By Aaron Reincheld
For 15 months, Ursula Belden has been preparing to present the best of United States stage work to a larger audience - the world.
Belden, distinguished professor of scene design and head of production design and technology in the School of Theater, is part of the curatorial team directing the United States' national exhibit for the Prague Quadrennial, a display of the world's top theater design occurring every four years since 1967 in the Czech Republic.
"It was started to break down the barriers of the Cold War and to get some cross-pollenization of ideas," Belden said. "It's the largest and most prestigious, it's almost the only, international design exhibit for theater."
Creations from America's top theater professionals from Broadway, regional theaters and universities across the country will be displayed. Work from Ohio University's Christopher Domanski and John Bertram was displayed as part of the student exhibit. The two students received a scholarship to allow them to travel to the exhibition which began June 12 and continues through June 29.
Along with helping select what costume, sound, lighting and set design pieces, sketches and photographs will be part of the exhibit, Belden is one of two designers of the exhibit itself. Including construction, material and shipping costs, the structure will cost about $100,000.
In addition to traditional drafting sketches, Belden - with help from Ohio University students and other members of the U.S. committee - created a virtual mock-up of the exhibit on the computer.
Ohio University students built a scale model of the exhibit complete with miniature photographs of all selected pieces. The model was displayed during the school's production of "Evita," which was part of the spring 2003 season.
Matt Morton and Dustin Efird are third-year graduate assistants who spent months building 90 percent of the model.
"It was really interesting actually, just getting to see all the different work," Morton said. "Sometimes it seems like we're in a little vacuum here, theatrically especially. So to take the little virtual tour, really, was a lot of fun."
Belden agreed, "It's quick exposure to the best work that's being done in the country."
Efird wanted to attend the Quadrennial in part to see the construction of the full-size exhibit, which was shaped at the University of Southern California before being shipped overseas, and to see the pieces the rest of the world spotlights.
"I want to expand my horizons," Efird said.
Like the rest of the theater world, Efird's exposure to the globe's best works is an invaluable experience.
"It's such a priceless learning opportunity for people coming from a Middle-America background," Belden added.
Aaron Reincheld is a graduate student writer with University Communications and Marketing.
