Alexis Morehead joined Market Theatre’s team in 2022 as a Scenic Artist Apprentice. Most recently, she has become Market’s Resident Scenic Artist! Originally from Townville, SC, she graduated from Pendleton High School and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Acting at Anderson University’s South Carolina School of the Arts. Outside of Market Theatre, she’s worked at Centre Stage and the Mauldin Cultural Center as a scenic painter as well as in other technical positions at Clemson Little Theatre.
Including this past year, Alexis has only been doing theatre for five years! “I didn’t know anything about theater until college, and even that was a leap of faith,” Alexis said. Throughout her life, she’d appeared onstage in choirs and even performed at Carnegie Hall twice with her high school choir. Even though she had “never memorized a scene let alone been in a play before college,” she auditioned to get into the program at Anderson University.
Alexis painting for the 2022 24 Hour Musical. Photo by Angel Ruff Photography
Although Alexis performed throughout her life and was pursuing a Theatre Acting degree, she knew she wanted to be an artist since she was a child. Alexis said “I fell in love with Van Gogh, but some discouraged me to not go in that direction saying ‘I would die a broke and starving artist.’” She clearly didn't let that stop her! In high school, she joined the National Art Society and began learning about scenic painting at the South Carolina School of the Arts. There, she was nominated by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for her work in Scenic Painting and Assistant Directing.
In her free time, Alexis enjoys coaching acting and singing, playing ukulele, and writing songs. She also loves reading, adventuring, learning new things, and hanging out with her friends and family philosophizing.
Learn more about Alexis’s time as a Scenic Artist and what that job means, below!
Alexis’s set painting for Rent at Market Theatre in 2022.
What is a Scenic Artist?
I define a scenic artist as someone who is knowledgeable on the techniques of creating textures and is also responsible for bringing to life the feel of the world of the play. I don’t come up with the ideas, that is all the set designer’s, and I do find myself working closely with the technical directors and lighting designers as well. This is because oftentimes, I don’t come in to work on a production until a week or two before the show opens and so we are all there working to get the show to the finish line at the same time.
How did you begin this career path?
I first learned about this job from a class called Scenic Painting, where I learned from both Bess Parker and Jenni Baldwin about the different tools, techniques, and textures required to do this kind of work. My first real application of this was during my time as the scenic painter work study, at Anderson, under Dalton Cole’s supervision. I then began doing a few shows at Market, when I had time during the semester. When I approached Noah and Dalton about potentially creating a position at Market to do Scenic Painting after I graduated, Noah and Dalton said, “Yes!”
Do you have a favorite tool or technique?
My favorite tool is a feather duster to help create cracked or broken textures, but my secret weapon IS water. My favorite texture to create happens to require the use of both of these tools: Marble.
What are the materials you use? What’s the strangest material you’ve had to use or manipulate?
I use paint, brushes, sponges, tape, wood-graining tools, and LOTS of water. The strangest material I’ve had to use was sand for Centre Stage’s production of Singing in the Rain. In order to make the floor safe for the dancers, I had to build up the grit of the stage floor by applying sand in layers alongside the gray paint I was applying.
Alexis Morehead and Lynn Campbell in The Tempest on a set piece Alexis painted. Photo by Angel Ruff Photography.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find most of my inspiration comes from the world around me. I have a running photo album on my phone of random textures I come across on my travels out in the wild! Before I begin painting, I like to consult the designer and director and ask questions about the look and feel of the world. After gathering all the information and obtaining the design renderings, I usually look up images using keywords or colors.
Do you have a favorite design or a project you worked on that you particularly enjoyed?
As of right now, my proudest work was the show Once at Centre Stage quickly seconded by Rent at Market. I loved how the marble turned out for the first, and I loved how real the second one felt! I love getting to play with paint and figuring out new ways and processes for approaching textures.
Is there a show you’re hoping to be a Scenic Artist for one day?
I had the opportunity to work on two of my favorite shows already, but I would love to one day work on a production of Sophocles’s Antigone! It is my absolute favorite play of all time.
You were both the Scenic Artist and a leading actor in Market Theatre’s The Tempest. What was that experience like? How did it feel to shape the story with both art forms?
It was difficult being both actor and painter for Tempest, but I think most of the blame goes to the weather on that one. Weirdly enough, as an actor, I felt great, but I was always asking for notes on the set and that was kind of stressful.
What’s next for you?
Right now, you can find my work on the next two upcoming shows at Market: Rock of Ages and She Kills Monsters. But in She Kills Monsters, you’ll get to see me try my hand at puppetry and fight choreo!
