Design Philosophy

 

Throughout my career, both Academic and Professional, I have been in a constant search to stay in touch with the artistic world in which we live.  I have studied art and architecture from the Greeks to the contemporary masters.  I am in awe that after all these years, we are still searching for the common truths that lie in all of mankind; and that the art aesthetic continues to challenge and educate, to enlighten and entertain. 

 

I have chosen a career in theatre not because it is easy, nor for wealth or accolades, but because art feeds the soul in a way that touches hearts and transforms lives.   I believe that to be an artist of the theatre, one must possess the visual fluency to communicate eloquently and effectively, along with the intellect able to analyze a script.  One must also be an adventurer with courage enough to trust that the collaborative process will lead the entire team to an appropriate destination. A theatre artist must also be able to question and be questioned, to challenge and be challenged, to be flexible in the face of practical considerations, and have the ability to adapt to alternative solutions.  I cherish the quietest moments in the theatre as among the most rewarding, as both actor and audience reflect on the times and the world in which they live as presented in a great culmination of artistic wonder.  I find no greater joy than an empty theatre; its scenery struck, its lighting on racks, and its auditorium empty… waiting for the endless possibilities to begin anew.

 

Theatrical design is driven by the artistic and poetic values of a script, and a designer seeks to express the dynamic structure of relationships and the physical structure of the play's context through composition.  At the heart of all design, is choice.  It is the role of the designer to provide choices. However, the designer must first feel that each choice is worthy of being made.  Those choices should be artistically and skillfully informed and advance the narrative and design concept of the production.

 

When designing for the theatre, the designer needs to communicate diverse information to a number of people: the director, designer, actors, stage management, and various production shops.  Each of those people or groups of people seek different information from the designer; it is our challenge to express that information both verbally and visually in terms that every other member or team can appreciate and contribute to.  It is the product of this dialogue that appears on stage before an audience; the product as powerful as the spoken word with enduring power to impact the minds of those graced by its vision.