Kitchen Dog 2009–10 season collateral

East Bloc is usually chosen for its connection to Russian Constructivism, but it was its bold simplicity that makes it work for this avant-garde theater company. The designers replaced the font’s ‘e’ with either a modified ‘c’ or ‘9’ which is more legible while also marking the theater’s 2009–10 season.

“Kitchen Dog Theater (KDT) needed to promote its 2009–2010 season and establish an identity separating it from other, more staid local theater venues. And it needed to do this on a shoestring budget.

Its small performance space and even smaller budget make KDT plays raw and personal. Without elaborate facilities or sets, the company’s acting talent and intensity carry the day. We knew that the primary audience for the collateral—donors, season-ticket holders and mailing-list subscribers—celebrated KDT’s risk-taking philosophy, so we created a season brochure and posters to capture that tone.

Our main objective was to inform viewers about the plays for the upcoming season. We also wanted to communicate KDT’s bold attitude and commitment to groundbreaking new theater. Hence, the “New/Now” theme. We used a minimal color scheme—black, white and magenta—that tied together the collateral. The brochure included graphics for each of the season’s plays, which also served as the poster designs, providing one cohesive campaign.

To comply with the minimal budget, the brochure was printed on inexpensive newsprint and posters were screen-printed by hand. Both printing techniques express the rough and raw sensibility of Kitchen Dog.” — Sullivan Perkins