Meet Our Theatre and Dance Class of 2022 Senior Spotlight Series: "Everybody" Scenic Designer, Alec Ehnis-Clark
We’re back with another Senior Spotlight for "Everybody", this time featuring our Scenic Designer, Alec Ehnis-Clark. Alec is a fourth-year BFA student and he is very excited to bring his scenic work to the Hilberry stage. He is very grateful to the rest of the production team for making this show a great experience. He is thankful for his professors, parents, grandparents, and friends for always supporting him and pushing him to do his best. Alec produced a great design for "Everbody", and we can’t wait to see his work in the future!
Don’t miss your opportunity to see Alec’s design at work!
Final performances of "Everybody" are this Friday, October 15 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 16 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
For tickets and more information on "Everybody", visit: https://theatreanddance.wayne.edu/2021-2022/everybody
Alec is also the Properties Master for "Spring Awakening", a production of our Underground Series this semester.
Performance dates for "Spring Awakening" are Friday, November 12 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
For tickets and more information, visit: https://theatreanddance.wayne.edu/2021-2022/underground
Learn more about scenic designer, Alec Ehnis-Clark, in our interview with him below.
Introduce yourself! Who are you, and what was your work on the show?
My name is Alec Ehnis-Clark, my pronouns are he/him, and I am a BFA Senior doing the scenic design for Everybody.
What has your experience been like working on this production?
My experience with Everybody has been very interesting, as the design process started through online meetings this last spring. The very beginnings of the process were done more independently, and the building and painting process happened at a time when many of us had not done in-person theatre in a while. The process has been positive in reminding me of what I missed about theatre.
What has been your favorite part of the process?
My favorite part of the process has been working with the rest of the production team to come up with interesting ways to build the world the story of Everybody takes place in. I have had many positive collaborations throughout this process that helped me learn as a designer as well as communicate my own personal style of design.
What advice would you give to students coming to our program?
My best piece of advice to students would be to be open to the ideas of others and be willing to try new processes or methods. Sometimes it takes many tries before you arrive at a result you like, be it a design or a performance, but you are much more likely to find a result you like if you use tools that are new to you.
What are your plans for the future?
My future plans are to graduate from Wayne State with my BFA and spend time growing as a designer before eventually pursuing a graduate degree.
What is your favorite WSU memory?
My favorite WSU memory is working on No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre my freshman year. It was the first show I did with Underground, the student-run theatre group here at Wayne. It was one of my first times really putting my own work on stage and I learned a lot about the design process and my own personal style, and I was also able to become closer acquainted with the spaces and resources the department has.
What is your favorite past WSU show?
My favorite show from the past at WSU is Angels in America. I was on the scenic crew for both parts and it was a really unique show to work on. The show has two parts, each of which are several hours long, and working on the production gave me insight into what exactly goes into more intense productions. I also really enjoyed the story and performances on stage, and had a lot of fun being around the show.
And finally, what is something interesting about you?
Something interesting about me is that I am also pursuing a minor in Art History, and it is one of my favorite things to study. The topics I enjoy the most are avant-garde and contemporary art.
