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SCOTT BRADLEY
scenic designer
Mr. Bradley designed recently AN IDEAL HUSBAND for the
Milwaukee Rep. during the 1997/98 season. In 1994 he designed the world
premiere of Steve Martin's PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE for the Steppenwolf
theatre, which recently finished its London premiere. In 1996 Mr. Bradley
won New York Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design, New York Outer
Circle Critic's Award for design collaboration and a Tony nomination for
his design of August Wilson's SEVEN GUITARS. Regionally he has designed
for the Goodman Theatre, Huntington Theatre, American Repertory Theatre,
Alley Theatre Seattle Repertory, Indiana Theatre Repertory, American Conservatory
Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage. Mr. Bradley is a graduate
of the Yale School of Drama.
"In evoking the atmosphere of Venice for our production of SERVANT OF
TWO MASTERS,
a pair of arched double doors is slowly opened to allow a gondola full
of actors into an awaiting pool of water in the middle of a small square.
After docking, they quickly disembark and begin unloading their props
and unfolding their stage from the deck of their seaworthy vessel. Upon
the completion of the 17 foot square stage, the masts are anchored to
a balcony to hoist the canvass portal and scenic curtains into place;
the costumed characters of the comedia dell'arte troupe burst through
the center split of the first scene in Pantalone's home, and the play
begins."
"Having taken photographs round every corner of the Venetian streets and
canals, I began to culminate some typical environmental tangibilities
for the set design of "SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS". First of all were the
ever-present crumbling walls and cracked cement skins of the exterior
walls. Each
facade of the squares had a unique quality about the surface texture and
colors whether there were hairline cracks or puzzle pieces of missing
surface layers and whether the hues were of gold and orange or made up
of patinas of dirty pink stains over grays and greens. Next was the influence
of Moorish and even Arabic architectural embellishment especially in the
window silhouettes and balcony details. I continually found new examples
of hinges and louvered shutters, ironwork and woodcarving. Finally the
quality of light that fit down between the narrow street hallways and
reflections that bounced across the steep walls of the canals were mesmerizing
as I saw sun set between the vertical slits of sky here and there. All
of these details have found their ways into the set design that is reminiscent
of eighteenth century Italy: upon arrival into the theater, one encounters
the terminal of a canal dock in front of huge wooden doors waiting for
a boatload of comedia dell arte actors and their own traveling theater."ghts
reserved.
Servant of two Masters
by
Carlo Goldoni
Directed by
Paolo Emilio Landi
Set
Scott Bradley
Costumes
Santi Migneco
Performed at the
Curiosity
The boat moving on the scene weights 4 tons. Packed with actors and props
the weight is 5 tons ca.
The actors transform the boat into a stage in 5 minutes and 10 seconds.
