Submit Your Rent Set Designs In Gallery Players New Contest

Submit Your Rent Set Designs In Gallery Players New Contest
gallery players stage

Calling all set designers! The Gallery Players (199 14th Street, between 4th and 5th Avenues) recently introduced a design contest for their upcoming production of Rent, and is now accepting submissions.

We spoke with Mark Harborth of The Gallery Players to learn a bit more about the contest, how the judging will work, and what fabulous prizes the winner can look forward to.

SSN: Is this the first time Gallery Players has introduced a set design contest?
MH: I have been with Gallery since 1996, and this is the first contest of its kind. Rent lends itself to something of this nature because the show is very fluid and more dependent on the characters and situation rather than the surroundings. And with a work so passionate, it provides a designer with great latitude in expression.

Who will decide on the winning design?
The designs will be posted on Gallery Players’ Facebook page. Viewers can then “like” their favorite. The 5 designers with the most votes will have the opportunity to present their work to the director on March 13 and March 14. The winner will be announced March 15 at the opening night of Medea.

Will the winning design definitely be used for the production?
The winning design will be used for Gallery’s production of Rent, opening April 26. There may be some revisions once all the design team has had a chance to meet.

What will the winning designer receive?
The winner will receive our designer stipend, 2 season subscriptions for Gallery’s 48th Season, and the opportunity to submit a design for the show of their choice in the 2014/2015 Season.

Anything else that people should know about the contest?
The set must be able to be constructed for under $1000. There needs to be space for a 5 piece band and a video screen; and must show the location/configuration for The Support Group and The Restaurant.

Interested? Schematics for the Gallery Players stage (shown above) can be found on the theatre’s website.

The deadline for submissions, which must be emailed to mark@galleryplayers.com, is March 10, 2014, which means you’ve got less than five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes, so get busy!

Image via Gallery Players