New Theatrical Collection at IU Archives

Earlier this month, the description for a terrific collection of costume and set designs by IU alumnus and professor emeritus Robert O’Hearn was added to Archives Online. With 600+ pieces of art from over 50 of O’Hearn’s shows, this collection has incredible surprises in every box.

About O’Hearn

Robert O’Hearn (1921-2016) graduated from Indiana University in 1943. After studying at the Art Students League of New York, he worked for the Brattle Theatre Company in Cambridge 1948-1952. Harvard University currently holds the art that O’Hearn produced while working there. O’Hearn designed his first Broadway production in 1950 and began regularly working on Broadway in 1953. During his time on Broadway, O’Hearn was an assistant designer for shows such as My Fair Lady and West Side Story under Oliver Smith, who won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for these shows in 1957 and 1958, respectively.

From 1960 to 1985, O’Hearn designed shows for the Metropolitan Opera. During his time in New York, he also taught at the New York Studio and Forum of Stage Design (1968-1988). O’Hearn then taught at Indiana University 1988-2008, designing over 45 shows for the IU Opera and Ballet Theater during his tenure. Throughout his career, O’Hearn also designed for other theater and opera companies across North America and Europe. On May 26, 2016, he passed away at the age of 94.

The Costumes

While the collection contains material from many types of theatrical performances, most of the costume designs are for operas and ballets, such as Porgy and Bess, The Nutcracker, and Der Rosenkavalier.

Most of the costume designs are hand-drawn and colored on thick watercolor paper, while some appear to be photocopies of original designs. These are sometimes set onto mats or boards, ready for a display. Already detailed and life-like, many of the costume designs are also accompanied by fabric samples that bring the drawings into three dimensions. Some of the designs also have handwritten notes, including the act and/or scene where the costume is worn, measurements, ideas about material or accessories, and sometimes for whom the costume is being made. These marginalia reveal details about the process of designing a show, from the people involved to the time spent planning, making, and revising the costumes.

O’Hearn’s notes, especially, “30 second quick change for Susanna,” on this drawing from the opera The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) illuminates some of the decisions and production details that influence how a costume is designed, constructed, and worn.

The costumes themselves vary widely, and all reflect the specific style of their respective shows. From work clothes to ballgowns and striking suits to colorful leotards, O’Hearn’s designs are unique to both the associated production and the character.

Costumes not only capture the character of the person being portrayed, but they also help illustrate the character’s story arc. Some signals are obvious, like how certain types of clothing or their state demonstrate the wealth, social status or rebellions, occupation, or values of the person who wears them. Other elements are subtle, playing on the audience’s assumptions and associations. For example, pastel colors might suggest ideas like innocence or a relaxed state, while bold or deep colors imply strong emotions or mark importance. Blatant or ambiguous, as O’Hearn changes these elements in different scenes, he can signal changes in character’s fortunes, status, or emotional state, developing their story beyond the action on stage.

Pencil and watercolor drawing of a Black woman in a midi-length black dress with a semi-transparent orange wrap across her torso, over her shoulders, and hanging by her arms. She wears fishnet stockings, black shoes, and a black necklace, and holds a black purse. — This is the same character, Bess, from three different points in a production of *Porgy and Bess*. At the beginning of the opera, Bess is introduced as a pariah lover of a tough man, but as the show progresses, she becomes a part of the community and finds a new love. This change is reflected in her costume as it shifts from flashy to casual, bold colors to pastels.

Pencil and watercolor drawing of a Black woman in a midi-length peach dress with black shoes and no jewelry. The drawing is labeled as “Bess 1.2. etc.” and “2” at the bottom of the page. — This is the same character, Bess, from three different points in a production of *Porgy and Bess*. At the beginning of the opera, Bess is introduced as a pariah lover of a tough man, but as the show progresses, she becomes a part of the community and finds a new love. This change is reflected in her costume as it shifts from flashy to casual, bold colors to pastels.

