Callboard

www.tanys.org Callboard - Volume XVIII • Issue 1 • Spring 2021 Page 7 “One of the things that’s so magical about working on a theatrical production is creating a story from nothing. You start with an empty theatre and by adding different design elements and actors, your audience is transported to a different place or time. Hopefully, if all the pieces come together, audiences experience a journey that leaves them entertained and possibly even transformed.” Lux Haac in an essay titled Three Costume Designers Meet for Tea on the Edge of a Cliff co-written with Dominque Fawn Hill and Deb Sevigny. Part of the Design (In a Time of Reckoning) series curated by Katherine Freer and Porsche McGovern for HOWLROUND Theater Commons. 24 February 2021 Essay: https://howlround.com/three-costume- designers-meet-tea-edge-cliff HowlRound: https://howlround.com/ For the past two years, I have been invited to judge the BMI Supply, Inc. Design Competition and Exhibition and see the wonderful work being done around the state by TANYS members. The 2020 Festival received 17 entries representing four theaters and four productions. The entries ranged over 10 categories and all highlighted the passion and talent of the theater makers. This event is a direct expression of the organization’s mission to “promote high standards of theatre practice through education and example”. It is also a microcosm of theater itself – exhibition materials tell the story of the design element in the same way the physical production adds to the storytelling of the play. As Lux says in the quote above, all of this is a vehicle for transporting the audience to a “different place or time” with the goal of leaving them “entertained and possibly even transformed”. Anything that you create provides an opportunity for practice and analysis to hone your abilities for the next creation. By sharing in this exhibition entrants offer their art as an invitation into the journey of behind- the-scenes work. As a judge I view it as an opportunity to reflect what I see in this storytelling. I can lift up examples of successful execution of the world of the play, and point out where things are muddied and lack the power of the art form. From this, I hope the designers and technicians are inspired in their own transformational journeys toward excellence that is at the heart of TANYS. Much of my job is evaluating theater guidelines and procedures for clarity and impact. Insuring that the structure of our collaboration leads to high quality outcomes is a large part of supporting the individuals involved in the entire production process. I am suggesting to John Parker some items to include for submission that I believe will contribute to the success of future competition. For example, a design statement that discusses the thought process, idea exchange between director and designers, and the journey from initial ideas to finished product. A scenic entry that includes a groundplan and rendering. These not only give the judge common elements for comparison, they are standard communication tools used industry wide. Coupled with an evaluation rubric that incorporates the variety of skill level of designers, the feedback to entrants will be a useful tool and benefit of participation. These items are also focal points for theaters looking for education topics for their members desiring to improve their skills. I amgrateful to be asked to suggest ways of uplifting and improving this excellent part of the annual conference. I wish you all great collaborative storytelling in the year ahead. Dianna Angell is the Associate Director of Production for Syracuse Stage and the Production Manager for Syracuse University Department of Drama. As an Adjunct Instructor she teaches the joys and skills of collaborative theater-making to theater management, stage management and design technology students. BMI Design Competition Commentary From Judge Dianna Angell