2008

Samuel Aden is a student at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris

How did you come up with the ideas for the ShakesPod set ?

The starting point was Jeff’s (Jeffrey Bracco, director) desire to reflect the stage of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. The actors enter and exit upstage, and downstage are two large columns. I’ve organised the space by representing the upstage area with panels, which enclose a small interior acting area, and the columns are represented by a tree and a barrier, which are obstacles around which the actors will play.

We wanted the set to symbolise a contemporary urban environnment, without showing any city in particular.

This meant me going round various different city centres, taking lots of photos and looking carefully at the different types of materials found there.

How do you go about working on the set design ?

I meet up regularly with the director and talk to him about my research. We then discuss different choices, trying to link them closely to the play. Once we’ve developed the ideas and made a choice, I go out and buy the materials, and start the contruction process. It’s very rewarding to be able to carry out the project from beginning to end.

Which part of the work do you like the most ?

Researching and experimenting with materials, textures, colours, and then the graphic design of all these elements.

In a project like this, there are a number of technical constraints : it must be easy to transport, quick for the actors themselves to set-up and ‘strike’, and adjustable to all the different spaces where the troupe perform.

It’s a fascinating challenge.