Dathan Powell

What do the surreal world of The Alien from Cincinnati, the minimalist world of The Laramie Project , the tabloid-inspired cave created for Bat Boy: The Musical and the very traditional Broadway style of Pal Joey have in common? These four may not share much in common visually, but all have been adeptly served by third-year M.F.A. scenic design student Dathan Powell during his time at Indiana University . Now, Powell faces the daunting challenge of designing a world for William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth , which plays on the stage of the Ruth N. Halls Theatre in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center on November 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19.

The supernatural elements of this chilling and bloody tragedy present a dream opportunity for any designer. For Macbeth , which Powell designs as his M.F.A. thesis project, he has gone through an elaborate process of making and revising artistic choices. Through collaboration with those around him he has come to a vision of the world of this play that will prove evocative to all who see it. The designer recounts this design process this way: Early on I had a strong inclination towards a surrealistic environment, but that has sort of changed through working with the other designers and the director. In starting with that, and then hearing what needs they have, we have definitely arrived at a truly original set. I think, hopefully, it will be my best work here so far.

Powell's design and technical experience encompasses a broad range of experiences. In addition to his theatre work, he has worked at Seagle Music Colony in upstate New York , where he applied his talents to numerous operas, among them Mozart's Don Giovanni . Before coming to Indiana he worked for three years as an entertainment technician at Walt Disney World, so he has touched numerous areas of the design process.

As he looks back at his time at IU, Powell reflects on the years he has spent honing his craft and learning who he is as a designer: I feel like, when I look at all those shows, I'm still trying to figure out what my style is. I'm still trying to find that, but I think that's a good thing. Thus far I've been able to give each show what it needs, and not just pigeonhole my designs into what I'm comfortable doing. This versatility will serve him well as he departs IU, but not before audiences here get a chance to enjoy his work for one final year.

The designs that appear on this page demonstrate the evolution of the MACBETH design beginning with the earliest draft of Dathan's design at the top, an intermediate draft of the design in the middle of the page, and the final design at the bottom.

• Press Release
• The People of the Production
• MFA Thesis Projects
  • Scot Purkeypile, Acting
  • Vanessa Ballam, Acting
  • Carmen Killam, Costume Design
• Guest Artists
  • Neil Massey
• Macbeth Homepage