They were chiefs of the Klickatat and Multnomah tribes in and around the Columbia Gorge in Oregon and Washington. Tears of Joy worked with several Native American artists to create the show.

The director, Jodi Eichelberger, wanted to create the feeling that the play was taking place within a longhouse because that is where Klickatats and Multnomahs would gather.

The tricky part was that then the long house had to open and the action would take place in the Columbia Gorge. Keep in mind that this is a touring show, and although it played to sold-out houses in the theater, it also had to play as well in a gymnasium. These photos were taken in a museum. The columns on the left and center of the photo are not part of the show.

As far as materials. The longhouses are muslin stretched over a wooden frame that collapses to fit in a van. The rocks are papier-mache

The puppetry style is overt rod, and the puppets are made to resemble Klickatat Indian baskets. Amy Gray, the puppeteer on the right designed the bodies and Lillian Pitt sculpted the masks. The large mask in the back is a representation of "She Who Watches" a petraglyph in the Columbia Gorge, that serves as a narrator in the story. Yes, she does separate from the column of stone.

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