From Here to Eternity

Artistic Director Brett Smock at the REV Theatre approached me about creating the Scenic Design for the American premiere of the musical From Here to Eternity. This presented a third opportunity in my career to collaborate with the brilliant Sir Tim Rice, and naturally, I said YES!!!.

I researched a wide array of imagery to guide my design. The images of Pearl Harbor, the surrounding community, and the Air Force Base before December 7, 1941, were serene, tranquil, and beautiful. However, I also found chilling imagery related to the Japanese planning documents for their attack and countless images depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor itself.

I came across two particularly haunting and striking images. One was a large-scale model created by the Japanese military, depicting Pearl Harbor and the locations of U.S. ships. The other was a hand-drawn map that detailed the positions of all the U.S. ships in Pearl Harbor, which the Japanese pilots used on the day of the attack. I decided to incorporate this map into the design of the show deck. I found this map and a wealth of other research on a publicly accessible U.S. Government website.

One of my favorite Design concepts was setting the show inside the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. This memorial is built over the sunken battleship USS Arizona, which was destroyed during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

My Scenic Design Associate, Jason Curtis, and I spent two weeks in the shop before the opening, painting and shopping for props. We had a wonderful time, and I am incredibly proud of this remarkable piece of musical theatre. The show was a big success, and the original producers from London, who attended the opening night, praised the set's abstract yet realistic detailing.

Please enjoy the imagery below, which includes my research, concept sketches, models, and the finished Scenic Design.

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