Theatre Company of Bryan-College Station
Director: Alanna O’Connell
Assistant Director: Dalton Jones
Set Design: Kathryn Thomas
Costume Design: Savannah Barrera
Lighting Design: Charlsie Harris
Scenic Charge: Maleah Miller
Production photos by Vivian Vu
I love painting wood, and this show gave me the opportunity to design and execute three distinct treatments across a truly gorgeous set. Our designer, Kathryn Thomas, conceptualized the titular Mystic Pizza shop as the beating heart of Mystic, Connecticut, so the wood inside the shop is nearly marinara-red in its warmth. Across the stage, on the docks, the wood is chilly and blue as the water it rises out of. And in between, the shipping crates stacked together to form the Lobster Rolls bandstand are a distressed, weathered gray-purple.
Pizza shop interior
Pizza shop interior
Counter in progress
Set dressed counter
Pizza shop interior window
Warm-toned wood detail
Mystic Pizza shop and upper deck railing
Production shot
Set under construction
"Lobster Rolls" bandstand paint progress
"Lobster Rolls" bandstand stair detail
"Lobster Rolls" bandstand setup
"Lobster Rolls" bandstand wood grain detail
Cool-toned wood railings
Mystic Pizza neon sign base
Mystic Pizza neon sign
Pizza shop exterior
Neon sign lit up!
Pier mural in progress
Pier mural wash in progress
Pier mural
Pier deck
Production shot
Restaurant interior brick deck
Mystic Pizza exterior set
The bones of this set were reused for 2025’s subsequent production of The Rocky Horror Show. For this year’s iteration of TTC’s annual Rocky tradition, the theme was showgirl, so Mystic, CT got a glamorous makeover in just a few short days to create a new look in time for Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s late October debut. Phantom cast members painted the set completely black and I added gold details, outlining Rocky’s cage and providing glamorous yet functional borders to showcase the silhouette of the set and allow actors to see the edges of platforms lest they fall off.
Mystic Pizza @ TTC, September 2025
The Rocky Horror Show @ TTC, October 2025