Waiting for Godot

For the 2025 Broadway revival of Waiting for Godot, scenic designer Soutra Gilmour replaced the play's traditional tree scenery with a forced-perspective tunnel structure large enough for actors to stand, climb, and slide inside. Hudson Scenic Studios engineered and built the piece to hold its own gargantuan scale on the Hudson Theatre's stage, fabricating a seamless, splinter-free curved interior wall sturdy enough for the actors to slide against night after night. 

The finish has its own story: Hudson's scenic artists had already begun a high-gloss, faux-marble treatment when designer Soutra Gilmour pivoted the concept toward raw, weathered wood instead. The team reversed course, trading reflective glazes for matte washes and wire-brushing to make the structure read as aged, sun-bleached timber, all while sealing the surface underneath with a friction-reducing clear coat so the look of rough wood never got in the way of a safe, smooth slide.