Set renderings by David Barber for The Crucible

What served as your jumping off point for this design?

The starting point for any show is really a thorough read- and at least one re-read- of the script. I try to divorce myself from the process of visualizing a design in my head as I read and just focus on the story itself and the bones of what makes the play flow as a story..but it is inevitable that I am going to start imagining some visuals.

For a set designer, I very much design like a lighting designer…I often first see qualities of light in my head- will this be in heavy shadow, blazing dawn, etc.

What kind of research did you do?

I have a working knowledge of this period stored up in my head- what the furniture and interior details of the 1600’s looked like…but I always go back to research and refresh myself. I did a lot of searching online for images of Salem today, period paintings of the witch trials, other period paintings and engravings.

I also did something on The Crucible that I rarely (if ever) do. I looked at other productions of this show, simply because it is such an American classic with a rich performance history and I wanted to see what the “bell curve” was in terms of how spare or abstract designers had been before versus a literal representation of place. Then I stumbled on a rather unexpected inspiration. I went to see the William Kentridge show at MOMA. He is a South African artist that does very emotionally charged work- mostly large scale charcoal drawings, that draw on his personal experiences and reactions to the political and racial climate in his country. I have been a big fan of his work for a long time, but did not think he would inspire me for The Crucible! However, the feelings and textures in those drawings just put me in an emotional space that felt so right for this show.

I started to put together the idea that there would be a spare, skeletal reference to the buildings of Salem, and I liked the idea of a constant presence of the woods beyond…as if the woods represent the human spirit- or human nature- that rock the shaky foundations of this community and their fears. I sat down for a first meeting with Julianne with all of these pics and references tucked in my bag and she turned to me and said, “I don’t need any doors or walls…I am seeing big beams like a big barn…and candlelight…and wouldn’t it be cool if there was some reference to the woods out there in the distance…?” and I said, “uhm…wow! I have some things to show you!”

How was the process different for this show from other shows you have designed?

Not terribly different. My working style shifts depending on the director I am working with and whether or not we have a history together and a shorthand. If I am working with a director for the first time, I tend to spend less time on rough sketches and I turn to building a model right away…or lately I have begun to work with 3D computer rendered models of shows. If I am doing a 3D rendering, I can very quickly show a director a photo-realistic view of the set I am imagining- and show them multiple views from different audience perspectives.

For The Crucible, I opted to do a finished traditional model that Julianne and I could look at together and push furniture around and set up different groundplans. It is like playing with a dollhouse and most directors find it to be the clearest and most accessible way for them to see a show and imagine how it will work. If I have a long history with a director, and they trust my abilities and know my taste, I might work more with rough quick sketches and show them less finished ideas…but frankly, as a general rule-I always work pretty thorough and finished. It is just my style. You always have to be a little careful though- if you show a director drawings or models that are too precious and finished and perfect they might feel pressure to accept everything “as is”…and all of these things are just tools to get to the best final product…the real show!

In what way is this show important to you?

I am happy to get the chance to work on it, because it is in the canon of great classic American plays, and I never had exposure to it before. Remarkably, I managed to never read it for a class in school or ever see a production of it before this outing. However, in reading it for the first time I discovered what a really great play it is! I started reading it on the subway, and I found myself shaking with anger and tension as the plot thickened and more and more of Salem’s citizens’ lives are destroyed based on the lies of a very few.

One might as well state the obvious- it is terrifyingly timely right now, too. I find myself shaking with a very similar anger and my spine tightens as I hear what should be recognized as the downright lunatic rants and lies of a very few twisted individuals mass consumed as gospel truth by a lot of people in this country right now. I watch the news and my jaw drops in disbelief. Like the Salem “witches” and the McCarthy “reds”- as a gay man and an artist, I am a sane, responsible US citizen on some people’s current list of heretics ripe for burning. I also have to say, Julianne is very passionate about this play and she has really done her homework. When you work in a medium that is so collaborative, it is a joy to have someone at the helm of the ship that is so excited about doing the work- and it is infectious!

Research done by David Barber for The Crucible