Broad strokes and tiny details: the importance of specificity in theatrical design

I am, at my heart, a maker. I strive to create well-designed and visually interesting theatre from the broadest strokes of set design down to the smallest details of prop creation. To me, the details of a project and the specificities are where design gets compelling. After all, the audience may not know specifics about the history of architecture, but we do know the things that we hold in our hands every day, and we know when something feels or looks “off.” As a tactile person, I understand this, and this philosophy informs all the design decisions that I make in theatre. Even when a world is completely fantastical, there are still choices that need to be made. As a designer and artisan, I work in scenic, props, and costumes, but the same research, attention to detail, and specificity drives these intertwined designs.