BWW Interviews: Catching Up With Jodi Bobrovsky

Jodi Bobrovsky is a sought-after set designer in the Houston theatre scene. Her artistry has been applauded in many productions, including POLLYWOG at Mildred's Umbrella Theatre Company, FULL GALLOP at Stages Repertory Theatre, and THE GOD GAME at Stark Naked Theatre Company. I was excited to catch up with Ms. Bobvrosky and tap into her creative roots.

BWW: You have such a gift for capturing mood in your set designs. If you could design a set for any show what show would it be?

Jodi Bobrovsky: I would love to work on a Wes Anderson film. There is such a loving attention to small detail in his work. I'd love to see a script based any of the hedonistic Pre-Raphaelites, like William Morris or Dante Gabriel Rossetti and some of the passionate, complex relationships that bound them together. It's a favorite artistic period of mine, where all the arts seemed to merge into one collective movement - architecture, furnishings, clothing, poetry, painting, writing. I don't know of one, so maybe I'll have to write it!

BWW: When did you start taking an interest in design? Have you always been drawn to theatre?

Jodi Bobrovsky: I was artsy/crafty as a child and was encouraged at home. My mother and grandmother, and a brother were gifted artists, writers and musicians who never pursued art as a career. I was determined at an early age that I would find a way to support myself by being an artist, and have always dabbled in any art that crossed my path, whether sculpting, sewing, or punk rock. I never knew, until my early 20's that one could even be paid to work in theater. I was working in a vintage clothing store on lower Westheimer in the early 80's when I met costumers from the Alley who were purchasing vintage clothing. I was offered a job stitching in the Alley costume shop, which spanned several seasons, and at the same time, I also approached Main Street Theater about costuming some shows, which turned into costuming all their shows for three seasons. So costuming was my "gateway drug".

For many years, I also managed the box office at the Wortham Center/Jones hall, which allowed me to see theater of many types, for free. With a friend at the box office, Richard Laub, we started our own theater company, the Little Room Downstairs, which I would call a "micro theater" in that it had only 13 seats. We wrote a lot of our own scripts, cast locally, and I designed the sets, props and costumes for everything. From there, I became the resident designer for Main Street Theater's Youth Theater. I designed sets, props and costumes for all their children's shows for several seasons.

Fifteen years ago, I applied for the Properties Master staff position at Stages Repertory Theatre and have been there since. So, everything I've done theatrically has been very intensive, and very comprehensive and has driven my belief that design for theater needs to be cohesive, in that the costumes, props, and set need to be of the same "universe"; that the designers need to collaborate and be on the same page; that every wall, furnishing, color, textile, object on stage serves the play and gives the audience information about the characters.

BWW: You've done a lot! What visually inspires you?

Jodi Bobrovsky: Any and everything while exploring the visual riches in a multi cultural, vast city like Houston. I'm very observant and in the moment. I'd describe myself as a Dada-ist, so something I might happen upon, whether it's random street graffiti, the textures of an abandoned house, or colorful gods in an ethnic shop might trigger a concept, or be stashed away in my head for later reference. I like to re-charge my creative batteries by going to The Menil Collection.

BWW: Yes! I love how art inspires art, whatever the form. When you're designing a set, what's the first thing you think about?

Jodi Bobrovsky: What is the playwrights intent? How does the director want to approach that intent - realistically or abstractly or minimalistic-ally? I read the script several times to understand the characters, since they are the multiple voices of the playwright. What are the characters wanting you to know/not know. Who are the characters and how can I tell you the audience who they are and what is not spoken in the dialogue, through my design choices.

BWW: Most people look at sets or other mediums of art and they only see the finished product, not any of the work or sweat that went into it. What's the hardest thing about being an artist?

Jodi Bobrovsky: The hardest thing is raising Houston's awareness about "behind the scenes". To create a polished, finished product takes an army of artisans and technicians. The beautiful finished product took many hands, much material and multiple hours, and the artists do not work for free. It has taken years to raise audience standards to expect these high production values. To continue to raise the standards of local theater art, we need to nurture and support local artists, so that we don't "bleed" talented actors and designers to other markets like LA or New York. The increasing artistry and skills we are seeing in local productions are about local producers intentionally trying to raise the bar and pay a living wage to artists. This can only enhance and improve the status of Houston's collective theater scene as a whole. I don't find anything personally hard about being an artist, or maybe I'm just used to it! It can be physically hard work sometimes, but it's joyful to work with your hands, at something you love with other people who are also passionate about it. Sometimes there are differing opinions about what a play should look like, but you learn to work collectively and to collaborate, which I find deeply satisfying and not difficult at all.

BWW: What's up next for you? You always seem to be busy!

Jodi Bobrovsky: Well, I'm doing props design for MARIE ANTOINETTE at Stages. It's fun because there are a lot of anachronisms and humor in the script. We actually have a remote-control sheep! I'm doing set design at Mildred's Umbrella for RED DEATH. Then I'm doing props at University of Houston's Moores Opera Center. They're doing TALES OF HOFFMANN, and it's being done in the steampunk style. Oh, and I wrote a script that's being produced at Stages. It's a Christmas Panto- a British tradition where you take a fairytale and throw in parts from another fairytale and then add some adult humor. It's sort of like a Warner Bros cartoon, the way that some of the humor goes over kids' heads. It's called PANTO RAPUNZEL (AND ZOMBIES).

BWW: Wow! Okay, I'm intrigued. I can't wait to see it!

For tickets to RED DEATH, go to: http://mildredsumbrella.com

For tickets to MARIE ANTOINETTE, go to: http://stagestheatre.com

Photo courtesy of Jodi Bobvrosky