In Season 1 2011 the designer-in-residence program gives one designer an opportunity to work their craft with a space in four different ways, across the four different shows in the season. In Season 2 2011 the designer is given the challenge of designing the space for the final production of the season in another space altogether. In 2011 that designer is David Samuel.
BIO
David recently designed the set and costumes for Dreamsong, a new musical presented by VCA music theatre and the sets for Kassandra (written and directed by Marcel Dorney) and HoneyBunny’s Sagittarian Full Moon Finale (written and directed byJulian Hobba). Last year he designed the sets for Becky Shaw (written by Gina Gionfriddo, directed by Indira Carmichael) and The Possibilities (written by Howard Barker).In 2009 David completed a Graduate Diploma in Production Design at the Victorian College of the Arts where he designed the set for 10|01 devised and directed by Sapidah Kian) and set and costumes for Christie in Love (written by Howard Brenton,directed by Fiona Hallenan-Barker). He was also awarded the 2009 Trina Parker Design Scholarship. During earlier study of the Bachelor of Production at the Victorian College of the Arts, David designed the sets for One For The Road (written by Harold Pinter, directed by Brendan O’Connell)and Too Young For Ghosts (written by Janis Balodis, directed by Ailsa Piper). He also worked on Navigators (2006 Melbourne Arts Festival), Into The Woods and The Saint Plays (Melbourne Theatre Company) in varying roles
Q&A
What is your earliest memory of the theatre?
Seeing a dinosaur hatch out of an egg at a Polyglot show.
Which three plays would you like read to you on your death bed?
The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol
and I know it’s not a play but Mozart’s Don Giovanni would be nice.
What does design mean?
To me, personally, and in terms of theatre I like to use a quote from theatre designer Pamela Howard: “The scenographer visually liberates the text and the story behind it, by creating a world in which the eyes see what the ears do not hear.”
Did you ever have an imaginary friend? Describe him/her/it…
No. I think.
What does MKA stand for?
Many kleptomaniacal adventures. or Mighty knowledgeable audiences. Which ever you like better.
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Credits
Set and Lighting Design: Sleepyhead (MKA), 22 Short Plays (MKA),The Horror Face (MKA);
Set and Costume Design: Dreamsong, Christie in Love (VCA);
Set Design: HoneyBunny’s SFMF (Midsumma), Becky Shaw (Echcelon), ThePossibilities (Sidetrack), Kassandra, 10|01, One for the Road,Too Young for Ghosts (VCA); J.A.T.O. (MKA); The Economist (MKA)
Training: Post Graduate Diplomain Production Design, Bachelor of Production (VCA).
Awards:2009 Trina Parker Scholarship
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