All the world’s a stage. So I make interactive, immersive sets, that are also bars, at festivals. For Philadelphia Summer Festival (PEX), I am part of a team that concepted and created “Pexas.” My role is creative director and I design the graphics and signs, as well as being in charge of decor and aesthetics. And staging concepts. For “Pexas,” we refashioned a cabin into an 1880′s saloon stage set in an old west town. Guests had to mine for gold nuggets outside in Sassi’s shaft. Three gold nuggets got you a shot of whiskey. Once in the saloon, there was a piano player, a gal playing the saw, and a gambling table, along with the bar. Our actors, dressed in 1880′s costumes, re-enacted bar fights and shoot outs and invited all old time sing alongs. We even created a song we could all gather around and sing called “Ramblewood Saloon.” And “wanted signs” were placed all over the festival grounds claiming reward for the capture of the festival’s organizers.
Signs painted for Pexas.
Converted cabins into a wild west style town. Painted the signs and storefronts.
Another view.
Every old western towns needs one of these. So I made one.
I designed and painted the saloon doors.
Close up of the "Lawyern" sign after completing it.
The "town" at night. Outside was decorated by old posts and reward bills I chose,
curated or designed to look like an authentic Western town.
Close up of bills and ads.
Very happy people visited Pexas!
We even had horses to ride.
Live entertainment, in the form of singing, shoot outs, gambling, saw playing, were all part of the theatre experience. Visitors would have to pan for gold outside to find 3 gold nuggets in order to get a drink at the bar.
Part of the planned entertainment.
