DESIGN APPROACH

The show was written and became popular during the 90's - its hard to ignore the Baby Boomer sentiment that give the show its commercial appeal. The director and I talked about the show as a battle of the sexes played out on stage. Indeed it was conceived as a look at the historic battle through the lens of the 90's. We agreed that in that decade, our notions of romance are filtered by our view of celebrity love in the media spotlight: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, etc. What if this had been the case throughout history?

Given that question, I gathered images of famous couples and sex symbols from history. Adam and Eve, David, Valentino, Bogey and Bacall, Brad Pitt and Ally McBeal filled my research bin. They'd come to good use later...

The environment itself needed to look clean and contemporary late 90's. Stainless steel was in, as were bright blues, pinks, greens and oranges. I needed to work in an area for a grand piano and provide mobility for the scene changes.Two slipstages provided the means to change from scene to scene, while six television monitors were used to title each vignette (and to provide a stunning visual for a "dating service" monologue in the second act).

The wall surfaces were adorned with cartoon images of the famous lovers mentioned earlier. Classic works of art appear in familiar poses but in modern clothing. Durer's Adam and Eve are wearing the latest from Joe Boxer and Victoria's Secret while Van Eyck's "Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride" wear modern wedding garments. The slipstages hide behind "naughty" Hogarths. Pop icons flank the orchestra.

Production Credits

Produced by the Florida Repertory Theatre, Ft. Myers, FL
April 2001

Directed by Robert Cacioppo
Costumes by Dixon Reynolds
Lighting by Ginny Adams

Scene design copywrighted 2001 by Gion DeFrancesco