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@ Mamma Mia! — Winter Musical 2026
Mamma Mia! is a musical on a Greek island. Sophie is getting married but does not know who her father is. Her mother Donna’s diary names three possible men—Sam, Bill, and Harry—so Sophie invites all three to the wedding. Their arrival causes confusion and brings back old romances. In the end, Sophie learns family is about love, not biology, and Donna marries Sam.
STAGE DESIGN
For Mamma Mia!, I took the set from initial concept to finished construction. As set designer, I created a 3D model in Sweet Home 3D and drew the floor plans the crew built from. Visualizing the design before any lumber was cut let the director and other departments evaluate scale, sightlines, and traffic flow early, when changes were easiest to make.
As master carpenter, I led construction and turned those drawings into a working stage environment. I cantilevered the second-floor balcony and framed it using the same up-to-code techniques used for homes and decks, so actors could dance and perform stunts on it without the structure moving at all. I also studied sightlines from the audience to angle the set’s windows so the band behind the cyc stayed hidden, and I worked with the lighting team to keep the light from their music stands from spilling onto the stage. Solving that meant checking the set from the audience’s seats, not just from the drawings.
The build required constant problem solving. Pieces rarely went together exactly as drawn, so when something didn’t fit, I worked out why and found a fix. The work demanded precision: aligning beams, reinforcing supports, and making sure every platform was safe to perform on.
Leading the crew mattered just as much. I assigned tasks to match each person’s experience so newer members could learn while contributing. Because I had designed the set myself, I could explain not only what to build but why it was built that way, which let the crew solve problems on their own without waiting for me.
Rough design plan that we came up during the table reads
Early Design Development
On the left is the preliminary layout plan I developed with the director, the first step in turning Mamma Mia! from a script into a physical space.
Before drawing anything, I researched how others had brought the story to life. I studied past stage productions of Mamma Mia!, watched the film adaptation, and looked closely at Greek architecture. Whitewashed walls, arches, and stone steps helped capture the feel of a sunlit Mediterranean island taverna while staying practical for a live stage. From this research, I built a rough idea of the set that balanced authenticity with the demands of a live production.
The director and I then worked through the musical scene by scene, making sure each moment had the spaces and structures it needed. We didn’t want the set to be just a backdrop. We designed it so actors could move through and across it, using multiple levels, stairs, and open areas to extend their choreography beyond the stage floor. The goal was a set that wasn’t just looked at but performed on, one that gave the cast room to dance, climb, and play.
This plan became the foundation for everything that followed, from the 3D model in Sweet Home 3D to the construction drawings and the final build. Many key decisions, including how actors would travel between levels, the elevation changes, and the cantilevered balcony, started here.
Canteliever designGeneral rendering of the set
Digital Set Rendering
At the suggestion of our technical director, I created a digital rendering of the Mamma Mia! set in Sweet Home 3D. The model let me test the design before any lumber was cut, so problems showed up on screen instead of on the stage. While developing the rendering, I decided to cantilever the second-floor balcony and engineer its framing to meet code. Actors would be dancing and performing stunts on it, so the structure had to be strong enough not to move at all, even under heavy, moving loads. The rendering also helped with sightlines. The band was positioned behind the cyc, so I worked out the angles of the set’s windows from different seats in the audience to make sure the musicians couldn’t be seen from anywhere in the house. I could check the view from many seats instead of guessing, and adjust the windows before construction.
The band’s stand lights and sheet music created a new problem: light from behind the cyc could spill through and give the musicians’ position away. I worked with the lighting team to mask that light, so the musicians could still read their music without being visible to the audience. Solving it took both departments, because the fix had to hide the light from the house without leaving the band in the dark.
Set Construction and Crew Leadership
The scope of this build went beyond what our weekday hours allowed, so I regularly stayed late and came in on weekends to keep us on schedule. As both set designer and master carpenter, I was the person problems came to. Construction rarely followed the drawings exactly, and when pieces didn’t fit, I had to work out why and decide on a fix quickly enough that the crew wasn’t left standing around. The balcony was the most demanding piece. It had to support dancing and stunts while meeting code, so every cut, connection, and support had to be right.
But the part of the build I cared about most was the crew. I didn’t just assign tasks. I delegated responsibilities, taught the technical skills people needed, and made sure each member felt confident in their role, so the work didn’t depend on me being everywhere at once. Because I had designed the set, I could explain not only how something was built but why it was built that way, which helped the crew understand the whole project instead of just following instructions.
When the production opened, I was proud of the finished set, and prouder of the team that helped build it. The project showed me that successful leadership depends not on doing everything yourself, but on helping others develop the skills and understanding needed to succeed together.
Wyatt and I building a taverna wall for Mamma Mia! I taught Wyatt carpentry, and here he clamps the panel while I rout the edge of a window opening. The window’s angle was set from the audience’s sightlines so the band behind the cyc stays hidden, so this is where the design becomes real.
This is the completed wall except that we haven’t yet to finish building the sign