This zine provides a promotional material that mimicked the physical setting and props of the Broadway Musical. This piece would either be a collectible sold at the show or a zine sent by Playbill to generate interest in attending.
Hadestown Zine
Focus: Publication
Year: 2022
Collaborators: Whitney Holden, Holly’s Gardens and Florist, Noah Meese, Midway Press, Flickr
After realizing that there is limited photography of the show and cast, I decided to recreate the props and characters. I printed, handmade, or edited pre-existing materials to mimic the props in the musical (besides, of course, the instruments).
Photography
The intaglio illustrations reminisce on the post-apocalyptic industrial era. The paper choice, newsprint, reflects this, too, as newspaper was the popular media at the time of the industrial revolution. As the show heavily leans on the settings of a supernatural factory and the stories of their workers, these seemed to be the most appropriate choice.
Found Illustrations
Orpheus learning the song of Hades and Persephone’s love is an integral part of the musical. It particularly highlights how he, as an artist and poet, puts his creativity to the good of the people. I aimed to highlight this important part of the music by handwriting it. I felt that this and moved his singing to a visual language by showing his artistic presence in the lyrics.
La-la-la-la-la-la-la(aaaaaa)
I would like to particularly highlight, again, those that helped with this project. Noah Meese, for patiently (and in great detail) describing his work as a set designer for Hadestown before it was on broadway. Holly’s Gardens and Florist, for trusting me with their flowers and not asking for anything in return. Flickr, very particularly the members of this page, for posting vintage ephemera for free use. Midway Press, for donating newsprint. Whitney Holden, for her emphatic critique and guidance. Finally, the friends-turned-models that accepted Sonic drinks as payment for their help with the photography. Hadestown, in its own way, is not only a story about love, but about community, too. So, it is more than fitting that I had a community support me through the making of this project. Thank you.
A special thank you