Penn State University: When passengers aboard Disney’s Treasure cruise ship take time to enjoy the new theatrical production of the musical “Disney: The Tale of Moana” inspired by the hit film, they will be treated to a stunning stage set designed by Milagros Ponce de León, head of the bachelor of fine arts in theatre design and technology program in the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture.
3 comments:
This is a very pretty set, I would love to see it in person. I love the story of Moana and I think it would be a really fun design to play with. While reading this story, I did not expect to see a name that I recognized. But Ryan Douglass (they spelled his name wrong), is one that I know. His mom was actually the main theatre director at my high school for thirty years and she had a really big impact there. I have never met him personally, but it really is crazy how interconnected the world of theatre is. I didn't know he was working at UNCSA now.
I love to see that professors still take on big design roles in the real world. I think it's really helpful for students to be able to see their professors in that role and learn from their current experiences, not just shows they worked on decades ago, or the curriculum that we are being taught in class.
It all started with a mouse. Do I really want to work for the mouse? I got the opportunity to meet with many Disney live entertainment personnel at USITT this year, but the more I think about working at the company the more of an ick I get. On one hand it’s the corporateness. I choose to do theater because I don’t want a desk job. I want to create my own career and do the projects that excite me and inspire me. At Disney, you’re working for a major corporation, you go where the wind blows, you work on whatever project is thrown your way, almost all of which are only regurgitating the same stories that have been told a thousand times. I want to tell timely, important stories. I’ll still enjoy marveling at Disney’s experiences and attention to detail but I don’t think it’s the place for me.
I love seeing all these behind-the-scenes stories about various forms of theater design, especially when it’s on such a giant scale. The idea of building a full set for a cruise ship is actually insane to me, and it’s cool how much detail and time goes into making something like that work. It really made me think about all my talks with Sebastian about his scenic work on Titanic and that he literally had to design a full-size or what can resemble a full-size boat on a stage. I like that the article focuses on the process, from the initial sketches to working with Disney’s technical team and even traveling to Germany to oversee construction. It shows the sheer collaboration and precision that go into something like this. I also think it’s wonderful that Ponce de León was able to bring her experience back to her students. It makes me appreciate how real-world projects can directly impact the next generation of designers.
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