Interview: Tom Burch Talks THE CHILDREN'S HOUR at UNC CHARLOTTE

THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, presented by UNC Charlotte College of Arts & Architecture, February 22-26, Belk Theater, Robinson Hall. Tickets are $18; $12 for faculty, staff, and alumni; $10 for seniors; $8 for students available at UNCC Box Office 704-687-1849 or boxoffice@uncc.edu

Lillian Hellman's, THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, based on a true story, deals with innuendo, lies and slander with lesbianism at its core. The show premiered on Broadway in 1934. In that decade, the topic of homosexuality was illegal. Censorship in New York looked the other way to allow for its run and ultimately the play had great critical success. It was banned in Boston and London.

I caught up with the very talented,Tom Burch, Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at UNC Charlotte. He was busy, during tech week, readying the free standing set pieces for THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.

LAW: Where were you from originally?

TB: I am from Kentucky.

LAW: What first got you interested in scenic design?

TB: I'm a glutton for punishment [laughs.] No, I was an undergraduate and I took a design tech theatre class, and it clicked [smiles.]

LAW: It clicked?

TB: It's about, I wasn't a very good actor, and I'm not a writer. It's combination--part story telling and how space works. It's creative and technical... It fits different parts of my personality.

LAW: Did you go directly to graduate school and teach?

TB: No, when I finished my undergraduate, I worked six years as a set designer and then I went to Chicago [Northwestern University] and got my MFA. I freelanced for nine years, designing sets in Chicago and New York before I started teaching.... After having a family, I thought I should be in one place.

LAW: How did you come up with the set design for THE CHILDREN'S HOUR?

TB: I look at the characters and the story. I see what the director wants to accomplish. It was important for both co-directors, Jess [Jessica Woodworth] and Robin [Robin Witt] to focus on the lie, and how a lie can be blown out of proportion and ruin lives. When this play was written the topic of lesbianism was taboo, and now society is shifting understanding people's differences. So, I researched the era the play was written. I looked at the work of feminist surrealist American painter, Dorothea Tanning. There is a painting of children, partially undressed. The painting has a big sunflower in a hallway with doors closed and a door slightly ajar. It visually reflected the story of THE CHILDREN'S HOUR to me. This story is about eavesdropping on what's happening behind closed doors. We also talked about how a lie can make someone feel like they are living in a surreal world. It's impossible to live that way, trying to prove a double negative, and how far we have come...

LAW: What was a challenge?

TB: The first act takes place in 1934. The second act takes place in 1810, and the third act is now, 2017. I wanted to incorporate the three periods. I also looked at feminist postmodern artist, Barbara Kruger's work. She uses words as part of her art. I incorporated words in the set design from the piece recited in the first act. Language is used as a visual metaphor.

LAW: What materials did you use in creating the set?

TB: The set pieces have to be strong to not tip over during performance. Some were created with 1" steel, soldered and covered with plywood or lauan and then stained or painted.

Tom Burch's work can be viewed online at www.tomburch.com