The most prominent set piece for the new musical, If/Then, which explores the two different paths that newly divorced urban planner named Elizabeth (Idina Menzel) could take in her life depending upon a key romantic choice she makes, is a large reflective surface about 32 feet wide by 24 feet tall that is made up of two-by-four-foot tiles that looks like a giant mirror. Scenic designer Mark Wendland says it is made of a Mylar-like product that was picked because it is light in weight. PRG, who built the set, recommended the material for that reason. The mirror is mostly used in various vertical positions to reflect objects on and LEDs in the floor, but at the beginning of the show it is preset in a horizontal position so that its initial appearance surprises the audience. When it is used in a fully vertical position, it is about nine feet off the deck and reflecting back set pieces to add depth or make something like a fire escape appear to be multiplied rather than having extra set pieces.
From “Inside Theatre” by Bryan Reesman, PLSN, July 2014
