How scenic and lighting designer Tianxuan Chen brings a stage to life

Vision is something that is unique to everyone. But it is possible to collaborate and share a perspective on a group venture. After all that is exactly what a play is, a group of differently minded individuals coming together to share a vision and create magic.

So where does it all start and how is it brought to life? It begins with the basics, a script, a stage and a dream. For scenic and lighting designer Tianxuan Chen (Xuan), her creative process begins with the script. Xuan is a talented Chicago based designer who has recently designed the sets and lighting for ‘The Love Object’, ‘Guys and Dolls’, and ‘The Prom.” Her work has been recognised, winning the 2024 USITT Scene Design Award sponsored by Rose Brand, but she feels as if her journey is just beginning.

“It all starts with the script.” The backbone of the play itself is where Xuan begins to derive inspiration. Tasked with taking the vision of someone else and making it come to life on stage, she begins with their own words. She reads through the pages forming her own ideas and creating a world in her head.

During her reading of the script, Xuan starts to sketch out ideas, but uses the time to get into the play itself. What are the emotions? What does the setting convey? Will it be light or dark? These are all questions she asks herself during the creative process.

Those very questions open up avenues of creativity for her as she paints upon the canvas of a stage. “I consider the stage as a unified visual space,” begins Xuan before expounding on this idea “it is a place where space and lighting form a cohesive theatrical language.” The award winning designer knows the importance of creating both the setting and the mood of every play.

For while the actors bring levity to their work, so too does the interplay of set and light create an emotional response from the audience. “What is important for me is to create a unique experience that shapes the audience’s emotional and psychological engagement with the play.” Light has a way of controlling the mood while her sets draw on raw emotion. But it is the interplay of the two which creates the magic.

Photo: Blood Wedding by Justin Barbin

Trusting her own feelings is vital in her creative process. “I have to have faith in my feelings that the script brings me and trust my intuition,” she says. Drawing on that inspiration Xuan designs around a variety of factors. First there is the space constraint of not only the stage, but the interaction the actors will have with each piece of the set. Then she must consider the lighting choices and how they affect the emotions of the play. Marrying both concepts produces the setting and backbone for each show she designs.

Her process while individually fuelled is only possible through immense collaboration. Working with the director to gain an understanding of their own vision for the play is crucial in her design process. “It is important for me to keep up transparent communication with the director but also be an active listener,” says Xuan. This level of communications allows for the free flow of ideas that ultimately help both sides agree on a shared vision.

Xuan uses her sketches as a form of communication. Starting with the ones she jots down with her initial notes upon first reading the script, she formulates her ideas before refining them. Certain aspects seem to jump off the page to her, and these become the cornerstones of her designs, the rest filled in through her understanding of the director’s vision. Staying true to her own vision, Xuan incorporates her initial emotions throughout the design process while being keenly aware of what the play needs and the director’s notes.

Sketch storyboard of Blood Wedding

Plays are created to spark the imagination, and each one she works on does just that for Xuan. Allowing her the artistic freedom to express herself, while also tailoring the audience’s own experience. She takes the canvas of the stage and recreates it into another world, transporting the viewers into the play itself and adding an extra layer to the performance so perfectly rehearsed.

“Imagination for me is leaving rationality and logic behind and firmly embracing my own emotional perception.”

Tianxuan Chen is at the precipice of her scenic and lighting design career. It is one that has given her the freedom to both create and collaborate, creating worlds beyond ordinary imagination within the confines of a stage. Her stage design will leave a deep impression on every audience. While we are just learning about Tianxuan Chen, her future is bright and we look forward to many more award winning designs from her.

Photo: The Love Object by David Hagen

To check out her work and to keep tabs on her career check out her website at www.xuandesignwork.com.

The editorial unit
Photos: Courtesy of Xuan Design Work