Where does one look for a fictional town? As the set designer for Spoon River Anthology, I had no map or photographs to draw from. The Spoon River I envisioned was mine. The Spoon River Director Laura Schier envisioned was hers. The cast members envision their own Spoon River, as do the play’s many loyal followers.
After much thought, what came to me was this: Spoon River exists in a forest of the 5 seasons of life. (described in Tradition, Meet Other Tradition) There are 5 trees, each representing a season, and that seasons emotion. My goal as designer was to give the audience a visual jumping off point, and to let your imaginations take you the rest of the way. The set is minimal and representative, and the real Spoon River still lies in the hearts and minds of the viewers and the actors.
So let me ask you – What does your Spoon River look like?
