Set Without Balance

Last weekend, my wife and I went to see the musical, FAME, at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta Ga. The show was performed by the very talented Pebblebrook High School Performing Arts program. It was an excellent show because it was perfectly balanced. The right performers were picked for the correct parts, the sound and lighting were excellent, but the set is what really caught my attention.

I really dislike going to a performance where the set is either too strong or too weak. This set looked just right to me. It didn't take away from the performance by being too flashy or over the top. I also noticed the stairs were very sturdy but not bulky, which tells me the designer or builder knew something about weight-bearing structures. I've seen sets in the past that didn't seem to have any structural integrity, with things coming undone or not coming together correctly. These kinds of problems create a distraction that is hard to break in a visually oriented person. Having a set you think is 95% extraordinary doesn't equal the same to that visually oriented patron. If you have artists and designers in your audience, we will ALWAYS catch that 5% that isn't so great. We don't intentionally do this, our brains just hone in on these problems. While most people are focused on a certain piece of music, I'm stuck on the poor placement of a wheel or that color pallet that doesn't go with the time period.

So next time you're wondering if your set is just right, go and find a few visual artists and ask them for their HONEST opinion. You definitely don't want to end up with a set without balance.