Scenic Design: Tristan James
What opportunities did Romeo & Juliet present for you as a set designer?
Romeo and Juliet put forth major opportunities for me, as a student Scenic Designer. Being able to design in University Theatre at BSU is a major stride in a students collegiate career: it says that their Superiors see promise in them and want to help further their talent. Designing alone for University Stage was a dream of mine while I am still a Student here at BSU, adding on to the fact that I am the lead designer on a Shakespearian show. Working with Shakespeare is one of the hardest things an actor, a designer, or anyone involved in the process can ever do in their career. Having the opportunities to push myself to lengths I have never had to go, trying to work with the concept and keep the truth that is Shakespeare in the set put forth the opportunity for me to show what I can do as a designer.
Did Romeo & Juliet present any specific challenges for your design? How did you overcome them?
Oh, the challenges Romeo and Juliet presented were astronomical. The fact alone that Shakespeare has placed in the play over five setting locations is hard enough and then adding on top of that trying to help forward the concept that Mike placed on the play. One of my biggest challenges was not taking every set location so literally and allowing for the actors to create the space for the audience.
How did Michael Daehn’s directorial concepts influence your design?
Mike’s concept was the major focus for me in designing the set for Romeo and Juliet, I wanted to help facilitate the concept as best I could. It is my belief as a scenic designer that it is not my job just to create a world for the play and the actors to live in, but to create a world that helps the actors and allows them to help further the purpose of the play. The whole design is a mirroring image, creating the painting that is also on the rake immediately helps the audience have in their mind the idea that two sides are the same.
How did your design process for Romeo & Juliet unfold? Where did you begin?
My process for Romeo and Juliet started with me looking into the architecture of Italy of the 14th and 15th century to help me come up with a feel of what Verona was like. Taking my research I began to expand on how the world was going to be and how the actors could use it. All of my designs allowed for the actors to help make the world, finally landing on the final design was a major process there were many designs that came before this one and pieces of all of them help to create the next one. There is a piece in every design that was pulled over from the next. The design process for Romeo and Juliet was long and sometimes tireless process, but rewarding and gratifying finally seeing it come to life.
What is your favorite piece of the set design?
My favorite piece of the set is the pop ups, the platform that is also the balcony and the archway that is hidden in the floor are my favorite pieces of the set. Mike asked for a doorway and the balcony is needed for the play, these pieces were a creative challenge and one that I believe I conquered in a creative and conceptual way.
What opportunities did Romeo & Juliet present for you as a set designer?
Romeo and Juliet put forth major opportunities for me, as a student Scenic Designer. Being able to design in University Theatre at BSU is a major stride in a students collegiate career: it says that their Superiors see promise in them and want to help further their talent. Designing alone for University Stage was a dream of mine while I am still a Student here at BSU, adding on to the fact that I am the lead designer on a Shakespearian show. Working with Shakespeare is one of the hardest things an actor, a designer, or anyone involved in the process can ever do in their career. Having the opportunities to push myself to lengths I have never had to go, trying to work with the concept and keep the truth that is Shakespeare in the set put forth the opportunity for me to show what I can do as a designer.
Did Romeo & Juliet present any specific challenges for your design? How did you overcome them?
Oh, the challenges Romeo and Juliet presented were astronomical. The fact alone that Shakespeare has placed in the play over five setting locations is hard enough and then adding on top of that trying to help forward the concept that Mike placed on the play. One of my biggest challenges was not taking every set location so literally and allowing for the actors to create the space for the audience.
How did Michael Daehn’s directorial concepts influence your design?
Mike’s concept was the major focus for me in designing the set for Romeo and Juliet, I wanted to help facilitate the concept as best I could. It is my belief as a scenic designer that it is not my job just to create a world for the play and the actors to live in, but to create a world that helps the actors and allows them to help further the purpose of the play. The whole design is a mirroring image, creating the painting that is also on the rake immediately helps the audience have in their mind the idea that two sides are the same.
How did your design process for Romeo & Juliet unfold? Where did you begin?
My process for Romeo and Juliet started with me looking into the architecture of Italy of the 14th and 15th century to help me come up with a feel of what Verona was like. Taking my research I began to expand on how the world was going to be and how the actors could use it. All of my designs allowed for the actors to help make the world, finally landing on the final design was a major process there were many designs that came before this one and pieces of all of them help to create the next one. There is a piece in every design that was pulled over from the next. The design process for Romeo and Juliet was long and sometimes tireless process, but rewarding and gratifying finally seeing it come to life.
What is your favorite piece of the set design?
My favorite piece of the set is the pop ups, the platform that is also the balcony and the archway that is hidden in the floor are my favorite pieces of the set. Mike asked for a doorway and the balcony is needed for the play, these pieces were a creative challenge and one that I believe I conquered in a creative and conceptual way.
Pictured below are a few of Tristan's preliminary set sketches.