Bebe Neuwirth in A Small Fire, 2019
PHILADELPHIA THEATRE COMPANY, Starring Bebe Neuwirth
Playwright Adam Bock, Director Joanie Schultz, Scenic Design Chelsea M. Warren, Costume Design Mark Mariani, Lighting Design Rachael Cady, Sound Design Christopher Colucci, Assistant Director Neal Gupta, Production Photography Mark Garvin
OVERVIEW: The design is a contemporary upscale world with multiple locations including a construction site, wedding venue, Brooklyn roof, posh Connecticut living room and bedroom. Scenic requirements include fluid movement between multiple private and public locations with varying furniture combinations. On A Small Fire at Philadelphia Theatre Company, I worked with longtime collaborator Joanie Schultz on our second production of the play, the previous was 5 years earlier at a storefront theatre in Chicago. On this return to the script, we noted the focus on partnership, as the protagonist loses her senses throughout the play, her husband's senses become heightened. Inspired by artist James Turrell, we played with positive-negative space combinations as locations track away and reveal a bright blue sky beneath. The play asks questions of what is the core worth of a human when so much is stripped away? How does illness impact a family and in particular a partnership?
*see ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS & REVIEWS/FEATURES below
REVIEWS/FEATURES
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Julia M. Klein: “The production is beautifully lit by Rachael Cady, with a fluid and functional set by Chelsea M. Warren, costumes by Mark Mariani, and sensitive sound design by Christopher Colucci. But above all, under Schultz’s direction, it is a master class in acting.”
Broad Street Review, Cameron Kelsall: “Chelsea M. Warren’s airy, speculative set design reflects the realities of Emily’s changing situation, as walls and furniture disappear as she dips deeper into the void.”
Broadway World Review, Alyssa Biederman: “The set by Chelsea M. Warren mirrors the layers of Emily's life. Scenes with Billy happen at the front of the stage, while her home life is hidden behind a wall.”