NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

10/06/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- Lee Boyer can teach you to paint scenery in an hour, but it will take a lifetime to learn. Boyer, the founder of Boyer Drawing and Painting in Urbana, Ill., is teaching scene painting to theatre students at Northwestern State University through Thursday.

Boyer has 20 years experience in professional and academic theatre. He has presented workshops on theatre at the International Thespians Festival and the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. Boyer has taught scene design, painting techniques and graphic skills classes to students from the middle school to university levels.

While at NSU, Boyer is working with students painting scenery for Molliere's "Tartuffe," which will be presented Oct. 16-18. He is teaching the students to create painted marble and dimensional molding. Workshop participants received a handout that gives them a "recipe" for each topic.

"Most of the students have painted scenery, but what we are doing is at a more advanced level than what they are used to," said Boyer. "This is like any art. It takes practice."

Boyer says scene designers and painters often walk a fine line in their work. They want to create the best set possible, but they don't want it to draw attention away from the actors.

"I tell designers you don't need a set to have a successful play," he said. "But the set will give clues and information to support the story you are trying to tell."

Boyer will do eight workshops during the 2003-2004 academic year on a variety of topics. He began teaching workshops as an outreach of classes on scenery and scene painting he taught at the University of Illinois and at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.

"I really enjoy working with beginning young artists," said Boyer. "My main focus is to train people of high school age and high school teachers. I want them to have a satisfying experience painting and be happy about what they paint."

Boyer met NSU Associate Professor of Theatre Scott Burrell, the director of "Tartuffe," at the International Thespians Festival and agreed to travel to Northwestern for several days.

"Everybody here is learning and seems to have their own spark to learn what they need," said Boyer. "If you want to become an actor, this is not necessarily a skill you carry with you. But if you teach, this is a great skill to have.

Boyer has also worked with students in painting productions at the Interlochen Center for the arts. For six years, he was scenic charge artist for the University of Illinois Department of Theater where he oversaw the painting and student crews for 10 theater and opera productions each year. His credits also include the Whitewater Opera Company, Great Western Music Festival, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois and Parkland Community College.

For more information, his Web site is www.boyerdrawing.com.

Main Menu