Editor's Note

Editor's Note by Jim O'Quinn

How did theatrical design get this good on American stages? You don't have to be impressed by the boldly conceived graphics and savvy comments attributed to the six virtuoso designers in our lead feature section—although I think you will be—to know that professional stage design is in a kind of Golden Age in the U.S. Of course, not every play has the good fortune to come to life in the best of all possible environments, and not every playhouse can afford to dress its productions to the nines. But the training and the creative accomplishments of the scenic, lighting, costume and sound designers presently at work in our theatres are unparalleled, whether they're working on the extravagant canvas of Broadway or in the low-budget, low-tech confines of a storefront performance space.

The mini-profiles will take you to both those locales and points between—from a flagship regional company, Tennessee Repertory Theatre of Nashville, where versatility is the necessary mantra of in-house scenic designer Gary C. Hoff, to Off-Off Broadway's itinerant Edge Theater Company, where designer/producer David Korins (creator of the striking geometric seascape that appears on this month's cover) relishes having things his own way. The stories our selected designers tell about their career paths are full of clues to the riddle of design excellence in America: strong, well-connected college and university programs; proliferating internships, like those undertaken by lighting designer Ben Stanton at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and costumer Christal Weatherly at Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts; diversity of background and inspiration, reflected in the fashion-world expertise of Emilio Sosa and the visual-arts roots of Stephanie Nelson; the mentorship of master designers eager to pass their knowledge on to new generations; and technical advances that have exponentially expanded the designer's creative toolbox.

Many of these very factors have also bolstered the life and work of experimental puppeteer Basil Twist, whose singular artistry is examined by Eileen Blumenthal for its literary and dramaturgical qualities as well as its sometimes intimate, sometimes spectacular design elements. It's a special pleasure for us at American Theatre to now be able to showcase the visually expressive work of theatremakers like Twist, and that of designers of various stripes, in full color and in a more expansive format.

And speaking of the magazine's redesign, which debuted last month: Our thanks to all those readers and friends of AT who have sent us comments and compliments on the magazine's new look and editorial emphasis. We're going to continue to need input from our readership: Cast a sharp eye on these pages in coming months and let us know how you think we're doing. —Jim O'Quinn