JUANA - The Windows

And here's how we made the stained glass windows!

My lovely wife did the designs. She rendered the designs on 8 1/2 x 11 paper, transferred the designs to transparencies, and used an overhead projector to transfer the designs to the windows.

The windows are built out of 1 x 2 boards and 3/4 inch plywood (the arches, the rose window.) To the back of the window we staple clear vinyl and bleached muslin. The vinyl is for the paint (gives it a nice, glossy finish) and the muslin helps diffuse the back lighting.

Jenn (standing) and Pamela paint the rose window. (Photo by Lou Briggs.)

The last time I did something like this, I used Rosco Colorine. Noxious stuff, but beautiful. Also very expensive! This time around we used acrylic paint mixed in with a transparent gel medium.

Above you see me adding the leading to one of the windows. (Photo by Lou Briggs.) Black silicon caulking does the trick. This is the step that really sets off the windows, and makes the whole stained glass look work.

Here are the finished windows, unlit:


Above is our "Spain" window. It's lit up whenever we are in Spain, particularly Toledo.

The Austrian window is based on the Hapsburg coat of arms. It's lit up whenever we're in Austria.

Juana's crown. Lit up during her coronation, and at the end of the play.

The Tordesillas window. Tordesillas is where Juana was kept imprisoned. This is my favorite window. It's based on the running of the Bull of La Vega, a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages in Tordesillas. A pretty gruesome affair, you can read about the significance here.

And finally, the "vision" window. There is a mystical aspect to Juana's story that involves remote vision. When Juana is having these visions, we act them out with shadow puppets (via an overhead projector.)

I'll try to remember to grab some shots of the show during tonight's dress rehearsal, so you can see the whole thing put together!