Set Designer Andy Broomell

Hey, it’s Alexandra again. This time I interviewed Andy Broomell, the scenic designer for Tibbits’ main stage season whose work can be seen all season long. [“On Broadway” is tonight and tomorrow night.] Andy & I met in the production office underneath the Tibbits stage, with the sound of nonstop drills from the set build going on above us, and a malfunctioning tape recorder at my side. Through the whirr of theatre activity I learned about Andy…

He’s from Central Wisconsin and pursuing a BFA in Theatrical Design and Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he is a senior. He has been creating sets as a career for the past three years. When most people think of theatre jobs they list things like actor, director, etc., not the jobs behind the scenes. Andy knew in high school he either wanted to pursue music or theatre. Luckily for us he chose theatre. He became interested in scenic design participating in stage crew during high school where he and a group of students did all the lighting, tech, and set design. They were given a lot of freedom and control over what happened in those areas. Andy said they were given that opportunity because the school size was small and the teachers had confidence in the students.

Andy’s favorite part of set design is how completely collaborative it is. He likes how all the departments work together so the final product is cohesive. We also discussed how he designs a set when the story doesn’t take place in a specific location such as New York. Andy explained how he uses outside sources for ideas and gave examples from the current production of “On Broadway.” He said the design process usually starts by discussing with the director what he or she envisions for the show. Trinity Bird, the director for “On Broadway,” mentioned wanting to incorporate show posters into the set. While listening to music Andy found inspiration in the album artwork that popped up on his iPod. He took the show poster idea and modernized it by using the CD cover artwork from each of the shows represented in the revue. He also incorporated the exposed light trusses used at concerts. His main goal was to create a versatile set that worked for the multiple songs in the show. When he’s designing he has little involvement with the cast, but he does have to keep their needs in mind.

I asked what a typical day is like. Andy said at Tibbits he doesn’t have set hours, but instead works by deadlines. If he starts working on a show that requires knowledge of a time or place to create the set, he will spend his work day researching. He will then start sketching his set designs and eventually create groundplans, renderings, and other detailed drawings. Andy enjoys working all day because he is passionate about his job.

Of his work to date, Andy’s favorite show has been “Rent” because he had a close connection with his design and the cast. He loved the fact the production team had a specific vision of where the show was going. “Rent” takes place in New York during the early 90’s so he immersed himself in the lifestyle and atmosphere of the characters in order to create a world for them to inhabit onstage. As far as challenges, Andy said one of the most difficult shows he has worked on is Tibbits’ upcoming production “Crazy for You.” He said it isn’t so much the complexity of the set pieces but rather the number of different locations and fitting the set pieces into Tibbits’ limited wing space. He said coming up with creative solutions is difficult but fun.

In 2009 Andy received a Special Judges’ Award for Outstanding Projections Design at the Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. He was only a sophomore in college and it was his first time working with projections. Since there was no specific category for projections, he entered his work into the scenic design category. The judges really liked his work, but they wanted to give the award to a scenic designer so they created a special award for his work.

With his experience and recognition, I asked what advice he would give to someone pursuing a career in scenic design. He said “go beyond what the professor tells them to do.” He recommended researching professional scenic designers online to see what they have done and learn from them. He also suggested reading about new shows, keeping up with the ever-changing styles on Broadway.

I hope you have enjoyed taking a closer look at the talented set designer Andy Broomell. More of his work can be seen at http://www.andybroomell.com. It was a joy to share this with you. When you go to see “On Broadway” and “Crazy for You” take some time to soak in the interesting set, and feel privileged in knowing just a little bit more about the man behind it. Goodbye until next time. With smiles,
Alexandra Lyon