Eddie and dave

atlantic theater company

Atlantic stage two

january 2019

Amy Staats’ play Eddie and Dave is a comedy about the relationship between Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth and the rise of the band Van Halen into 1980’s rock and roll superstardom. The play comes at the story from a feminist perspective by reversing the genders of the performers. The design was an installation into Atlantic Theater’s intimate Stage Two space; we wanted the audience to feel like they were entering a grungy rock club. The design was a sythesis of influences from different phases of the band’s career - The columns from the birth of the band in wood panel clad basements, the side walls from the gritty backstage of LA’s Whisky-a-go-go, The back wall of the space was a faux speaker wall insipired by the band’s 1984 tour - the height of their superstardom. The side walls were encrusted in graffiti and rock and roll memorabilia. The back wall contained doors and windows to facilitate entrances and transitions, and served as a projection surface. The multi-level floor of the space was covered in a pattern inspired by Eddie Van Halen’s iconic “Frankenstrat” guitar. I had a blast with this team immersing ourselves in the world of 1980’s rock n’ roll!

Directed by Margot Bordelon•Set Design Reid Thompson•Prop Design Andy Diaz•Costume Design Montana Levi Blanco•Wig Design Cookie Jordan•Projection Design Shawn Boyle•Lighting Design Jiyoun Chang•Sound Design Palmer Heffernan•Photographs Ahron R. Foster• Actors Amy Staats, Megan Hill, Adina Verson,Vanessa Aspillaga, Omar Abbas Salem