Open Forum

One of the main goals for our Theatre Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every other week by conducting a simple interview.

Our latest spotlight member is George Ledo, a freelance set designer in the San Francisco Bay area. George is brand new to the Community (he joined us in November), but has already established himself as a valuable contributor by sharing plenty of creative ideas and advice about technical theatre and resources.

Ginny: First, tell me a little bit more about your job as a set designer. How did you get started? What kind of training does it require? How long have you been working in this profession?

George: My parents always told me that I’d been drawing since I was old enough to know which end of the pencil went down, but I remember drawing houses and such far more than art. I guess architecture was always in there somewhere. Then I became interested in theatre in high school, where I worked crew on several shows and discovered that someone had to design the sets. In junior college, I was down to two career choices: theatre or architecture, and theatre finally won.

I was fortunate in finding two universities that had professional training programs. In college, all theatre majors were required to take acting, directing, theatre history, theory, and tech, regardless of our concentration. Those of us who concentrated on design also had to take art history, figure drawing, set design, lighting design, costume design, and similar subjects, and some of us took a structures class in the engineering department. In grad school we were focused on our specialties, but also had to take several academic and research seminars and were encouraged to take electives outside the department. I took more art history and some architecture classes, which led to a slight side-step in direction.

After school, I spent fifteen years in the architecture field and then came back to theatre, so, altogether, it’s been about thirty-five years.

Ginny: Why do you believe theatre is important?

George: I’m with the camp that believes theatre is about stories, and stories are about our conflicts and how we resolve them or don’t resolve them, and what we can learn from the experience. Long before schools and universities, people passed down stories as a way to teach what worked and what didn’t, and how to behave, and how to get along; in other words, how to survive. Sometimes we tend to forget that and think of theatre as just an art form, or a rite of passage in school, or a form of entertainment. But there’s something magical, even today, to several hundred people gathering together to watch a live performance, and responding to what’s going on, and feeling like they’re part of a group. That’s the short answer.  J

Ginny: What was your favorite set to design?

George: I don’t know that I have a favorite, since every set has been a lot of fun and created some unusual design problems. However, that being said, I really enjoyed designing the stage version of The Woman in Black by Stephen Mallatratt, which takes place in a Victorian theatre where Arthur (the protagonist) is rehearsing a play about his experiences with the ghost. We turned a 1970’s “generic” stage into a Victorian one to create the atmosphere and make the audience feel like they were right there when things happened.

Ginny: What was the most difficult set you’ve ever had to design? Why?

George: I can’t say it was the most difficult, but it created a unique (for me, at the time) design problem. When I was a young designer working summer stock, I had to design Neil Simon’s California Suite in a huge tent, with the audience on all four sides. This play takes place in two adjoining rooms in a luxury hotel, so the trick was to get the audience to visually accept that there were two separate rooms, and the characters in one room could not see or hear what was happening in the other one – and of course I didn’t want to just cut down all the walls in a straight line. The set ended up resembling a cut-away drawing, with the tops of the walls undulating in soft curves; this way I could cut some parts lower for better visibility, like where the beds were, and have other parts, like the doors, a little higher. The curves also “softened” the look, which we felt was appropriate for a comedy.

Ginny: What set would you love to design, but have not?

George: Oh, I have several. Two of them are Hamlet and Man of La Mancha, but I would also love to do Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman as well as The Ring Cycle.

Ginny: Recently, a production in Cincinnati was cancelled because of a plagiarized set design and many people in the local community seemed surprised that it was an issue. What are the rules about copying someone else’s set design?

George: That’s a very good question, and I’m going to approach it in two ways.

First, the answer as to the “rules” lies in U.S. copyright law. I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t respond adequately, but I did find two good pieces online: one is at http://www.playbill.com/features/article/ask-playbill.com-why-cant-i-take-photos-in-a-broadway-theatre-180456 and the other is at http://lecatr.people.wm.edu/copy.htm.

Also, the United Scenic Artists’ Association Standard Designer’s Agreement (the contract between a union designer and a production company), states, in Section IX. A.: “All rights in and to the design as conceived by the Designer in the course of his/her services hereunder shall be, upon its creation, and will remain, the sole and exclusive property of the Designer.”

I haven’t run into any problems with this personally, but, if anyone has questions or needs clarification, I would suggest consulting with a lawyer, ideally one who specializes in intellectual property.

In the long run, my question wouldn’t be “is it legal to copy a set?” but “why would you want to?”

Every production of a play is different. Yes, it’s the same story with the same words and the same ending, but the director is a different person and will have a different vision. The theatre itself, and the stage, are different. The budget and schedule are different. The audiences are different. Maybe the time period is different (a comedy such as Private Lives would have been presented differently when it opened in 1930 than it is nowadays).

A stage set is not a backdrop: it’s an environment. You don’t act in front of it: you tell your story within it, interacting with it because that’s where the story is happening. It may have looked drop-dead gorgeous in another production, but, if it doesn’t jive with the overall approach to this production, it can fall flat and actually distract the audience from the story.

Ginny: Name something on your bucket list.

George: One thing I promised myself years ago was that when I published my first novel (which I’m working on), I’d celebrate by going on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express; I’d take the route from Venice to Vienna, to Paris, and then to London.

Ginny: If you could have a different career, what would you choose?

George: Oh, geez, if I had it to do all over again, and knowing nowadays what I didn’t know back then, I would  consider reconstructive surgery, specializing in major injuries and trauma cases.

Ginny: How do you relax after a busy day?

George: I love to read, mostly current thrillers and military history, but I especially like just sitting down to dinner with Donna and a glass of wine and chatting. She’s a fantastic cook, but even if we just have pizza or take-out Indian food, it’s nice to just chill out. Of course, we often end up talking about my current project or her job.  J

Ginny: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of theatre?

George: Sure. I have a nice workshop in my garage, where I work on small projects including occasional specialty props for professional magicians. We also love to visit museums and check out new restaurants, or go wine tasting on weekends. And one of these days (months? years?) we’re going to follow through with our threats to get back into ballroom dancing and 5K races.

Ginny: What is something we would be surprised to learn about you?

George: I don’t know if this would be “surprising,” but I earned a pilot’s license back in college. I haven’t done it for years, but flying was one of the most “fun” things I’ve ever done.

George’s experience and enthusiasm are reflected in every post he makes. I’m excited to see this Community newbie start off on the right foot and get to know the fantastic people that make it such a wonderful resource. You can learn more about George and his work through his blog, setdesignandtech.wordpress.com. Feel free to welcome George by adding him as a contact in the Community!

Do you know someone who deserves a moment in the Spotlight? Tell me their name and why at gbutsch@schooltheatre.org. Want to read more Community Spotlights? You can find them here.