Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2009 - 20

Did you do scenic renderings for all four of the ballets?
For Milwaukee I did renderings, but for the others just models. I've
found that the renderings take a large amount of time and you need
to work it all out in a model anyway.

How many hours might you spend painting scenic elevations?
The paint elevations can be a lot of work, very time consuming. I spent
two months alone in the studio doing the elevations for Swan
Lake. Part of this was because the model was in quarter-inch
scale, and the elevations had to be done in half-inch scale.
but it was a very happy time-an important project and no
serious deadline pressure. It gets very stressful to have looming
deadlines because you can't paint faster. You just can't.

Do you get asked for revisions on productions that have a long
life span?
All four productions of The Nutcracker have wanted revisions or
additions. Thankfully not because anything was really wrong, but
more for ease of touring or a change in artistic directorship. (The
lobsters were eventually "boiled.") A Snow King was added in
Milwaukee to add a pas de deux. Alberta put the legs for the land of
Snow on hold for budgetary precautions, but we decided they were
needed after all, so this season they will be added. Pittsburgh has
turned some hard scenery into soft-goods to ease put-in time and
because they now tour the production, which was not part of the
original plan. Also, because of touring they cannot take the carousel
canopy, so they have added butterfly and bird costumes for students
from the school. I don't quite understand how these replace the
canopy but...they are being made right now.

The costume sketches are only the beginning of the costume
process. What else goes into mounting a production of this size?
On each of these Nutcrackers I've had to be a producer as well as
designer because these companies are not in New York and
either had no shop (ARb) or had small shops unable to tackle
a production of this scale or complexity. They also didn't have
access to goods and materials. vendors and makers needed to be
engaged, and everything needs to be shopped and shipped. The
swatching and shopping process is a lengthy one. For Calgary it
went on from March until October.

So you have to make decisions about each little rhinestone,
ribbon and button. Is this a full-time job? Every little detail
depends upon your eye doesn't it?
My days during this phase are about making decisions on every
aspect of each costume based on the swatches and trim
samples brought back to the studio by the shopper. It also
involves upkeep of the bibles so you know what you've bought
and what still needs to be found. I don't usually have to do this
myself, but it does happen when you are trying to keep up with
purchasing for eight or more people making things across the
U.S. and Canada!

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How do you stay organized with all this? You're supervising
scenery being made, drops being painted, props, etc., and you
are dealing with all of the costumes too.
At this point the scenery part becomes a bit easier-it's being built
and painted-they have drafting, a model and paint elevations.
Costumes don't have drafting or a model-just a "paint
elevation." It is all hands-on and a myriad of decisions each
day. The decisions on scenery have already been made-it's
a matter of execution. It's either what you intended or it
isn't. Costumes are more complicated and mutable. A wrong
fabric choice can become months of trial and error. (It has
happened.)
Scenery has also become easier since the shop can
photograph drops or scenery and e-mail you a photo for
questions or approval, thus saving time and effort going to
the shops, which are usually in out-of-the-way places. With
costumes there is no substitute for fittings. A draper can e-mail
you a photo to get approval for a shape or trim placement, etc.,
but the costume still needs to be put on the dancer's body.

When you are making choices for a production that's got to
last for many seasons, does that longevity influence the kinds
of fabrics you pick and how things are going to be made?
You are crazy if you don't let it influence you because the costumes
are going to look like hell in no time if you don't. You learn to
fall in love with polyester-especially for parts of the real dance
costumes and things that need washing after each performance.
luckily they are making many, many more acceptable and varied
choices in polyester and synthetic fabrics.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2009
