TIRANA, Feb. 12 – U.S-based Albanian artist Andis Gjoni is the set designer in Sam Shepard’s Eyes For Consuela drama which is being staged at the Gene Frankel Theatre New York.
The four-person drama focuses the nature of love, loss and separation in a dreamlike Mexican landscape. Based on the short story The Blue Bouquet by Mexican writer and Nobel Prize-winner Octavio Paz, Eyes For Consuela depicts the mid-life crisis of Henry, a lost American soul, as he wanders the dreamlike world of a remote Mexican jungle. Estranged from his wife, Henry escapes to Mexico to find himself instead encountering Amado, a Mexican bandit who wants to cut out his eyes.
The stage design by the Albanian artist features a log and symbolizes the journey of the key character to the ups and downs under an abstract background which visually paraphrases Jackson Pollock’s paintings.
“I specially put it in this vision because it best suits the part… it best expresses the feeling of a life and an abstract-expressionist situations, the ups and downs of life, the insecurity of a jungle. There are many elements which make it attractive and in this respect I think it fully provides the atmosphere of the drama that develops there,” Gjoni was quoted as saying by the Illyria Albanian-American newspaper in New York.
The talented stage designer is the son of a renowned composer Simon Gjoni and pianist Mira Gjoni.
The New York theatre review blog described the set as cleverly realized and with the immediate effect of a log cabin in the woods.
“The Jungle we find ourselves in, is really quite cleverly realized by set designer Andis Gjoni. The immediate effect is that of a log cabin in the woods, jutting out at aggressive angles against the soft translucency of abstractly painted scrim, curling and bending so that there are no straight lines at all. The cabin is claustrophobic, with only enough space for a hammock, small table and chair, and two grown men,” says the newyorktheatrereview.blogspot.com.
Andis Gjoni is one of the most acclaimed Albanian artists, known for his work in theater and his creations in the visual arts. His latest successes include the directing and sets of the opera La Serva Padrona for the New Jersey State Opera, Porgy & Bess, (co-directing, costumes and sets) West Side Story and Kiss me Kate (sets and costumes) at the National Opera Theater of Albania. Design credits include Mina (La MaMa Theater) Uncle Vanya (Sonet Repertory), Half (White Horse Theater) PB&J (NYC Fringe Festival) The higher education of Khalid Amir (NY Midtown Festival) The Book of Lambert (La MaMa Theater) The Star without Name, Outside it Snows, Miss Julie by Strindberg, The Servants, (National Drama Theater Albania) and the set design of the opera Villa Diodati (45-th St. Theater) for the later in 2008 he received honorific mentioning at New York Musical Festival. He has participated in many international Theater Festivals in the U.S. and Europe. His achievements include also solo exhibitions of art works and installations in different countries.
