The set design for Far Away draws inspiration from the haunting stillness and evocative landscapes captured in the paintings of Andrew Wyeth. Embracing the minimalist yet profound aesthetic of Wyeth's work, I sought to create a stage that serves as a canvas for the unfolding narrative, imbued with an atmosphere of quiet tension and foreboding.

 

Central to the design concept is the presence of numerous light posts that populate the stage, their soft illumination casting elongated shadows across the space. These light posts stand as silent sentinels, reminiscent of the sparse, rural landscapes often depicted in Wyeth's paintings. Their presence evokes a sense of isolation and desolation, suggesting a world suspended in time and on the brink of change.

 

Interwoven amidst the light posts are wires adorned with hundreds of birds, their silhouettes stark against the backdrop of the stage. These birds, inspired by the recurring motif of avian imagery in Wyeth's paintings, serve as both a visual spectacle and a symbol of impending danger. Their collective gaze, directed ominously onto the scene below, adds an undercurrent of unease and uncertainty to the atmosphere.

 

The combination of the stillness of the light posts and the dynamic presence of the birds creates a dichotomy that mirrors the themes of stagnation and upheaval present in "Far Away." The stage becomes a liminal space, suspended between moments of quiet contemplation and sudden bursts of chaos.

 

Through our design, we aim to immerse the audience in a world that is at once familiar and unsettling, inviting them to contemplate the fragile balance between order and disorder, stillness and movement, in a world fraught with tension and uncertainty.