Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2019 - 22

The U.S. Exhibition Design Team
Erich Keil: Sound Design
Director of Production and Resident
Designer, Tulsa Opera
lighting, sound, projection designer,
production management specialist,
rock climber
MFA, University of California, Los Angeles, Lighting and Scenic Design
BA, Western Michigan University,
Theatrical Design and Production
www.zenlexdesign.com
Paige A. Willson, Erich Keil, Ellen Doyle Mizener, and
Clint Brown.

Paige A. Willson: Lead Designer

Josh Brown: Sound Design
Assistant
dramaturg, sound designer, baker,
book lover, runner
MFA candidate, Columbia University,
Dramaturgy

Associate Professor of Costume
Design and Technology, University of
Houston
costume designer, crafts artisan,
mask maker, dancer

BFA East Carolina University, Musical
Theatre

MFA, University of Houston, Costume, Lighting and Scenic Design
BFA, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Choreographic Design

Theatre Production Manager and
Lecturer, Rice University
scenic designer, scenic artist, architectural model maker, furniture designer/maker
MFA, University of Houston Theatre,
Scenic Design

www.paigeawillson.com

Ellen Doyle Mizener:
Lead Designer
Freelance Scenic and Costume
Designer
calligrapher, scenic and trompe l'œil
artist, cyclist, scuba diver
MFA, University of Houston, Scenic
and Costume Design,
BA, Honors, Gonzaga University,
Philosophy and Political Science
www.ellenmizenerdesign.com

Mark Krouskop: Draughtsperson

BFA, University of Houston, Theatre

Aaron Krohn: Design Team
Assistant
Assistant Professor Theatre Francis
Marion University
Lighting designer, projection designer, foster puppy wrangler
MFA, University of Houston, Lighting
Design
BA, Trinity University, Theatre

Clint Allen: Lighting Design
Freelance Lighting and Projection
Designer
Member: United Scenic Artists
MFA, University of Houston, Lighting,
Projection, and Scenic Design
BFA, Steven F. Austin University
Theatre, Technical Theatre
www.newaspectdesign.net

22 |

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

|

FALL 2019

www.aaronkrohndesigns.com

light, sound, projection, production) as
well as the words of the PQ theme: imagination, transformation, memory, and
their close cousins, wisdom, intuition,
and experience. The panels in each kiosk
created a mosaic of light and reflection
as well as a bit of a puzzle for any observer curious enough to study them closely.
The central sculpture evolved over
time as well. In the end, the team chose to
honor the source of our craft-the words
that inspire our art-in the central sculpture. Quotations from many of the artists
who created the foundation of theatrical
design in the U.S. were incorporated into
the piece. The PQ theme words (and
their cousins) were included as separators between the quotes making up the
central tower. These words were written
in many different languages, all of which
are the native tongues of many of the cultures that make up and enrich the U.S.
As the words rise, curving around the
center, they have no cap-instead, they
finish irregularly, drifting off like ideas
being released into the world to continue
their voyage of enlightenment.
The exhibition layout as a whole is
reminiscent of a ritual altar composed of
five elements: air, water, fire, earth, and
the transient fifth element of "spirit" or
ether, which unites the other four. It is
also reminiscent of the medicine wheel
and the four directions in North American First Nation cultures. At the center
of many altars is light (the sun, a candle,
fire). So too, the center sculpture casts
the words and quotations in silhouette
against the light inside the tower, illuminating the words.
The font choices in the exhibit were
purposeful. In the central sculpture, Trajan Capitals, an ancient lettering style
dating from the Roman Empire reflects
the age and longevity of our art form;
on the plexi panels, Optima, a 20th century font that incorporates some Trajan
structural elements, combines both the
old and new; and American Typewriter,
because it is quintessentially American.
The words and quotes were laid out to
become abstracted and porous in nature.
This was also purposeful-the serifs
from the lettering became the way to see
words, and the horizontal lines became
merged, inspired by Willson's dyslexia.
This is how she sees scripts at first; but,
with closer study, the words appear out
of the confusion, and then the quotations
http://www.zenlexdesign.com http://www.paigeawillson.com http://www.ellenmizenerdesign.com https://www.aaronkrohn.com/ http://www.newaspectdesign.net
Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2019

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