From Mean Girls to The Band's Visit, Scott Pask Unpacks His Favorite Theatre Designs

Scott Pask_Set Design Feature_HR — "This is an early sketch for *The Visit*, a musical by Kander and Ebb and Terrence McNally. I’m beginning with this project that is very dear to me as a tribute to the wonderful Terrence, who recently passed away as a result of COVID-19, and for his husband Tom, who produced this production. It has been the greatest gift to have worked on three productions written by Terrence, who has been a theatrical and personal hero of mine for as long as I can remember." Courtesy of Scott Pask

"This is an early sketch for The Visit, a musical by Kander and Ebb and Terrence McNally. I’m beginning with this project that is very dear to me as a tribute to the wonderful Terrence, who recently passed away as a result of COVID-19, and for his husband Tom, who produced this production. It has been the greatest gift to have worked on three productions written by Terrence, who has been a theatrical and personal hero of mine for as long as I can remember."

The Visit

"This was directed by the visionary John Doyle, and with many scenes and multiple locations, we approached this musical with the idea of creating one resonant and poetic space/installation that would serve as the environment for the entire production, with the cast and dramatic shifts in lighting (by Japhy Weidman) as the transforming elements. The lavish period costumes were by Ann Hould Ward."

"For the onstage crucible of this tale of revenge, I developed a 19th-century European rail station ravaged by time and riddled with decay, where nature is literally reclaiming the land upon which it stands. Scenes in the forest were heightened by the prominence of this ominous natural world that had overtaken the man-made structure."

"Creating The Band's Visit's small Israeli desert town of Bet Hatikvah onstage began with a few words for me from director David Cromer, who said, 'Think about a slow, lazy turntable.' I took this inspiration and developed a sort of town square anchored by Dina's Café, around which everything would transpire in this musical in which 'nothing really happens' but people are wonderfully transformed."

The_Band's_Visit_Broadway_Production_Photo_2017_0075_The Company of THE BAND'S VISIT, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017_HR.jpg — "The central café sits on that lazy turntable, but I also added a rotating ring around it so the people and furniture could magically appear, like a mirage, while the central piece could stay stationary, or rotate in opposing directions, or both engage to spin together." Matthew Murphy

"The central café sits on that lazy turntable, but I also added a rotating ring around it so the people and furniture could magically appear, like a mirage, while the central piece could stay stationary, or rotate in opposing directions, or both engage to spin together."

"I did a lot of research and mapped street views of the town upon which Bet Hatikvah was based to get the architectural details and the all-important authenticity correct, while lifting the naturalism to a more painterly level to embrace the poetic beauty of David Yazbek’s transcendent score and lyrics. Upon the buildings is a heavily textured horizon of the desert in which the town sits, and the colors of the sand ombré upwards into the clear blue desert sky. In that sky we find the surreal existence of Dina’s window surveying the town."

"The windows and buildings, each with their satellite dishes reaching out to the heavens and the world beyond, hoping, wishing for connection, give physical life to the words of David’s anthemic song 'Answer Me.' All beautifully lit by Tyler Micoleau and perfectly costumed by Sarah Laux."

"I designed Mean Girls in the same Broadway season as The Band's Visit. They are both great shows, but their scenic designs couldn't be more different. It was an exciting exercise in guiding each design process to what would hopefully be the best onstage environment for the each production. Tina Fey’s brilliant and fast-paced book for the musical along with the similarly fast transitional pace and high energy work envisioned by director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw necessitated a nimble method of visual storytelling. In our very first meeting, Casey and I discussed the merits of projection and digital imaging technology onstage to establish that desired swiftness. We immediately decided it would be an effective tool for us. It also spoke to the Internet/social media culture of the teenagers onstage at North Shore High."