Behind The Screen: Eagan Tilghman dreams even bigger

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WCBI) – 19-year-old artist Eagan Tilghman’s latest venture is the biggest one he’s ever attempted.

For the Meridian Little Theater’s fall production of Little Shop of Horrors, Eagan designed and painted the entire stage set.

“I designed it, actually built a little miniature. So like, I just designed the whole thing, made sure it was how I wanted it, made sure it was how the director Miss Ellie Massey wanted it, and then I showed it to Dan. He put it through his carpenter brain that kind of knew how to make everything structurally sound with all these weird angles and walls that look like they’re falling over,” said Tilghman.

As if the set wasn’t enough of a challenge, Eagan designed all four Audrey II puppets that will be used in the production– Including a giant 10-foot tall plant that can actually eat the actors.

“It has a mechanism to move its mouth, of course. Then there’s like a slide almost inside the mouth people can climb in when they get eaten, and then we can lift it up, they can crawl up it, or we can lift it up, and they can slide down, then they’ll be going out the back,” said Tilghman.

Eagan said seeing his ideas brought to life brings him a sense of pride.

“I sat and I design it on my computer, and I drew it out, then I built it out of cardboard to be this big. So, it was just really cool to finally see it all come to life and be like, like, it’s really there. Like, I did that, and I’m really proud of it,” said Tilghman.

Eagan’s story is far from over. In fact, he said the next chapter will be even bigger and better, but for now, he hopes he can inspire other people to just be themselves.

“One of my dad’s favorite songs, and lately it’s been one of my favorite songs, is The Joke by Brandi Carlile. It says ‘let them laugh while they can, let them spin, scatter in the wind. I’ve been to the movies, seen how it ends, but the joke’s on them…’ You’ll eventually come out on top just when you be yourself, do you, and don’t worry about anybody else,” said Tilghman.

Meridian Little Theaters Little Shop of Horrors production wrapped up earlier this week.

Eagan has already started working on the set design for a new production called Noises Off as well as Elf the Musical.