Thank you so much, Angel!

Na, how do I get the detail?  Tiny little brushes and a lot of practice!  I build a model for almost every show I design.  I think it's very important, especially when there are moving parts. Plus it's a great trial run for all the colors, textures, etc.  On top of that, if you look at directors and producers as your clients, it eases their minds about the final product.  They know up front what they're going to get.  This is great since many people are visual learners.

Personally I have great difficulty making things that small. I'm sure it's a matter of practice, but I think some people are just plain better suited to it than others. I kind of started off with an interest in set design when I was learning theatre at school, but quickly discovered I was better suited to other backstage roles. Wish I could make models like that! One thing I'd love to do is more toy theatre.

Why a proscenium?  Good questons.  Not every show requires one, obsviously.  There are varying factors that help me decide if I want to add one...the architecture of the actual space, type of show, etc.  In this case, the stage is fairly large and cavernous, but the house is exactly the same width as the stage, so that makes the stage, basically, a big black hole at the end of the room.  At this theatre there is no wing space either.  Because of this, I had to create a place for the actors get off stage, besides going backstage.  This show requires a lot of quick changes as well, so I needed hiding places for the actors. 

Ah, I see now. Yes, lack of wing space would create issues and prosceniums work perfectly to solve that problem. I also like the way it literally frames the space, and draws the eyes inwards to where the action takes place.

All that said, this is a children's show with a target audience of 3-10 years old.  I needed to shrink the space down and make it more intimate for kids so the show felt much more personal.  Also, since this production will be many kids' first exposure to live theatre, I think it's important that it have all the bells and whistles of an old-fashioned Broadway musical (on a much smaller scale/budget).  That's where the act curtain, proscenium, rotating unit, etc. come in.  The more movable parts, the more exciting it is for kids.  If I do it right, the set is another character in the play.  On a more functional note, once this show closes in New York, it will go on tour.  Depending on who books it, it could play a beautiful theatre or a school gym.  Therefore, I needed a functional design that could create a stage, even if there wasn't one...i.e. a false proscenium.  Whew!  That was a long winded answer!

I think that's a great idea. I know a lot of people I grew up with who you had to drag to shows because the ones they saw as a kid were too boring. Of course it helps to have a venue you can install grand things into; most shows here for schools are just performed in whatever space the school can provide. Everything is made super-simple for touring which means no fancy stuff. (Sets may be large and complicated, but nothing mechanical since that would require a certain type of venue. Even then, the complicated sets are for community venues and/or large state venues. In which case, you're more than likely seeing a Broadway import anyway) I can't tell you the number of touring school shows that were dull as anything, because it was just actors in costumes.

Making sets fun should totally be part of TIE (theatre in education), otherwise, what's the point of using theatre to entertain and teach kids? You may as well have them sit in front of a textbook.