The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

Ep331 - David Korins: Don't Do Stupid Things


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Four time Tony Awards nominee David Korins lets us into his world as he talks about his creative process and the intricacies of set design. He shares insights into his work's detailed and often granular nature, emphasizing the importance of even the smallest elements in creating a believable world for actors and audiences alike. He discusses set design for complex productions like “Beetlejuice”, and how he and director Alex Timbers viewed the house as a character itself, which led to numerous model versions to perfect the design. For “Hamilton”, he recounts starting with imaginative sketches and how the final design emerged through collaboration and feedback. While it might not make sense to the audience at times, David underscores the importance of (unseen) detailed set elements, and how they play an important role in helping actors perform authentically. He reflects on coming up with set designs for different mediums and finding new techniques to make his visions come to life, highlighting the evolving role of technology in set design and using Dear Evan Hansen and “The Who’s Tommy” as examples. With countless visions realized, David reveals that ultimately, he gets his motivation from the desire to help others realize their own.

David Korins is an internationally recognized award-winning creative director and designer responsible for creating 360-degree, fully immersive, holistic experiences for some of the biggest stars, brands, and events worldwide and in theatre and Broadway. He brought to life the environments for smash hits like “Hamilton”, “Dear Evan Hansen”, “Beetlejuice”, and “Mrs. Doubtfire”, among many others. He's worked as a creative director for Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Sia, and Andrea Bocelli to bring their musical visions to the stage. His film and TV experience includes series on HBO, CBS, Bravo, IFC, and PBS. He received the 2016 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special for “Grease: Live”. His scenic designs were seen last season in the play, “Just for Us”, and this season's “Here Lies Love” and “The Who’s Tommy”.


Connect with David:

  • Instagram: @davidkorins
  • Twitter: @DavidKorins

  • Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

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    • TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast
    • Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast
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    • My personal Instagram: @alanseales
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