Playbill: Richard W. Prouse is drawing a backdrop, a charcoal pencil at the end of his drawing stick in his left hand, the designer’s original paint elevation (a.k.a. design plan for the drop) in his right. An expert at his craft, he sketches freehand the outline of a city street for an upcoming production of Shining City. No snapping of grids, just a pencil and a canvas. But after 25 years, his boss, Joseph Forbes, owner and president of Scenic Art Studios, knows to trust him.
4 comments:
Wow! I never knew this was such a niche industry! Scenic painting is such a particular field and it is quite awesome to see someone recognize their strengths in that sect within a large field. Especially with how focused Broadway is on animation - scenic painting is often forgotten. Scenic painting large backdrops and sets is such a particular talent and it’s incredible that this company basically just makes backdrops/sets for Broadway. When you have such a niche, it creates a real supply and demand. After creating a real name for his company, I am not surprised that the best quality backdrops and painted sets to come from Scenic Art Studios (or Hudson Scenic Studio). I think that it is great that Forbes was able to make a space where the best people are able to come together everyday and get paid to do what they love.
Overall this article is just impressive. I’m in awe at how Forbes took on his role as a scene painter and grew out a company that now produces drops and flats for so many shows. It is truly incredible at how many professional sets can be tracked down to this one paint shop. This is a concrete reminder of how tight-knit the theatre industry is that such a large task can be boiled down to a couple of companies. It is also incredible about how much joy Forbes gets out of what he does. This article was definitely a pleasant reminder of why I’m here at theatre school in the first place. This is especially true with Forbes the last quote about being the luckiest man alive. One question this article raised for me is what is the relationship between scene shops and paint shops? Are they in any way connected to make the transportation of flats and backdrops easier or is there special communication that happens between the two shops to make the work easier? Another question the article raises is how frequently do sets need to be repainted? For shows like the Lion King are there like monthly touch-ups or can the set go years without needing to be repainted?
I have been reading all the articles about scenic painters as they get posted, and they never fails to amaze me. These artists have created an art out of bringing other people's ideas and designs to light. An art of making the art of others. The work these artists do it gorgeous, and there is still a passion to the work they create even tho it is not their own original ideas. I guess the more I think about it, many theatre artists either design or create, at least to my current understanding of the system. Designers outline and detail what and how they want thongs, and a job lead and group of labour will make it so. And the people who create the art should be given as much credit as the designers are. Not often do I see builders or painters credited for the work they do in the professional world, and that's what I like the most about articles like these. It shines a light on the hands behind the beauty and give names and credit to artists who deserve recognition.
Scenic painting is a beautifully particular and niche craft within itself, so to see someone who has taken advantage of a small group’s skill to do so is a really fascinating business. It is an incredible skill to be able to bring designer’s draftings and drawings to life, and seeing that done in such an immaculately detailed way by a group that focuses on maintaining the authenticity and integrity of those designs is incredible. The space and time needed to see through a complete backdrop is rarity in today’s fast-paced theatrical world, and Forbes has absolutely found a way to achieve this environment. He employs a group of highly skilled people that are beyond well versed in techniques that have been proven effective time and time again throughout theatrical history, and they are also able to achieve pieces that are thought of as “old-school magic”.
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