Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2021 - 15

working on. I think it had something to
do with the fall of Troy. I thought of the
doodles as decoration, really, or maybe
just a little context for the concept. Ming
looked at the painting quietly for what
seemed like forever, and then calmly delivered a few serious problems with the
painting as a set concept. And then he
gave me a smile, looked right into my
eyes, and as he pointed at one of the doodles said cheerfully, " I think you are really
onto something here, though. I like this
a lot. " The painting is long forgotten, but
could still draw that doodle for you from
memory.

Mark Shanda

Past-President, USITT
Dean, University of Kentucky
Emeritus Professor of Theatre, The Ohio State
University

Ming Cho Lee was a generous respondent to student work in many a forum.
One of my favorite memories of his engagement with aspiring designers was
at a regional Kennedy Center/American
College Theatre Festival that we were
hosting where Ming was serving as the
guest design respondent. Work had been
gathered from college students from the
five-state region and was proudly tacked
up on 4x8 painted plywood panels in
a make-shift gallery. During the review
session, Ming would carefully approach
each student's display, invite the exhibitor
to come up and discuss their work, and
then with great candor he would express
his response. Other aspiring designers
and their related faculty were afforded
the opportunity to eavesdrop on each of
these remarkable conversations.
Ming's exchange with one highly confident, young costume design student will
forever hold a special place for me. With
each of Ming's comments about her work,
the student attempted to counter with a
defensive statement. Ever the gentleman,
Ming exhibited extreme patience with her
defensive posture, but continued to hold
firm on his advice. At one point, he seized
a pencil, and sketched a small example
of what he was trying to explain directly
on the painted panel adjacent to her designs. Ming was trying to get the designer
to " see " a different way and to encourage
her further development of drawing skills
to improve the communication of her
solid design ideas. Exasperated, the student finally said, " Well, I have had seven
years of life drawing classes. " Ming, as he

began to shift to the next student, pivoted
to look the " life drawing " artist directly in
the eye and uttered with a smile one of
the best lines I have every heard, " Well,
next time, let it show! "
P.S. During the strike of the festival,
the student returned to the gallery and
while taking down her drawings, asked if
we could cut out Ming's drawing from the
plywood so that she could retain his work
as inspiration for her continued improvement. It was an unusual request to which
we complied.

Rob Perry

Lighting Design, Yale School of Drama (1999)

If there is one thing I learned from Ming
that has always stayed with me in everything that I do, it is his statement, " Start
strong. End strong. "
At the time, it seemed like a statement
about drafting techniques and making
a great corner, but as my years went
on after graduation, it always stuck in
my mind, eventually finding its way into
my everyday life. Whatever project I

approach-whether in the professional
world or my personal life-my mantra
is always, " Start strong. End Strong. "
Even as a professor of theatre design,
I remind my students to always, " Start
strong and end strong. " I often tell them
not to sit on the fence with their ideas,
as people will know. It's better to make
a decision and then have it fall apart,
rather than not make a choice at all.
I also loved that Ming treated all of
us like set designers even if our forte
was in another area like lighting design
or costume design or sound design. We
all had something to say visually and
verbally and he encouraged us to say it.
Lastly, I will always remember
Ming's stamina in Saturday's class.
He stood up all day, never seemed to
get tired, and went on forever like the
Energizer Bunny. Ming was and still
is such a hero to me and continues to
inspire everything that I do-a real-life
mentor. I have been lucky to be blessed
by his knowledge and strong sense of
design.

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Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2021

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