“ I ' m proud to say I’ ve worked with low budget productions and big-budgeted ones with equal fervor and commitment.”
STAGE
“ I ' m proud to say I’ ve worked with low budget productions and big-budgeted ones with equal fervor and commitment.”
What are the usual challenges encountered by a set designer / scenographer during production? What are some of the considerations that need to be addressed?
In the Philippines it ' s definitely budget, but it never hindered me creatively. I am very proud to say that I’ ve worked with low budget productions and big-budgeted ones with equal fervor and commitment.
Also, I make considerations on the space / theater I’ m working in, the legal restrictions on the materials and theatrical rights owners, and even the collaborators you work with. I tend to gravitate towards directors who share the same ethos, passion and quirkiness as mine as the collaboration would be beneficial and enjoyable to everyone involved in a project.
How does one start a career as a set designer? What design disciplines should a scenographer / set designer be adept in?
Passion for theater and the performing arts would be a priority coupled with a great work ethic.
For design disciplines, I would say visual arts, art history, engineering, architecture and a little bit of mathematics. It is never easy but a holistic education on the field and the liberal arts would be helpful to their craft.
Also, I have always believed that the best designers are the best researchers. For any designer to create something original or fresh, one needs to know what has been done before and as much as possible not to replicate it. The dramaturgical research assists in creating design, may it be period or something out of this world. The more you know, the more equipped you will be in tackling a project.
Was there a particular project that served as a turning point in your career?
In 2013, I designed“ Piaf”. Nobody knew me back then and it was five years since I left Manila to work in Hong Kong. It was the story of French singer Edith Piaf also known as‘ La Mome’( the Little Sparrow). I designed a set made of dilapidated French shutter windows that violated the rafters and the height of the RCBC Theater proscenium. I designed the set as a bird cage( symbolically) but added the little surprises like making entrances into doors, windows, shadow screens and wardrobes.
Another one would be“ Bridges of Madison County- The Musical” in 2015. The scenic design is a gallery composed of rustic frames anchored by one central image- that of a tree. The imagery I hoped to have achieved were these fragmented frames of memories pieced together in space and somewhat floating; in Francesca’ s eyes, a moment in the past, and in Robert’ s, a life that could have been. Creating a world inside a frame, both a dream and reality, underneath a myriad of stars using hundreds of Edison bulbs. These individual frames transforms into different set pieces used by the actors like the bed, kitchen, windows etc. Some of the frames have hidden individual projectors that allow the images to morph into portraits in one of the poignant scenes in the finale. This production is a favorite of mine because it was effective in forging the story forward; challenging audience’ s imagination with all the surprises on the set and it had a very romantic feel with all the scenic elements combined.
What is your dream gig? Have you landed it yet?
I have always dreamt of designing for operas. I have prepared so many design ideas for different operas so when the opportunity arrives I will be ready. A favorite opera of mine is“ Turandot” as I’ ve always been fascinated by the architecture of the Forbidden City and Chinese cultural history.
What excites you everyday about your chosen career path?
It would be the storytelling and creation. Every artist would answer the same; but for a designer to create worlds from an idea translated to paper and constructed to reality that will be enjoyed by audiences on stage is an exhilarating job. I have been so blessed with continuous projects locally and internationally because these opportunities allow my design voice to be heard / seen by audiences and if it inspires a couple of people to pursue arts, that is exciting for me.
Who were your artistic idols, and how have they shaped your design choices and aesthetic?
A Filipino designer would be Gino Gonzales. He is the most proficient stage designer continuously working in the
88