Behind the Curtain: Everyman Theatre’s Resident Set Designer Daniel Ettinger Transforms Visions into Reality

Set Design of "POTUS" - Credit: Teresa Castracane Photography

By Frankie Kujawa
As many well-renowned set designers already know, the design of a set must be able to support the performance’s narrative, which is the essential element in storytelling. No one knows this more than Daniel Ettinger, Everyman Theatre's Resident Set Designer. Ettinger has created scenic designs for over 260 productions for New York and regional theatre companies. Since 1996, he has designed extensively at professional theatres in the Baltimore/Washington area. Audiences can see his current designs in "POTUS" running at Everyman Theatre through Sunday, September 29th.  Ettinger recently chatted about his creative process, the challenges set designers face, and what makes being part of the Everyman Theatre a unique experience.  

Frankie Kujawa: What is one word that best describes the role of a set designer?
Daniel Ettinger: Collaboration
 
Frankie Kujawa: Why choose collaboration?
Daniel Ettinger: A set designer’s work supports and guides the work of many different creative members of a team working on a production. How a director frames the story of a play, how the actors move in a space, the environment in which the lighting designer gets to play; just to name a few. A set design is also usually the first element that tells an audience about the world and the style of the production.

Set Design of "BY THE WAY MEET VERA STARK" - Credit: ClintonB Photography

Frankie Kujawa: What usually goes into your creative process when designing a specific set for a production?
Daniel Ettinger: I start by reading the play from the same perspective that the audience will experience it. That first read is critical because it can pose many questions that will become the basis of the design. Then, I conduct many more readings to discover the technical needs of the script, followed by research to find visual inspirations or to learn about the social context of the play.

After that come discussions with the director and other members of the creative team, preliminary sketches, more discussions with the team, and revisions. Sometimes those steps can happen very quickly, while other times they can take weeks. Once a design has been ‘finished,’ it then goes through a budgeting process that may require more revisions. Even when a set is being built, new challenges discovered in rehearsals can necessitate further revisions if time permits. It’s an amazing ride right up to opening night!

Set of "THE UNDERSTUDY" - Credit: Stan Barouh

Frankie Kujawa: Could you describe your inspiration for the set design of “POTUS”?
Daniel Ettinger: The play comes with many ‘given circumstances’ that need to be supported – desks, doors, interiors, exteriors, and big boxes that must fit through doorways, to name a few. I felt from the start we wanted to suggest those locales rather than to try to make each scene hyper realistic. So, I looked at a lot of images of the White House and tried to pull out details that would feel honest. I also knew I wanted to put all that into a hyper patriotic container. And I would be remiss not to mention [Director of "POTUS"] Laura Kepley’s amazing insights into the play.

Everyman Theatre's Resident Set Designer, Daniel Ettinger

Frankie Kujawa: With as many sets that you have designed at Everyman, is there one that presented itself as a challenge?  How did you overcome that challenge?
Daniel Ettinger: I love when I get to work out ‘the geometry’ of how to fit something that must move quickly from scene to scene into what is a relatively tight space at Everyman. So, sorry for the cop out, but there have been several shows over the years. “Murder on the Orient Express”, “The Understudy”, “The Skin of our Teeth", "By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” are just four examples of so many wonderful shows I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of that often had only inches of space between moving objects. But if I’m honest, I’ve loved so many different things. This past season I got to work on “Dial M for Murder”, “Crumbs from the Table of Joy”, and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” all of which had fun ‘problems’ to solve. Who could ask for a better time?

Set Design of "DIAL M FOR MURDER" - Credit: Teresa Castracane Photography

Frankie Kujawa: What makes working at Everyman Theatre a unique experience?
Daniel Ettinger: The artists connected to Everyman, starting with Artistic Director Vincent Lancisi and Managing director Marrisa LaRose, right through the entire staff, are all dedicated to doing the best work possible and treating artists with care and respect. Even when there are challenges, and believe me there sometimes are, it is just a joy to be a part of this very special institution.

Set Design of "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST" - Credit: Teresa Castracane Photography

For more information on Everyman Theatre's "POTUS" and the 2024/2025 Season, please visit: everymantheatre.org/