David Rockwell Shares the Story Behind a Treasured Piece of Theater History
The Tony Award–winning set designer and architect’s unique collection includes a stage model by Boris Aronson
Set designer Boris Aronson was one of the biggest influences on my interest in theater design and art. I got to know his work when I saw my first Broadway show, Fiddler on the Roof, when I was 12. Then 20 years ago I met Lisa Aronson, his amazing collaborator and wife. She was such an inspiring friend and gifted me this model from the original touring production of Company in 1971.
His observation about New York was that it is a city where you live vertically. This seminal set design was just steel and projection, with very little detail and pieces that slid in and out. He figured out this poetic way to encapsulate how we live in one beautiful theatrical gesture.
The model is usually displayed in my office, but it’s on loan for the next year to Civilian, a new hotel on West 48th Street I designed that is dedicated to the theater community. By displaying theater-related art, we take an art form that’s mostly only visible when the show is up and give it some semblance of permanence.
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A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2022 Spring issue in the section “In Focus.” Subscribe to the magazine.