I found out about a week ago that I’ll be heading up to Cape Cod for my third summer with a summer stock theatre up there. Only this time, I’ve been given the scenic designer/technical director position, which means I will be responsible for the design and construction of 9 full-stage musical productions over the course of 11 weeks, and in charge of a crew of about 5-6 technicians, including painters, electricians, props artisans, carpenters and stagehands.
Working on this crew is, of course, how I originally got into theatre, courtesy of my sister who will also be in charge of costumes this year. So it should be a great time for a variety of reasons, not the least of which will be that I’m taking on new responsibilities and creative possibilities.
In preparation, I’ve begun taking out every single book on scenic design, construction, and stagecraft which the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore has to offer. I’ve gotta put in a plug for them here, because they actually have a really good number of books on the subject (whereas Barnes & Noble down at the Inner Harbor had exactly zero books on the subject in stock). Most of their books on the subject are from the 1950’s through to the 1970’s, which to me is actually an asset. Leafing through these old books, I’ve been exposed to techniques which I’ve never seen or heard mentioned before. And I’ve learned the “classic” method of constructing things like flats without the use of screw guns at all – which was heretofore a mystery to me: how anyone could get anything built onstage without the use of an electrical screw gun. Now I know!
By far the best use of these books for me has been to build up a visual & aesthetic vocabulary above and beyond what I’ve seen first hand working in various theatres in Baltimore and elsewhere. What I’ve found is that each individual designer (and each theatre, to some extent) tends towards a set ‘bag of tricks’. While their designs may differ to meet the requirements of the show, they’ll often use the same basic approach, tricks and techniques to execute their piece within the given space. Analyzing these books and the designs and techniques contained in them has opened my eyes up to some extent and, I feel, rounded out my knowledge of what’s possible. Having gone through a dozen or so of these books at this point, I’ve also started to see really heavy repetition of certain stock elements. Things which recur across theatres, shows and designs. There is a certain universality to theatrical design and construction on account of having to meet the same basic technical and aesthetic needs again and again. Looking forward to being able to draw from historical tradition on how other people have solved these things as we push forward facing our own scenic challenges!
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