Set designer loves to help tell a story

Kris Van Riper is in a tough position. For 15 years, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas graduate has been designing sets at the Rainbow Company, the latest being a joint venture with students for "Sleeping Beauty," which opens tonight at the Charleston Heights Arts Center. He wants to be creative, yet knows that his sets shouldn't call attention to themselves. Their main purpose is to help tell the story.

"I start by reading the script several times," the 46-year-old Alamosa, Colo., native says. "I don't at first read for design elements, unless something jumps out at me - like, 'How the heck are we going to do that?' " He's a believer that good ideas are often more important than budget.

After Van Riper gives the script a thorough going over, he ponders the big question: What is the playwright trying to say?

"Every word in a script has been chosen for a specific reason," he says. "At least the good ones. So then it becomes my job to think about how I as a designer can help tell the story. I usually start out by thinking in terms of nouns, like lobster, doors or green. It may be an image that means nothing to anyone else, but it gives me a starting point."

The rest of the process often depends on the wishes of the director. Usually, next up are some general sketches, which he shares with the rest of the design team. "It's a real collaboration," he says, "and that's what I love about the job."

Van Riper then does a small, three-dimensional model that gives directors a very specific preview of what things will look like. Then comes a final draft that gives all the details of what will be involved in the construction - right down to the number of nails, screws, platforms and their costs.

And then the big moment: Rainbow starts building.

"There are changes made as the set goes up. You don't really know what you have until the actors get on the stage, and we may find that a door that looked great on paper just doesn't work properly."

For "Sleeping Beauty," the students are getting the design credits and the adult crew is simply guiding them.

"We play a lot of 'what if' games to get the students to see the many ways of looking at the world. What if we sat in a different direction? What if gravity were turned off for an hour? How would that affect your design?"

It may surprise some to learn that the kids (ages 10 to 18) use tools such as saws and electric drills.

"No student touches anything, except maybe a broom, until he's had advanced training in the program laid down by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration," he says. "And the staff is always supervising. The ratio of staff to student when dealing with tools is usually about 1 to 3."

My verdict? Van Riper has a tough job that often goes unappreciated.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat@ aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.