From the desk of the set designer... Happy Holi-divas!

When I began discussions about Holidivas with James, he instinctively knew that he wanted the audience to feel connected to the performers in a way that a standard proscenium style configuration might not emphasize. We had discussed the allure of the British Dance Hall or Operatic Musical Revue stage and how it projected the action of the play directly into the audiences’ laps. In essence, the spectator enjoys an intimate relationship to the performer and, thereby, the thrill of participating in the spectacle.

I had some experience designing cabaret stages with a catwalk that runs down the center of an audience arrayed at cocktail tables with candles. I was very excited about the possibilities of combining this sort of time-worn thrust configuration with the archetypal Diva character and iconic imagery associated with Christmas.

I began researching opera houses and traditional wing-and-drop scenery while trying to settle on an image that I felt would encompass everything I wanted to say about the holidays as they relate to sexy sassy women who can belt out a tune. I kept coming back to this idea of Christmas trees adorned with stars, diamonds and pearls. This led to the incorporation of simple, festive shapes in silver, gold, and jewel-tone colors that reflect the idea of extravagant decadence and female beauty.

The result is more overt and whimsical than anything I have designed to date. The configuration has also worked out particularly well. Apparently, the seating has never been quite arranged in the way we have chosen for this show. It should provide for a unique encounter of audience and actor.

I am looking forward to several memorable and sophisticated evenings listening to lovely ladies sing stellar holiday standards. What a way to get in the spirit. I love my job.

~Scott Osborne
Scenic Designer
www.scottosbornedesign.com

Second Thought Theatre presents Free Commedia Workshop

We got this in an email from our friends at Second Thought Theatre and wanted to pass it along. Sounds like a great opportunity. If you go, tell 'em you learned about it on WTT's Blog!

"If anyone is interested, Second Thought has hired the fabulous Sara
Romersberger to administer a free commedia workshop this Saturday from
12:30 to 4:30 at the first Presbyterian Church Downtown.

Please come if you are interested. We would love to have you there! And also, forward this along to anyone you think might be interested in attending. The workshop will be geared towards Second Thought's production of Scapino but will be a great learning experience for all involved!

Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions ot concerns!

Read below for more information!


In the basement of the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas located in
Downtown on the corner of Park and Young.

The address is below:

408 Park Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75201

Please park in the back. Go into the parking garage and take the
elevator downstairs. There will be Second Thought Theatre reps there
to show you the way.

Steven Walters
Resident Playwright
Second Thought Theatre
817-319-6842"

Santaland Diaries Press Photos

Happy Holi-divas! Press Photos...

WTT Wins Big at the Rabins

Last Monday, WTT was honored to receive 7 Leon Rabin Awards from the Dallas Theatre League! The winners inluded Urinetown the Musical (Outstanding Production of a Musical), James Paul Lemons (Outstanding Director of a Musical), Sheilah V. Walker (Outstanding Musical Direction), Clare Floyd DeVries (Outstanding Set Design of a Musical), Paul Taylor (Outstanding Supporting Actor, Musical), Ted Wold (Outstanding Supporting Actor, Play), and Joshua Doss (Outstanding Lead Actor, Musical). WTT Business Manager Landire Bock took her handy camera with her to the ceremony, but she must have either been really excited we had such a good night OR enjoyed the pre-show bar a little much. The pictures are a little blurry, but perhaps that helps add to the excitement of the evening! Enjoy!

WTT was well represented. Here is James Paul Lemons, Terry Martin
& Clare Floyd DeVries

Here is WTT Business Manager Landrie Bock & WTT Resident Stage Manager Heidi Shen
(notice how Landrie's pic came out the best. hmm....)

Meet the new Crumptet.

This year, WTT welcomes Ted Wold to the role of Crumpet in our holiday production of The Santaland Diaries. Audiences will remember Ted from his performances in WTTs Into the Woods, Noises Off, The Spitfire Grill and his Leon Rabin Award winning performance in Take Me Out.

We snuck into the Studio today to take some press photos. As a special bonus treat, I'd thought we give you a preview of the New Crumpet.

PS - If you are missing Nye Cooper, who has played the role for the past five years, he is starring in this holiday season's Dim the Lights at the Bath House Cultural Center.

WTT in STAGE DIRECTIONS Magazine...

For our production of Into the Woods this past July/August, WTT experimented with a new type of scenery - projected images. And it seems that a few people took notice!

The November issue of Stage Directions Magazine is running an article on projected scenery. The article features WTT and Into the Woods scenic designer Clare Floyd DeVries.

Congratulations to Clare and the entire Woods design team for making this article.

Click here to read the article!