The Sets

Though there are fewer individual pieces, more shows are represented in the set designs than the costume designs in this collection. Like the costumes, these hand-drawn and painted sets are on thick paper or board, sometimes mounted on a thicker material for stability. There are fewer handwritten notes on the sets than the costumes, likely because costumes require and allow individual adjustments, while sets take more time and material to alter. The majority of the sets also have the same artistic style as the costumes—deliberate lines, muted watercolors, and lifelike proportions—resulting in realistic, but not mathematical, images. Without the context of the stage, these sets would easily fit into the real world. Other designs, like the one below, are more conceptual, using less detail and different mediums to communicate the tone of the show.

Ink drawing of stage with a bare wooden set with two levels of stair to each side, meeting at a central elevated platform. Tall beams rise from corners where the stairs turn and these beams have undistinguishable beams or ropes handing from them. The black ink lines of the set have been blurred with water, bringing out greens and purples from the ink. — Not all of O’Hearn’s designs have clear lines that form a realistic picture. This set from a production of *Macbeth* shows a more abstract example of his work.

O’Hearn captures many different types of scenes, from gardens and ballrooms to hovels and city streets. He also often features characters in the scenes, though they are likely to show scale, not a specific scene or action, due to their ambiguity. The sets range in complexity, with busy backdrops and elaborate constructions to sparse rooms with simple furniture. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between a backdrop and constructed set pieces from the drawings, but this seamlessness is an asset for envisioning, as well as the ultimate goal for, the completed stage.

O’Hearn’s sets provide the context necessary to facilitate certain storytelling elements of a production. Not only are the time and place important for understanding or fully experiencing a show, but how they are presented also set the tone for the events that are happening, helping the audience understand a scene or deepening its meaning or impact. O’Hearn’s sets not only bring the audience physically into the scene, but emotionally as well.

Watercolor drawing of a stage set with a greenhouse and a table set for tea with two chairs in the center. A woman in a pink dress stands to the left of the table and a man in a tan suit stands to the right of it. The greenhouse includes green detail glasswork, purple curtains on the top edge, and pink curtains to the sides. Behind the greenhouse, a backdrop of a city skyline is visible in blue tones.

Watercolor drawing of a stage set of city street at night. Five figures are evenly spaced across the stage: a man in a tan trench coat, a man in black suit and cape ack evening wear, a woman in a full-length yellow evening dress slightly turned toward the left, a woman in a full-length yellow evening dress facing right, and another man in black evening wear, left to right. The left third of the set is under an overhanging roof supported by two Doric style columns, with a lamp hanging down between them. Behind the dark houses of the street, a backdrop of a city skyline is visible in blue tones. — Though both of these scenes from *My Fair Lady* contain similar elements, such as a city skyline in a blue-tone backdrop and upper-class individuals, the moods are distinct. In the first set, the bright pinks suggest the idea of romance, while also bringing attention to the woman, whose dress matches colors in the scene. In the second set, the blurred, gloomy background suggests more negative emotions and uncertainty, emphasized by the closed off figures in layered coats and muted colors.

O’Hearn’s Legacy

O’Hearn’s theatrical impact is impressive. While at Indiana University, he designed more than 30 operas and 14 ballets, some of which are still in rotation. O’Hearn is remembered as both a passionate artist and committed professor who inspired a generation of students.

O’Hearn’s designs have had a lasting impact on the musical world beyond IU as well. His set for the Metropolitan Opera’s Der Rosenkavalier was used for nearly 50 years, a lifespan that required it to be built twice. Another of O’Hearn’s pivotal productions was Die Frau ohne Schatten, part of the Metropolitan Opera’s first season at the Lincoln Center.

As recognition for his achievements in the theatrical world, O’Hearn received the Robert L. B. Tobin Award in 2005. At the time of his passing, several of his designs were still in use across the country.

Keep an eye out for announcements about a new exhibition in the IU Archives featuring more of O’Hearn’s work!

Source link