SCENES FROM AN EXECUTION
QUANTUM THEATRE Playwright Howard Barker Director Andrew William Smith Scenic Design Chelsea M. Warren Assistant Scenic Design Emily Landis Costume Design Angela Vesco Lighting Design C. Todd Brown Sound Design Steve Shapiro Director of Production J. Cody Spellman Technical Director James McCrory Scenic Charge & Props Artisan Emily Landis Starring Lisa Velten Smith, Robert Ramirez, Bria Walker-Rhoze, Hansel Tin, Amy Landis, Randy Kovitz, Jerreme Rodriguez, Martin Giles, Leyla Davis, Mariana Garzon Toro Production Photographer Beth Barbis
*see ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS & REVIEWS/FEATURES below
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS
REVIEWS/FEATURES
The Pittsburgh Tatler, Wendy Arons: “But it’s powerhouse Lisa Velten Smith who drives the action, both comic and otherwise, as the strong-willed, frank-talking, take-no-prisoners Galactia. In the course of the evening she gets a physical workout, too, as she traverses pretty much every inch of scenic designer Chelsea Warren’s multi-level and multi-purpose set, which evokes both a painter’s scaffolding and a gallows. Angela Vesco’s costumes set the action in a luxurious 16th-century Venice, and the lighting and sound design (C. Todd Brown and Steve Shapiro) adroitly modulate the mood of the action.”
On Stage Pittsburgh, Sharon Eberson, Review: Scenes of a Rabble-Rouser as a Renaissance Artist: “The atmospheric upstairs of the century-old Abiding Missions building, with its pitched ceiling and symmetrical decor, offers great bones for the multi-level set devised by scenic designer Chelsea Warren, aided by C. Todd Brown’s lighting, from dungeon-level darkness to blaring lights.”
Pittsburgh Owlscribe, Dave Zuchowski, “A Conversation with Director Andrew William Smith, a the Helm of Quantum Theatre’s Latest Production, ‘Scenes from an Execution’: “Q: One related question has to do with the set and musical accompaniment. I thought both were so very in tune to the mood of the play. What were you trying to evoke through these two important theatrical elements?
A: Scenes from an Execution is a 19th century play by a British male playwright about a 16th century Venetian female artist, which we are now bringing to life in 21st century Pittsburgh. It’s already a century skipping hodge-podge, and so how do we provide an access point for our audiences? The first one that is first available to us is: the language. For as dense as it is, and as viscerally gripping as it is, the language is not an obstacle for our audience, like sometimes Shakespeare can be. It is an invitation. The second access point for the modern audiences is the sharp, crisp, modern design for the transitions. We have 20 scenes, which equals quite a few transitions. We sought for each to have its own journey. A good set and sound design certainly help cultivate the imaginative world of the play, but they also must serve the needs of the play, so a lot of time was spent understanding what those needs are, and how we can support those needs while simultaneously saying something more about the world. A play with as many steps and platforms as this one makes everything about power. Every step up or down becomes a metaphor on power, who is winning and who is losing. This set allowed us to be incredibly creative in our staging because every step means something.”
Pittsburgh Quarterly, Stuart Shepard, “Painting the Audience: Quantum’s ‘Scenes from an Execution’ is Artistic Theatre: “Quantum usually stages their plays in unconventional, outdoor settings. What is this location like? Will attendees have to walk over train tracks or through a blast furnace? No, the action transpires in Abiding Missions, a charity organization located in Allentown. Think of an old church sandwiched in the middle of a crowded street of row houses. Chelsea Warren’s compelling set utilizes scaffolding that rises above the audience and incorporates the faded wood and stained glass of the building, such that it makes one feel like they’re sitting inside a 16th-century artist’s studio. What becomes apparent over the course of the show is that the audience is sitting where the monumental painting is being created. Thus, the audience is — figuratively — the canvass. In fact, at one point, the character Sketchbook (Amy Landis) remarks — looking at the painting (in the direction of the seats) — that there are 200 faces in it, which could be said to be the average number of people attending such a performance.”