| |
40 x 40 - Set Design Sketches from the O’Neill Playwright’s Conference 1966-1999
In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Eugene O'Neill Playwright's Conference,
a rare compilation of 80 sketches representing work by some of America's premiere
theatrical set designers will be shown at the Hygienic Art Gallery, 79 Bank Street, New London and The Lyman Allyn Museum, 625 Williams Street, New London. Opening receptions Thursday, July 8 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Lyman Allyn and 7:00-10:00 pm at the Hygienic Gallery. The exhibit runs July 9 through August 8. The exhibition will be accompanied by three Sunday brunch discussions July 11, 18 and 25 at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, 305 Great Neck Road, Waterford, CT.
Design sketches in this show were chosen from the approximate 517
produced by many theatrical designers that have been participants of the
Playwright's Conference at the Eugene 'Neill Theatre Center from 1966 until
1999. These sketches represent a cross section of a wide range of work focused on
what a play might look like if realized in a theatrical production. None are
reflective of what was presented in the staged readings.
Each professional designer interpreted the text, discussed intention
with the playwright, and relied on their imagination and experience to produce
this work. The additional purpose was for the audience of staged readings
to see what the minimal scenery and props before them might mean if the play
were physically produced.
Direct interaction between designers and playwright's is an unusual
circumstance for both. Professionally, a designer works in
collaboration with the director and the scenery evolves out of the mutual intention. The
playwright is rarely part of this interaction or has input in the discussion beyond
what is written in the text.
At the Playwright's Conference, there is a meeting that has been
dubbed "The Design Meeting." It is not about what will happen in a workshop or
staged reading situation, but the conception of the play without limitations;
no space obstacles, financial restrictions, casting requirements, etc., in other
words, defining the writer's ideal fantasy realized. This meeting is
driven by the set designer, costume designer, lighting designer, and sound designer.
The director and dramaturg, are present, as well as any interested
conference participants, and are asked to observe but not participate.
Designers in this capacity were not looking to solve problems or make a
show work, as they do professionally, but to try to crawl behind a writers
eyes and see the world of their play as directly as possible. Sometimes this
view comes from the script, but more often from the writer in dialog
communicating objective that may not be in t! he pages. Ultimately this interaction
encourages a playwright to be in control of their work visually by clarifying
intention within the play itself. These meetings provide the writer with an
insight of how a designer approaches a play and the information required in order
to honor written intention. Designers continually search to find the unifying
elements of any play, or understand if not present, that it is intentional.
They respect that the awareness of the visual whole should ultimately be in
the writers command as well as individual moments or scenes. This does not mean
that the writer need define what the play looks like specifically, but
supply answers defining the rules for this particular world. When the visual world
has the same integrity as a character, the character of the stage will readily
emerge. What this character would do, what they say or conceal, how the move,
or dre! am, all define the path of a visual journey. When this information
is clear, it will serve the play well in the future with any director/designer
collaboration. The more a writer sees, the more foundation will be
available for any inspired team and the happier a writer will be by what is created.
These sketches are the result of one journey the writer has embarked on
at the Playwright's Conference.
G. W. Mercier
Curator & designer
(203) 855-8088
gwmercier@juno.com
|
|
