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The Presence of Don Larew at NDSU

A tribute by Joy Erickson

This year, the Division of Fine Arts at North Dakota State University is celebrating the career of theatre designer Don Larew as he prepares to retire in May of 2009. A member of the theatre faculty at NDSU since 1969, Don has designed hundreds of productions (from two to six per year), directed a number of musicals and operas, and taught classes in technical theatre and theatrical design. He has watched the theatre grow from a time when he “did it all”—scenic, costume, and lighting design, technical direction, and supervision of both the scene and costume shops (amazing!)—to today, where we have separate faculty costume and scenic designers, a full-time technical director, and half-time shop supervisors for the costume and scene shops!

I first met Don in the summer of 1979. I was a life science teacher at Agassiz Junior High (Really a middle school, but no one called it that in those days!) who also supervised the school’s drama program. NDSU offered a summer program, “Theatre Is,” for public school teachers like me who were directing plays but had no real training in theatre. I was so delighted by the program that I vowed to take a leave of absence from my job and retrain myself in theatre. And so I became a graduate student in the NDSU theatre department in 1980.

Don was a wonderful teacher. He was always willing to listen, gentle in his criticism, encouraging in his comments, and free with praise upon accomplishment. I still remember the shock I felt in my second year of graduate school—I had just assumed the supervision of the costume shop—when Don asked me to design costumes for the upcoming production of Dracula. “Just do some drawings over the weekend and we’ll talk on Monday.” Wow! His confidence in my abilities, I’m sure, was the encouragement I needed to decide that I could do it.

Don’s mentoring of his students was not confined to their work at NDSU. When I obtained my first free-lance job—designing costumes for Red River Dance and Performing Company—Don showed up unannounced when I needed to measure dancers. He knew how much easier the job was with two people, one to measure and one to record. It was typical of his reserved personality that he assisted whenever necessary without making a “big deal” of it. His dedication as a teacher “required” him to do whatever he could to help his students succeed.

Don is a wonderful designer. His design for Bus Stop, the first play I directed at NDSU, was a perfect evocation of the typical Midwest small town café. All who see Don’s work recognize the quality of his efforts. The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival has twice awarded him Meritorious Achievement Awards for his outstanding work in scenic design and/or painting. In 1992, he received the Outstanding Research/Creative Activity Award from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

In addition to his university responsibilities, Don has had an active free-lance professional life. He has been a designer for Sceno-Graphics, in New Wilmington, PA, since 1974. This company rents design packages of popular musicals and straight plays to high schools and community colleges throughout the United States. They generally save their most complex shows—Les Miserables, Rumors, Lend Me a Tenor, The Secret Garden, and Noises Off—for Don to design. Don has also designed and/or directed productions for Ursa Major Productions, The Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and Red River Dance and Performing Company. He has served as a design consultant for the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra and the Plains Art Museum.

Don is an active supporter of the local arts community by his presence and financial contributions. He attends exhibitions, plays, recitals, concerts. He is especially supportive of the work of his former students. I have not been a member of the theatre faculty since the early 1990s, but when I recently designed costumes for a show at Horizon Middle School in Moorhead, Don attended the show and made certain to congratulate me on my efforts.

Don is a man of great integrity; his word is his bond. He has an amazing work ethic. He has spent long hours at the university to assure that Little Country Theatre productions meet the highest artistic standards. On the other hand, he makes certain that students husband their efforts. No overnight work sessions are allowed! “Go home, “ he will say, “and get some rest.” He is a great believer in planning ahead and working hard throughout the build process, not in leaving everything until the last minute. His other favorite mantra is, “If it’s good enough to open the show, it’s good enough for the run.” In other words, do it right for the opening, and then relax and enjoy the fruits of your efforts.

It is hard to image the NDSU theatre department without Don Larew. He has been such a presence there for forty years. He has guided students by his example and challenged them in his classes. He maintains contact with scores of former students who have participated in Little Country Theatre productions but are now scattered across the United States. These students, like me, remember Don with great fondness. Their good wishes and admiration are the finest compliment that any teacher could receive. On their behalf, Don, I wish you much happiness in your retirement!

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USITT @ 50 ! 1960 - 2010

In 2010, USITT will celebrate its 50th anniversary as the “Association of design, production, and technology professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry.” Plans are underway to include the entire membership in a year-long celebration. The theme of the celebration, is Honoring Our Past/Securing Our Future.

Every facet of the organization, from Chapters and Sections to Commissions and Committees, should consider ways to celebrate USITT in 2010, by Honoring Our Past. Among ideas being discussed are a special edition of TD&T in the anniversary year, memorabilia , and a book-length history of the organization.

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