Beth Shields '10

“The set is important in how you initially visually perceive a production,” says Beth G. Shields ’10, “because it is the fixed thing in the show. As the action, the story, and the time change, the set can really guide the audience through the atmosphere the way that the dialogue guides you through the literal events of the story.”

As Shields recognizes, the work of those behind the scenes lays the foundation for the success of theatrical productions. Although the set does not play as animated a role as the actors, it can transform the atmosphere of a performance. The set is instrumental in conveying a production’s essential message in a way that a single actor cannot.

Shields first discovered her interest in set design in high school. When she arrived at Harvard, she bonded with the theater community when she responded to a couple of requests for technical assistance. After getting to know the people she was working with and becoming more involved in building sets for Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC) productions, Shields says she found her niche at Harvard.

“I definitely consider theater to be one of the biggest things I’ve done here,” she says. Shields’s repertoire includes last year’s “The Birthday Party” and this semester’s “The Pillowman,” both of which ran in the Loeb Experimental Theater. In addition, she designed the sets for the Loeb Mainstage productions, “Into the Woods” and “Angels in America.”

First serving as the Experimental Theater Coordinator, Shields rose through the ranks to become president of the HRDC this past year. However, her accomplishments have not been without some constructive learning experiences.

“It’s a hard thing to work with because a lot of times people know what they want the set to look like and do,” Shields says. “There’s a constant revision process and you have to find a balance between the set being interesting… and facilitating the action of the play. It can be a challenging process particularly as you work with new directors whose ideas change quite a bit… and as you try to nail down what you’re doing more and more.”

Harvard’s theatrical productions are unique, in that they rarely seek to make a profit. Instead, they challenge their audiences to think critically about the design, organization, and larger themes of these plays.

“I think people are more willing to take risks here. So whereas at other schools, seasons will consist of a big musical and a Shakespeare [play], we got to do ‘Blasted’ by Sarah Kane, which the American Repertory Theater has been wanting to produce for years, but hasn’t been able to because financially it doesn’t seem feasible. People are willing to do that here and get on board for that production. If there are 20 people in the house that night, that’s still 20 people who saw that incredibly amazing piece of theater,” she says.

The scholarly and close-knit environment that Harvard fosters have made Shields’ experiences especially rewarding.

“I think the theater community here, because it so small and does so much, is probably the most welcoming place you could possibly find at Harvard. It’s just a great group of people and everyone helps each other out to get these billions of shows done with a very small group of technicians,” she says. “It’s been a very positive experience for me, both from the community that I’ve become a part of as well as an artistic outlet.”