When the curtains open and the lights dim, an audience’s attention is always focused on the stars of the show. Equally important are the sets those artists are performing on, sets that Carroll Dragon ’07 alumnus Paige Hathaway has nearly two decades of experience designing. Holding a Master of Fine Arts from The University of Maryland, Paige’s award-winning set designs have graced productions from “Matilda” and “Cinderella” to “Mary Poppins” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” Now with her newest show, “The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia,” playing at Fort Worth’s Amphibian Stage this fall, Paige is excited to come home to the city that helped set the stage for her successful career.
WHEN I WAS AT SOUTHLAKE CARROLL… I did a lot of theater and art, working back-stage on several Carroll Theatre productions. During my junior year, my teachers introduced me to set design, and it was the perfect combination of all of my passions and loves. Between art, architecture, interior design, sculpture, storytelling and collaborating, it really prepared me and got my foot in the door for that industry.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER… known about this career path had it not been for my teachers at Southlake Carroll. Having an outlet and ability to explore that in my high school years was so formative and important. If the Carroll Theatre program hadn’t been there, there’s no way I would be where I am today.
THE FIRST SHOW I DESIGNED… was a musical called ‘The Pajama Game’ in my senior year, which is set in a 1950s pajama factory. I ended up winning Best Scenic Design at the Betty Lynn Buckley Awards, which are like the high school equivalent of the Tony Awards, and I haven’t looked back since.
I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED… art, painting and drawing, but I was always really intimidated by the blank canvas. Being told to go sit in a room and create something by myself was terrifying. But in theater, you’re always given a script to refer to, as well as a director and other designers who you can collaborate with and bounce ideas off of.
ONE GREAT THING ABOUT SET DESIGN IS… that you get to play in many different playgrounds. I enjoy being able to do realistic interiors, but I also enjoy working on big open stages and exploring really elaborate backdrops. I get to research 1950s English flats for mystery thrillers like Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Dial M For Murder,’ but then I get to build magical Norwegian ice palaces for Disney’s 'Frozen.' I get to work with many different styles, which has always satisfied my curiosity about the world and the people who live in it.
WE’LL ALWAYS ASSEMBLE EVERYTHING… for technical rehearsals two to two-and-a-half weeks before opening. This is when we combine actors with sets, costumes, lighting and sound and go through the entire show from top to bottom. When I sit in tech, I take notes on what we need to address and communicate with the team to make it happen.
THERE ARE MANY ELEMENTS… to keep track of when it comes to set design. People don’t quite realize how many months or years of work go into it. I do these really extensive drawings and always have to be technically minded regarding materials and function, weight and placement. You also have to work within the budget you’re given and find ways of working with the resources you have. It isn’t just about sketches — there’s this enormous section of my process that’s about communicating my designs to the people who build them.
WHAT KEEPS ME COMING BACK… are the people — the relationships I formed with my colleagues and the audience. We built this story together and created this thing that’s so beautiful and powerful, and people always walk away having some sense of catharsis and fulfillment. I’ll sometimes walk around during an intermission, and I’ll hear someone make a comment about the set that I wasn’t expecting. It’s moments like these where we connect with people and allow them to feel things and be excited that I find deeply rewarding.