An Interview With Associate Artist Andrea Bechert

Artistic Director Dexter Fidler interviews Andrea Bechert about the process and challenges of Set Design.

You've designed a lot of sets at Mountain View Center - not just for PYT but a lot of other theatres that work there such as TheatreWorks.  Are there any challenges left for you?
Each production I work on is a new challenge. Whether it is a play I have never designed before, or a play I have designed several times, each has challenges. For plays I have never worked on, I get to start fresh and solve all the problems. For plays I have designed before, the director may have a new concept, and I get to create a new design.  Or, if we are going to use the same design, I try to figure out how to make it better, and solve any problems there were in the last production.

Actually, one of the biggest challenges is keeping organized. I still design around 20 shows a year all over the place and keeping all my design deadlines on track is like a big juggling act. The design process takes several weeks to several months, and I work on many projects at one time.
 

You are also the "Scenic Artist" on many of your designs. How does that position differ from Set Designer?  Actually, only at PYT do I also serve as scenic artist, because I really like the company, and the parents I get to work with are just wonderful. I can’t do it for other companies because I have terrible carpal tunnel, and my hands go numb.

A scenic artist is the head painter, or crew chief of the paint shop, for a particular show. They figure out what technique will be used to paint the scenery, they mix the colors for the show, and they make sure all the scenery is painted how the scenic designer wants. The scenic artist is in charge of the rest of the paint crew, and making sure that they all know what needs to be painted, and how it should be painted. The scenic artist also works closely with the technical director (who is in charge of building) to coordinate which scenery will be painted when. Sometimes scenery has a very complicated paint technique, which means it should be built first, so there is enough time to paint it. Other times we have large items to paint, such as backdrops, and we need to schedule space and time for these to be painted.
 

Obviously, there is an enormous effort in building and painting a set for a production.  Do you ever get frustrated knowing it comes down after two weeks?
Not at all – that is just the nature of the business.  If we don’t take it down, we can’t work on the next wonderful creation.  That is actually one of the joys of my work, is that it is always different.  I feel very lucky to be able to make a living doing what I love.  My work takes me all over the country, working with so many creative people, and I get to work with new faces on every show.

Compared to professional theatres, what are some of the differences designing for an organization like PYT that has low budgets and parent-volunteers? 
In this economy, not much… Seriously, though – the design process isn’t really different.  I have to design for whatever the parameters and budgets are of any given production.  PYT actually has very skilled and talented parents, many of whom I wish I could take with me to some of the professional theatres I work with.  I have worked with PYT for over a decade, and the quality of work has grown tremendously.

Since you often design the entire season, are you looking ahead for where things can be recycled for another show?
I can’t really design a show without talking to the director about what they see as well, and those meetings are staggered throughout the year, just like the shows are.  What we can do is recycle as much as possible. In theatre we have basic “stock” sizes: plywood comes in 4’ x 8’ sheets, so we have stock flats that are 4' x 8', and stock platforms that are 4' x 8'.  I use combinations of these where possible, so that the build is easier and saves lumber.  When appropriate, we can use pieces from one show in another.  If you saw The Sound of Music, then you may have noticed the stained glass window from All Shook Up. 
 

How do you approach a set design?
First, of course, I read the script. I take notes on what the locations are for each scene, and what is needed for each scene. I also have to consider if the scene and action in that scene is more intimate, or perhaps a big dance number.  I also try to think about what else would help create that scene visually, in a way that the audience can identify with, either realistically, or emotionally – meaning not all sets are a realistic portrayal of a setting – many are an emotional response to the scene, or to the show as a whole, put into a visual, palpable form.

Then I do research to help me create that visual form. I look for research that not only shows a realistic portrayal of the setting, but also for evocative images that give an emotional response to the setting. I create an album or gallery of images to share with the director, and get their response on those images. Once I know which they like and don’t like, I can start creating the actual design.

To create the actual design, I will start with "sketch" groundplans.  Think of groundplans as an aerial view of the stage.  I will do several different versions, confer with the director, and together we will decide on a groundplan.  The groundplan is very important, because it plays a major role in determining how the actors move through the space. I decide where the walls go, where the furniture goes, and what it all looks like. A scenic designer is like being an architect and an interior designer rolled into one.

After settling on a groundplan, I must do the actual architectural drafting of the set. This is in done in scale, so that the builders can measure what I draw and know exactly how big to make it. The groundplan is in ¼” = 1’-0” scale. So if you measure on the drawing with a ruler, every ¼” you measure equals one foot in real life. I also have to do a center line section – this is a drawing of the theatre and set as it would look if you cut the entire building right down the middle. This drawing not only shows how tall the set is, but will also show what height scenery should be at to properly fly out, lighting positions and angles, and sightlines that the audience will have – so I can make sure everyone sees the actors without being blocked.

Next I will do what I call “mini-plans”, which are groundplans for every scene where there is a new location and the scenery changes. These are important so the director and stage manager know where the scenery is for each scene, so they can rehearse properly, but also so that we know where the scenery will be stored when it is offstage.

The next drawings I will do are called “elevations”, and these are in ½” = 1’-0” scale. An elevation is a front view of a piece of scenery, and I have to do elevations for each piece, and each side or angle that is seen. For example, if there is a room in the shape of an octagon, then I will need to do an elevation of each wall, at each of those angles. I do this for all scenery – stationary, flying, or rolling. I also do drawings of any furniture items, or specialty items or props that will be built. These drawings are done so that the builder knows exactly what needs to be built, and how it should look when it is finished.

After the drawings are done, I do the “painter’s elevations”. These are color versions of the front elevations, for each piece, painted in the exact manner I would like them to be painted for the show. These are done so that the painting crew knows how to paint the scenery. These are also in ½” = 1’-0” scale.

After that I will do a ¼’ = 1’-0” scale color model, which is a three-dimensional version of the scenery, in the theatre, just in a miniature version. This is mainly for the director and stage manager to use in rehearsal, as a reference, so they know what the scenery will look like - since rehearsals are done in a big empty room, while the set is being built and painted.

Those three items (architectural drafting of the scenery, scale paint elevations, and a scale color model) are what comes out of each scenic design.

Do you have a favorite PYT design that you've done? 
I really love Peter Pan, because it is so magical and such a wonderful story. And I think the set is pretty cool.  But I also really loved CATS - the "junk" prop dressing that created the set was really amazing. The prop committee found incredible stuff to put on the set, and I had a ball placing it all and creating the junkyard. I think the whole production looked really wonderful, and I do love the "gritty" shows.

The CATS set was one of my favorites, too!  Thanks, Andrea!