Beirut
BeirutDirected by: Janet Sonenberg
Scene Design: William Fregosi
MIT's Little Theater, Cambridge Mass.
In this production of Alan Bowne's Beirut the director, Janet Sonenberg, and I drew inspiration from Robert Mapplethorpe. She used his work to compose her actors in scenes of great intimacy. I used his style and revelation of form to motivate my lighting conveying a sense of imprisonment and isolation.
I focused on bodies in the shadows projected by venetian blinds, like bars on a prison. I also based my design for Beirut on the film Blade Runner by using computer controlled neon to motivate the lighting. This had the effect of communication to the audience a colorful and living world outside, enhancing the loneliness of the main character.