Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1995 - 26

only describe as "theatre for
lowest common denominator
audiences." But her designs for a
Seattle Rep. production of
Goldoni's Seruml a/Two .lIaslers and for the \ational :\ctors'
Theatre production of Till/all of
Alhells restore mr confidence in
our not-for-profit theatre. if not
our commerciallheatre. Yet all
these designs hare a common
strle. Ther are rooted in realism.
They may be inflected tOlrards
the fantastical for Disner or the
romantic for Goldoni. but thel'
are still costumes that an audience raised on morie realism
Irill understand. There is nothing
melaphoric about them. Ther are
decoralion. not organic expression.
That is a little less true for
Gabriel Berry's costume rendering for the New York Shakespeare
Festival's production of Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, directed by
JoAnne Akalatis, 1991.

plate and think that is the costume. She also noted that the worst shops
are ones where people think what looks beautiful in the filling room is
a beautihll costume. Berry does use drmrings to convey her ideas to the
director, other designers, and the shop, but because her work is evolutionary and changes during the rehearsal process, these sketches can
only vaguely resemble the costumes as they are finally worn on the
stage.
Berry was drawn to the Swedish exhibit which consisted of a large
Plexiglas cube filled Irith models. The top of the cube was motorized
and slowly descend over the course of the two-week exhibition. erentually crushing all the models. She found it amusing that people were upset bv the act of destruction. hearing manv criticize the loss of all the
work that went into the model building.

ROBERT

ISRAEL
Interviewed by
Linda]fl1lOsko
* On choosing what to exhibit:
The selection of Robert Israel's Irork for the .S. exhibit for the Prague
Quadrennial was done in conjunction with Arnold Aronson with the
goal of providing the best representation of his design work over the

1-1

TD&T

Jose de Anchieta Costa's (Brazil) model of Shakespeare's Comedy
of Errors, directed by C. Rosset, 1993.

Gabriel Bern"s designs for Shakespeare's lIenr\' 1\' plays. Whether for
Ron Daniels's production at the American Repertorr Theatre or for
Joanne Akalaitis's at the \elr York Shakespeare Festiral. Bern"s designs
are trull' of the theatre and not from the l\'Orids of film or telerision. 1
am happr to find these designs are for pial'S 011 .-\merican slages that arc
akin to the imaginatire Irork 1hare seen elselrhere in Industrr Palace.
1am delighted Irhen I learn later that the Prague Quadrennial judges
;lIrarded her the Silrer ,\ledal for Costume. lIere is I\'hat I're been seeking. though 1still find nothing comparable to the sphin_\. circle. or rectilinear shapes that had slarted me on mr search. Rather. 1find the

past fifteen rears, ria models. renderings. production photographs and
slides. Among those included in the PQ exhibit that Israel counts as
most successful are the ones with the most complete collaboration,
such as the seven spare monochromatic, claustrophobic interiors designed for the production of The Fie'T Allgel by Sergei Prokofiev (Director: Andrei Serban, Los Angeles Music Center Opera, 'ietherlands
Opera, and Paris Opera, 1987, remounted 1990). Another, Sal)'agmha
by Philip Glass and Constance Dejong (Director: David Poutner,
Rotterdam Opera. 1980; Art Park & BAM, 1981, remounted 198 -89)
is a work he remembers as a turning pOint in his career. ]t clarified the
pOlrer of sparseness and simplicity in a scenic design and so was the
beginning of the \ray he looks at things today: a poetic point of rie\r.
rather than a true and perfect mirror. This theatrical \-ision take into
account the importance of three things: the story. how the story is illusion. and how aspects of illusion and reality are re\'ealed together.
* On his artistic training:
His artist training has also helped him along the design path: a direction which stre ses continual. oul searching. risk taking. and stretching of the realistic and artistic "envelope" (perhaps even breaking and
ske\ring the package) into the realm of dreams and a distorted illusion
of reality. This unique. special interpretation of verity led to his inclusion as one of the honored designers chosen for PQ '95 from the
[;nited States, and continues to lead him into design explorations and
discoveries all over the world.
(Edilor~' 1I01e: Roberllsrealll'as IIlIable 10 al/elld PQ

95./

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1995