there are gigantic screens everywhere. even as you sit down in the theatre, various forms of social media are scrolling and scrolling across the stage. twitter, instagram, facebook, everything. it’s all going and going and going. it never stops (except for in key emotional moments, such as “so big/so small”). it’s a constant stream of light and noise and motion.
[some early designs from set designer david korins] (also! none of these photos are mine! they’re either from google images or a screenshot of the boot.)
during key scenes, it’s almost as though the stage is a character. there’s notifications constantly lighting up behind characters. it so clearly encapsulates the constant attack of alerts and buzzing and reminders (most of which lead to no real human connection) that today’s teenagers face every single day.
they’re always there. the light, the projections, it’s there constantly, just barely in the background, nagging at the edge of your mind and the characters’ minds.
the hazy greens and blues that constantly surround evan whenever he’s alone really focus on his pure, unadulterated, all-consuming solitude.
evan’s letter blares across the stage constantly as well, during “for forever”, “requiem”, etc. almost every time the letter is mentioned, really, it appears, either in its entirety or in small parts. (also, note the projections of trees during this scene where cynthia sits on connor’s bed and reads some of the faked emails).
the letter is constantly there, shining either behind evan or across his face. a constant reminder of what he’s done, of what made everything fall apart, of how he really feels, deep inside.
as he talks to “connor”, who is really a manifestation of either evan’s guilt or his anxiety or his depression depending upon who you ask, the letter is thrown across the stage, seen in snippets. a never-ending reminder to the audience that this (connor and evan’s “relationship”) isn’t real and was founded upon a miscommunication (in this age of constant communication!!!) and then a lie.
also, chat posts are projected during “waving through a window” (all the times evan tried to reach out, or wanted to, but failed).
there’s one moment, during “you will be found” where larry finally begins to accept his son’s death. when he finally breaks down, finally cries. he rushes over to his wife and hugs her close. then:
the image of their son is projected around them, his memory flooding every aspect of the show. connor is so constantly present, whether it’s through the lighting (connor’s face, name, or his “note” are almost always somewhere in the set)
it keeps going and going and going. all the time. constantly. it’s never ending.
whenever one of the characters is directly addressing an audience (see: livestreaming about the connor project) their exact image with real-time video is projected all around them. a reminder of how everything we do nowadays is amplified, seen, watched, and judged.
[some of the designers for dear evan hansen look over their projection boards] do you see how complicated this all is!
but not only is the lighting of dear evan hansen astoundingly intricate. the set itself is also complex. while, from the outside, the stage is fairly standard, with no big adornments, this is just a first-glance. the entire stage is constantly in motion. behind the six or seven gigantic panels (and more slightly smaller ones) that are constantly raised up and down, the items on the stage also move.
during “anybody have a map”, evan’s bed (with evan atop it) moves backwards, mechanically, gliding across the stage, while the murphys’ dining table slides in from the right. the entire show is automated. no stagehands ever enter the picture. it’s just the characters. just the eight actors and the frenzied world around them.
while the actual items on the stage are fairly simple–all in order to be realistic–the methods used for this type of movement are not. it’s incredibly complex and difficult to easily and swiftly move gigantic pieces of set, such as the table above, with actors on top, off the stage without fail.
then, there’s the final scene. the final look. the set shifts. the panels rise, the seemingly otherwise constant notifications disappearing. the band and orchestra, who had been hanging from the ceiling, attached to a pole and the left edge of the stage, this entire time, are fully seen. the orchard is revealed, small trees, signs of new growth. evan stands off to one side, gazing out into the audience. the blue color of the projections fade, revealing a pink and purple sunset. the lights dim on the other actors and raise on evan.
the lighting and set design of dear evan hansen is beyond innovative. it’s something that hasn’t been done before, at least not to this level, and it makes the entire experience of seeing the show that much more immersive and overwhelming. it’s truly amazing, and i applaud everyone involved with the creative aspects of this incredible show.
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