Who are you and what is your role on this production? Hi! I’m Beyata, I’ll be the set & lighting designer and master painter for Silent Sky. My job is to create the visual world in which the performers can live in; essentially I read the script, think about the overall images that influence the story, the setting requirements, how the story progresses and how the characters interact with their surroundings. I then connect all these ideas into a unified design, and heighten it, and the storytelling, with lights.
My job as a master painter is simply to coordinate a paint schedule and supervise/lead the volunteer calls in which to realize the set design’s paint requirements. This show’s paint wasn’t incredibly heavy – a lot of wood grain, a starry sky floor, and creating some string curtains.
What is your background in theatre? I first worked with children’s theatre when I was very young, designed with them for a few years and proceeded to get my degree in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta, to which I just graduated this past spring. This is my first show at Walterdale but I’m very impressed with their resources and level of professionalism.
What brought you out for this show? Why did you want to do it? I’ve worked with Kim, the director, a lot when we were both completing our BFA and MFA respectively; she asked me on as a designer pretty early in the year and it’s a good month-long gig that isn’t too laborious. I then came on as lighting designer and master painter, mostly because I have trouble letting my designs go. I said yes to Kim because, even though it’s volunteer, it’s a really visually interesting show to design and offered a lot of opportunities to create a beautiful set.
Why do you think people should come see this show? It’s a really nicely-contained story about strong women and it works really well in the Walterdale space. It’s also just good as an audience member to support theatres in the community that feature early-career practitioners and an entirely/incredibly knowldegeable volunteer staff.
As this show deals with women in science who have been overlooked, who is your favourite female scientist that you think history hasn’t recognized? Mary Seacole is one of my favorite historical figures who is criminally overlooked; She didn’t invent anything or discover any phenomena but she pioneered her own medical practices in the face of extreme racial prejudice and adversity. Seacole was a Jamaican-born nurse who tended soldiers during the Crimean War (rivaling Florence Nightengale), despite the British government War Office continually refusing her medical contributions. On her own dime and facing bankruptcy, she funded her own trip to Crimea and set up a singular practice to aid in the medical care of soldiers, though later becoming destitute because of it.
