“I thought there was only one pathway. I DID NOT FIT ON THE PATH.
But Sibyl showed a new pathway… so I chose her pathway.”
Photo by Lauren Lake
How it all began…
maureen met sibyl
in a small design lab above a scene shop. (It was cool to meet a designer who looked like me) in the scene shop below they did not look like me. On that pathway… the scene shop pathway… they said things like… “I really like [your] combat boots with your tight tank top."
They also slammed doors on me and threw tools… I thought there was only one path way. I DID NOT FIT ON THE PATH. But Sibyl showed a new pathway. So I chose her pathway… which meant that I could show more students this different pathway but still the 2 pathways were limiting! And tiring.
Another 10+ years later our conversation led us to seek a broader community of set designers ultimately creating a BOOK! Scene Shift: U.S. Set Designers in Conversation was created by talking with over 30 set designers and a lot of editing. Little did we know, that would launch us into an EXHIBITION and a PODCAST and a COLLECTIVE.
Maureen Weiss
Maureen entered the world of theatrical design through a very circuitous route. Curious as to why all the small stages were black boxes and she lived in a world of color, she began painting the walls to reflect the stories that she wanted to tell.
Maureen Weiss is a performance designer who has worked in all aspects of theatre and design for the past 25 years. Her work has been seen internationally, and was honored at the Prague Quadrennial in 2023 where she was part of a panel of Female Set Designers. She is the co-author of a book with Sibyl Wickersheimer on contemporary scenic design in the United States. Maureen is also curating an exhibit showcasing the work of designers at The Fisher Museum in Los Angeles that will open in February 2024. She was an Associate Professor of Performance Design at Alfred University before coming to Los Angeles City College in Fall 2023. As an educator it is her goal to emphasize the importance of the visual world for new and upcoming theatre practitioners. She also curates The PopWagon, a mobile theatre truck in Los Angeles.
Learn more about my work at mweissdesign.com/work.
Sibyl Wickersheimer
Sibyl’s interests span design for live performance, installations, exhibitions and design for mental health care initiatives. Her foundation as a theatrical set designer led Sibyl to co-author the book Scene Shift: U.S. Set Designers in Conversation with scenographer Maureen Weiss, published in August of 2022. The book was been short listed for the Prague Quadrennial 2023 book award and has inspired a Scene Shift exhibition at the Fisher Museum of Art opening in January 2024.
Sibyl has designed for theatrical stages across the country, including MCC, ACT, Theatre for a New Audience, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory, Portland Center Stage, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. In the LA area, she has designed at The Kirk Douglas, the Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, The Industry LA, Circle X, A Noise Within, The Actors’ Gang and many more. Unique projects have included art installations in several SoCal art galleries, designing Eric Idle’s ‘What About Dick?’ (Orpheum/Netflix), Toy Story the Musical for Disney cruise ships, and the stage set for the giant dinosaur puppet performances at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.
Sibyl is also an Associate Professor at USC in the School of Dramatic Arts.
Visit sawgirl.com for more information.