Good Ol' Days in Scenery

Just happened across this blog post praising the detailed sets of golden age Broadway  HERE.  

At the Ethyl Barrymore Theatre the 1942 set for Three Sisters

I think Broadway still does a kinda nice job though.

And - totally unrelated - the same blogger's earlier post on Houston's The Orange Show HERE.  

Some Days...

As a designer you just want to say, "That's the way I drew it because That's the Way I WANT It."

Sigh.

Wise to find a more graceful phrasing.

The alternate (equally maddening) situation is, "I want it that way and so - look! - I drew it that way."

Naturally, as I wrestle with a couple shows where I'm NOT saying either of the above, it is today that I am introduced to a company that offers pre-designed theater shows.  Rather like an architectural plan shop, the places that offer those send-away-for plans for ski chalets and kit-houses in the backs of magazines.

Buy a pre-designed show and change anything you like 'cause the designer doesn't know or care.

Though this horrifies me as an architect, it makes some sense since most folks really only want a roof - many buildings just want to be buildings, not The Art of Architecture.

A catalog kit-house, public domain image Wikipedia

But ALL theater production is - by definition - trying to be Art.

Sigh.

Squidoo Up-Date

Just added a lot of new information to my Squidoo page Theater Set Questions Answered, so I thought I'd spread the word.  Don't forget to visit my other set pages: 3 Ways to Improve Your Theater Set and, 3 More Ways to... um, you guess.

A photo from the Frequency of Death build given TaDa! to public domain