PANORAMANIA; Or The Adventures Of John Banvard / An O'er True Tale.
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Isabelle Simone
July 25, 2012
What is your job on this show?
costume designer.
What type of theater do you like most to work on?
As a costume designer, I like to work on shows where I can blend different time periods and aesthetics. Even when you do a period show, you are doing it from a modern perspective so I always like to keep that in mind when I approach my theatre work. that out look has been especially crucial to how I've approached working on Panoramania.
Why did you want to be part of FringeNYC?
I wanted to be part of FringeNYC because I think it is a fantastic platform for young theatre artists. As a recent college graduate, I feel the being part of Fringe NYC opens a lot of doors that would not ordinarily be opened so willingly to young artists that are just stepping out into the professional world.
Why did you want to write/direct/produce/act in/work on this show?
I wanted to work on this show because I was incredibly drawn to John Banvard's story. When Jacob, our director, first told me about this project about a year ago when he started it as a class project, I agreed to help him with some of the costume research because I've always been drawn to the 1800's. When I actually saw the workshop performance he created for his project, I fell for the story. I was blown away that an artist could create such an extraordinary painting and become so famous and successful but be almost completely forgotten. As I continue to learn more and more about Banvard, I continue to be more and more amazed that he has fallen through the pages or history and been ignored for so long.
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, or Zeppo?
I have to go with Groucho. For some reason when I was about 5 my parents taught me how to do a Groucho impression and would make me do it for their friends all the time!
Can theatre bring about societal change? Why or why not?
I absolutely think that theatre can bring about societal change. It forces us to think about how we interact with the world around us and reevaluate our relationships. I think that theatre has the power to create both large and small scale societal change. It can break social boundaries or just force an individual to reassess their place within their social circle. It doesn't matter what scale the change is on, it just matters that people are pushed into making a change.
