Masters of stage design (1)

In this term I read several books about stage design. Some of them are tool books. It's very important to know how to do, but it's also boring... So it's not my topic today. I'm going to talk about two theatre designers. Two of them are already 80-ish. Their stories are attractive! From their stories I learned how they work and the most important of all, their "attitude" about design. Sometimes spirt is more significant then skills.      

The first book is "Peep at Stages". The author KAPPA SENO is a Japanese theatre designer. He is very famous in Japan. Through his experience to introduce the theatre industry in Japan. When I read this book I thought it's a new published book. Those stages look so awesome, especially the apparatus which can change scenes within few minutes. but actually, the book was published 20 years ago!!! (Recently it was translated into Chinese. Which means Taiwan already falled behind so many years.) 

I think he's an inventer. In the book, he mentioned about in1955 he designed the stages for The consul by Gian Carlo Menotti. The director asked his to change the first scene to the second scene in 75 seconds. But the theatre was too small. It's impossible to install the second scene beside the main stage. But he overcame the challenge. 

It's a simple idea! changed the scenes like turned pages of books.

It's impressive for me. I'm not familiar with theatre design. This is the first time I realize that the stage is "alive". It changes with the story! 

The second book is "The Design of MING CHO LEE" . Ming is a Chinese-American. He went to America when he was 18 years old. After he graduated from UCLA, he worked in theatre industry. Seno and he were in the same period of time, but their style was quite different. Seno's works were more close to real life. Compared to Seno, Ming's works were surreal. There are lots of models in his book which are very terrific! You can read the story from the stage. I thinks that's because he claims that "the design comes from the story". He said that design should from inside to outside. (I will talk about this next post.) 

Stage models for Macbeth

I can feel the greed; the ambition from the design.

  

Stage models for Electra

I admire His attitude very much. He and Seno love challenges. Seno loves challenging every problem he met; Ming loves challenging the biggest enemy-- himself. He always critics his previous works strict way. In the book, he siad that his works in 1961-1972 were too symbolic. It was too Brechtian. Lack of emotion inside. It's long time ago, but he still exam those works. He self-criticism all the time. 

Ming and Seno's works were not only design. They gave those stages "soul". I should always remember!