By: Travis Stevens
The evolution of a play takes many months of coordination and hard work. Before the finished product you see on stage, there are scripts to write, sets to sketch out, and rehearsals to be done. In this whirlwind of events, we find Tianxuan Chen (Xuan), a talented scenic and lighting designer based in Chicago.
Xuan attended Northwestern University, where she received a Masters in Stage Design. It was there that she first fell in love with creating a play. From her first sketches to watching the tech rehearsal and starting lighting cues, Xuan takes a hands-on approach to designing the atmosphere of each show. “For me, the set and lighting are not just the supporting roles in a production; in my design, they can actively make narrative through the visual language.”
This very ethos has led to her creating the environment for bigger productions. While the process takes a few months, Xuan begins with reading and understanding the script. “The script is the foundation for everything,” she starts, “I begin with a thorough understanding of the script, and from that, I gain my interpretation.”
After fully absorbing the narrative and visualizing the character’s movements, Xuan sketches her view of the set design. In constant coordination with the director, she will go through a series of storyboards with lighting concepts, trying to capture the director’s vision. Once the final concept is agreed upon, she sets about making a complete model with every detail and color.
(“Everybody,” sketch storyboard)
At this point, still early in the process, the set begins its design phase while rehearsals are underway. While her oversight of the set design is crucial, so is Xuan’s involvement in the tech rehearsal. “This is when I get to see the overall stage layout and image and when I start to create lighting cues.”
While admittedly a magical moment seeing the characters interact with her set for the first time, it signals the beginning of a big undertaking. “After rehearsal, all the way up until the play goes live, we are testing the lighting and making adjustments,” she says. Developing many lighting cues that allow the play to go off without a hitch is important.
While the process is similar for all her projects, each one she encounters has its unique set of parameters. Sometimes, there are technical challenges, or the work needs to be kept to a tight budget. Regardless of the hurdles, Xuan contributes work that complements each play.
While designing for ‘The Love Object,’ a play by Justine Gelfman, she was presented with a unique dilemma. “The show was about a 2000s pop star having a concert, but the performance was being held in a small black box of a theater.” Creating a big concert feel in such a small space was no easy task. Xuan used LED lighting strips to create the atmosphere while also helping her easily transition back into the other scenes set in a dressing room.
As the projects continue to mount for Xuan, so does her excitement about each project. With an impressive resume already under her belt, she looks to expand her repertoire further in the upcoming years. Her most recent roles have included designing for ‘Women Beware Women,’ ‘The Prom,’ and ‘2 Pianos 4 Hands.’ Gaining acclaim for her work, Xuan was the recipient of the 2024 USITT Scene Design Award sponsored by Rose Brand, establishing her as a visionary within the set design field.
With each project Xuan approaches, she has a zeal and purpose for diving head-on into each phase of the design process. Not daunted by size or extravagance, she looks to add character to each stage she enhances. Often, the little “unnoticed” aspects set one play apart from the rest.
“I think stage design differs from text because it creates and delivers feelings rather than a logical, irrational presentation.” Her belief in the raw emotion of the setting is both profound and commendable. Xuan understands that it is not her role to overpower the onstage performance but rather add to its depth and bring light, quite literally, to it.
While undoubtedly hard work goes into acting in a play, there are so many other aspects often glossed over by the viewer. The months and hours of toil over a set and lighting only show up without any on-stage problems. While we don’t see the many sketches and models created by talented designers such as Tianxuan Chen, their contributions make the final product even more enjoyable.
To follow along with her talented career and to see some of her incredible set designs, check out her website at www.xuandesignwork.com.
Published by Zane L.
