Tony-Nominated ‘Parade’ Director and Production Designer on How Political Rallies and Jan. 6 Inspired the Show’s Set
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Broadway designer Dane Laffrey and director Michael Arden often dive into conversations about projects long before a show is greenlit.
Says Laffrey, who is nominated for best scenic design for “A Christmas Carol,” “We are extensively consistent collaborators.” Having worked on shows including “Once on This Island” and the Broadway revival of “Parade” — about the lynching of Jewish American Leo Frank in 1915 — the two often discuss visual research and organizing space through “snatches of conversations.” For “Parade,” which earned Arden a Tony nod for best direction of a musical, the duo was looking at visual reference points and political rallies from the period.
Says Laffrey, “We looked at grandstands or viewing stands, and things that were constructed hastily. There were also contemporary reference points from Jan.
6, touch points that mean something to us because then they will mean something to an audience.” Here, the two discuss their collaboration and how they pay homage to revivals and put in their creative stamps. Arden: Dan and I will decide to do something together.
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