Scene Shift: The Podcast

Tony Award-nominated lighting designer Jiyoun Chang (Stereophonic, Slave Play, For Colored Girls) joins Scene Shift: The Podcast for a conversation about light, time, and the creative process. Known for transforming stages into emotionally charged visual landscapes, Jiji discusses how she uses light as a temporal instrument, controlling pace, pulse, and the passage of time in productions. From the...

In this episode of Scene Shift: The Podcast, New York based set designer Afsoon Pajoufar reflects on working across the US and Europe, comparing cultural approaches to risk, resources, and sustainability in theatre making. The conversation moves through what it means to be brave and bold as a designer, standing behind strong conceptual choices, embracing limitation, and allowing emotion to leave a...

In this episode, Scene Shift's set designers Maureen Weiss and Sibyl Wickersheimer learn so much from lighting designer Pablo Santiago. He explains the process of lighting design in theater, his career path from film, and the art of collaboration with other designers and directors. They discuss the importance of embracing imperfections and the role of lighting in storytelling, drawing insights...

In this episode of Scene Shift: The Podcast, hosts Sibyl Wickersheimer and Maureen Weiss reconnect with their former student-turned-colleague Shing Yin Khor, an installation artist, cartoonist, game designer, and puppeteer exploring Mythic Americana, collaborative storytelling, and new human rituals. What began over twenty years ago in the Cal State Long Beach scene shop has evolved into a friends...

Join us for an honest roundtable discussion with theatre designers Chen Wei-Liao, Collette Pollard, Lee Jellinek, Louisa Thompson, Mimi Lien, Yvonne Miranda, and Naomi Kasahara, hosted by Maureen Weiss and Sibyl Wickersheimer. They share personal stories from gossiping in the theater with their kids to the challenges of balancing schedules during tech. They offer insights into various styles of in...

In this discussion with Tony Award Winning set and costume designer David Zinn, we explore the importance of community among designers, the challenges posed by institutional frameworks, and the nuances of decision-making in design. We reflect on the performative aspects of our roles and the joy of collaboration, emphasizing the need for flexibility and openness to surprises in the creative process...

In this conversation with Maureen, Sibyl, and guest Marsha Ginsberg, they discuss Marsha's artistic journey and the role of collaboration in creating impactful designs. They explore how Marsha's background in fine arts and architecture informs her approach to set design, emphasizing the significance of lighting, composition, and the emotional resonance of walking into a theater space for t...

In this conversation, Maureen, Sibyl, and Narelle Sissons explore the intricate relationship between set design and painting, discussing how experiences in theatre inform artistic expression. They delve into the importance of emotional depth in art, the role of improvisation, and the balance between collaboration and independence in the creative process. Narelle shares her journey from set design...

Scene Shift: The Podcast focuses on conversation between theatrical set designers to convey the process and collaborations that theatre makers rely on . Traditionally designers have played a support role, considered as 'backstage' but the scope of design elements is growing. Today the boundary between design and performance has shifted and designers actively share the stage with performers...