ARTicles vol. 6 i.2b: Redesigning the Atom

David Reynoso knows that the set for Copenhagenwill ruffle feathers. Dominated by an immense metallic sculpture, the design evokes the fear of the atomic bomb’s development and the whimsical designs of Alexander Calder. Surfing YouTube one afternoon, Reynoso hit upon his design’s impetus: footage of Poi, a form of juggling from New Zealand where balls on strings represent atomic particles in motion. Because the sculpture is formed from phosphorescent tubing, lighting designer Ken Helvig can fill it with small LED lights. The result is an overhead cyclorama: color and light float across Reynoso’s atomic framework, glowing downward on actors and audience alike.

Beneath the giant atom, the world of the play is equally nebulous. On a spare stage, the movement of actors divides the open space. The black tiling on the floor creates a chessboard, infinite in possibilities for movement. Upstage, walls made of mirrors reflect our attention back on the actors and their fluid spatial relationships.

Reynoso has given Helvig a daunting challenge: how to light a vast, ambiguous space with the obstruction of an enormous atomic sculpture. Since Frayn’s play shifts seamlessly from large outdoor settings to intimate interior scenes, Helvig will set light boundaries along the floor’s gridwork, subdividing the larger space for indoor moments. The size and placement of Reynoso’s sculpture mean that it will refract and warp any lights placed above it. Helvig has tackled this complication head-on: bursts of fragmentary lights will create a cascading unity from the splintered rays.

Though both Helvig and Reynoso have had prior opportunities to design at the A.R.T. (notably last season’s No Man’s Land), Copenhagen showcases their work on a grand scale. Acting Artistic Director Gideon Lester sees the production as a chance to highlight the A.R.T.’s young design talent: “Copenhagenwas the perfect opportunity to let David and Ken work on a larger canvas.” Using trial and error, both designers have risen to the challenge, or as Reynoso put it, “Throwing ten ideas into the air to see what will fly.” The resulting designs have given director Scott Zigler an elegant, evocative, and haunting visual playground.

Sean Bartley is a first-year dramaturgy student at the A.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre Training.6_23