Behind the double doors and white window lights of the Laurel Mill Playhouse on Main Street, 25-year-old Laurel resident James Raymond is carving his initials in the little theater's history.
Raymond walked through those doors for the first time as a tween in 2003 when he auditioned and was cast in "Fiddler on the Roof, Jr."
After a dozen years of acting and working on at least that many sets — and after completing a bachelor's degree in design and technology from DeSales University in 2012 — Raymond has stepped into the role of resident scenic designer for the Playhouse.
Two shows Raymond designed sets for last season — "White Christmas" and "Andrew Lippa's Wild Party" — won DCMetroTheaterArts' Best of 2014: Best Musicals in Community Theatres awards.
For "White Christmas," Raymond's standout set resembled the interior of an oversized wooden jewel box. The beautifully angled and appointed locales he conceived in 2015 for "William Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors" and the Playhouse's current production of "Harvey" showed impressive functionality and visual artistry.
Raymond said he looks for ways to make each set new, to "visually transport audiences into different worlds."
"It's fun to come in and see something you're not expecting," he said "I want my sets to tell different stories."
Raymond began playing around with theater when he was in elementary school. As he struggled with a learning disability, Raymond said a friend of his mother suggested getting involved in acting to help improve his reading and focus.
He said he loved it so much that he started setting up plays in his basement to perform with friends; they also put on shows for the Pallottine Sisters in Laurel.
In the summer of 2006, Playhouse veteran director Michael V. Hartsfield — who teaches English and directs the drama program at Mount St. Joseph High School in Baltimore, where Raymond was a student — cast Raymond as Rooster in "Annie, Jr.," and the two began working on Playhouse sets together.
"Even at that age, James was extremely creative on stage and as a budding set designer," Hartsfield said. "Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working with James on and off stage at LMP and at Mount St. Joseph High School. He has always been naturally creative in set design, but since graduating from college, his skills have dramatically improved."
Last spring, Raymond accepted a gig and traveled to Steamboat Springs, Colo., to design sets at the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp for "The Underground," a piece written by John Viscardi with music by Tom Hodges. If the show goes to Broadway as intended, Raymond said Hodges told him he would go along as the scenic designer.
Playhouse artistic director Maureen Rogers said Raymond's recent work in set design has "raised the bar to a new level" at the theater.
"Laurel Mill Playhouse's mission is to provide creative opportunities to emerging artists of all ages in the community, and we get great pleasure from watching them blossom," she said.
Roger's husband, Playhouse president Marvin Rogers, said he believes providing theater arts experiences to young people helps mold them into productive, confident adults. Rogers said Raymond conceived the lighting on the Playhouse storefront that the two installed together.
Although Raymond sometimes appears as an actor on his own sets, he claims scenic design as his first calling. In fact, after submitting his design portfolio to a review at the University/Resident Theatre Association, Raymond was offered more than 20 interviews and is still in the process of considering grad schools.
Raymond's eyes may look toward New York City in the future, but he there is still time to see his work before he plans to start grad school in the fall.
"Harvey" runs one more weekend at the Playhouse, and Raymond will start soon on the set for "Little Shop of Horrors," which opens April 24 with direction by Hartsfield.
Raymond said he wants people to know that they can conquer any challenges that appear to be blocking their dreams.
"Theater has done that for me," he said.