A Sneak Peek at Tyler M. Perry's Bad Books Design

As he approached the set design for Sharyn Rothstein's Bad Books, the Kitchen's Resident Designer Tyler M. Perry had to keep a few challenges in mind.

The events of this play unfold in three distinct locations, which we'll avoid discussing here for spoiler reasons (reminder to get your tickets to Bad Books early in the run).

Perry needed to make sure his set could transition easily between these locations after each scene (the play actually refers to them as "chapters"). Plus, he had to meet the familiar challenge of creating as much playable space as possible for two actors in the Kitchen's intimate space.

Even as he worked through all these logistical considerations for the set design, Tyler also zeroed in on thematic issues.

Here's what he had to say about his focus during the design process:

"The script of Bad Books is steeped in imagery and big themes. The challenge with the set is to decide which of these you include or feature. In this case, we chose to pull back and keep the set as simple as possible. This keeps the dramatic action nimble and encourages the audience to find their unique way of connecting with the conflict in this piece - which is important in a polarizing debate where the audience must find understanding with both 'sides.'"

Come see these clean, elegant sets in action: buy your tickets to Bad Books today.