Charlotte Stobbe
Anissa Ilaj
Advanced Drama C Block
21 November 2010
The Set and Set Designer of Sweeney Todd
“Nothing makes me happier than an impossible space and an impossible project” (Lee). This quote came from a man whose name is widely acclaimed among Broadway circles, and who still inspires many young and promising designers: Eugene Lee. This brilliant set designer is much-admired for his masterful set creations and his brilliant use of space, and one of his most well-known and intriguing works are the sets he created for the thrilling Sondheim musical, Sweeney Todd. Eugene Lee designed the set of Sweeney Todd in the 1979 Broadway production, the 1980 London production, the 1980 National Touring production, the 1982 National Touring production, the 1984 Houston Grand Opera production, and the 1984 New York City Opera production (Sondheim Guide). Lee has won Broadway's Tony Award as Best Scenic Designer three times, the second of those in 1979 for the original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd (Waldman).
In his works, Lee has a tendency to reorganize the space of the entire theatre to become a part of the set. Occasionally, he even manages to relocate such items as technical booths and walls, which are notoriously difficult to move. The founding director of the Yale Repertory Theatre and American Repertory Theatre quoted Eugene Lee as “[having] the remarkable capacity to create an illusion of vast reaches out of circumscribed space” (Waldman). When Lee designed the set for the original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd, he was able to use all of his unique ideas to create a set that was “meant to strike fear into the hearts of the observers in the audience” (Bergman, J. Peter).
In order to construct the set for Sweeney, Lee decided to tear apart an old factory and to use the pieces to produce a set that would create the atmosphere of the dark streets and buildings of London. After disassembling the factory, Lee rebuilt parts of it in the Gershwin Theater, where the musical was performed. “Lee added moving grids and removable bridges that seemed to be in motion more frequently than the large cast moved. Together this team mounted a production that used the steel framework to create a theatrical event that screamed of steel” (Bergman, J. Peter). Lee explains why he used real factory pieces when he states: “We used real found things for Sweeney Todd...I prefer to build out of real things. There is some kind of humanity to it, some kind of history to the planks” (Lee).
While he was designing the set of Sweeney Todd, Eugene Lee got the chance to work with award-winning director Hal Prince. When Lee was asked in an interview how he worked with Prince, he replied: “Generally, with Mr. Prince, he has a thought. You solve the problem. You show it to him and he doesn't think it's solved. You go back. But he's terribly open. I can always call him. He's always helpful” (Lee). Lee also worked with his collaborator and wife Franne Lee, who designed the costumes for these productions. He has also designed the set for many other stage productions including Wicked, Ragtime, The Skin of Our Teeth, and The Pirate Queen.
As a celebrated set designer and artist, Eugene Lee has won numerous awards. He has been given the American Theatre Wing’s Design Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Pell Award, and he also has three Emmy nominations for his excellent production designs for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (Waldman). Lee has also been the resident director at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence since 1967 (Waldman). This man’s accomplishments and talents stand out in all of the sets he produces, and his legacy will last for generations of set designers.
Works Cited
Bergman, J. Peter. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." EDGE. EDGE
Publications, Inc., 25 Jun. 2010. Web. 21 Nov 2010.
<http://www.edgeboston.com>
Lee, Eugene. Live Design. Interview by Davi Napoleon. 1 Feb. 2000. Web. 22 Nov 2010.
<http://livedesignonline.com/mag/show_business_eugene_lee>
"Sondheim Guide / Sweeney Todd." The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide. Web. 19
Nov. 2010.
Waldman, Justin. "Spotlight on Eugene Lee." The Huntington Theatre Company. N.p.,
Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://www.huntingtontheatre.org/>
