Jim Clayburgh

Jim (James) Clayburgh (b. 23rd May 1949, New York City, NY) is a scenic designer. He was a founding member of The Wooster Group and served as the group's resident designer from 1975 to 1994. He currently lives in Brussels, Belgium, where he founded the company JOJI INC with choreographer and dancer Johanne Saunier, and continues to design for theatre, film, dance and opera both in the USA and in Europe.

Jim Clayburgh
Born23rd May 1949
New York City
OccupationScenic designer
Years active1973 - present

Life and career

Jim Clayburgh is the brother of actress Jill Clayburgh (1944–2010). With partner Johanne Saunier, he has two sons.

Clayburgh holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont McKenna College, majoring in design at Pomona College, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design from New York University School Of The Arts. In the USA he has taught masterclasses at MIT, New York Tisch School of the Arts, University of California Santa Cruz, University of Michigan, Hollins University, Simons Rock College of Art. In Europe, he has taught at St Luc's Ecole Supérieur des Arts and the International School of Brussels.

He was part of the design team for the interior renovations of two major concert halls in Brussels: La Maison de la Radio at Flagey, Ixelles,[1] and Le Palais des Beaux Arts.

In 2011 he gave a keynote address at the 41st International Theatre Festival at the Venice Biennale.

In 2013-14 he was a Visiting Artist at the American Academy of Rome.

Clayburgh was a member of the jury and gave a design workshop at Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in 2019, and he was a key speaker at the 2015 edition.

In 2020, he collaborated with German soprano Sarah Maria Sun on texts for concerts and lyrics for songs.

Approaches to scenic design

In conversation with Matthew Maguire:

"It interests me as a designer: looking for subconscious memories of space."[2]

"The distraction of a twenty-minute light change in a concert setting seems to block the ability to listen for some. I find it a form of relaxation, a second track of active involved meditation. I'm surprised how few people shut their eyes when listening."[2]

Awards and articles

Awards

OBIE award for Sustained Achievement (The Wooster Group) (1991).[3]

OBIE award for Sustained Achievement In Design (1982).[4]

Articles

"A Space For Oedipus" – profile in Theatre Design & Technology, by Arnold Aronson (1978).[5]

"Plywood and electronics" – profile in Theatre Crafts, by Tish Dace (1984).[6]

Design work

The Performance Group (1973–1978)
Production Year Director Role
The Tooth of Crime1973Richard SchechnerLighting design
The Tooth of Crime1974Richard SchechnerSet and lighting design
A Wing and a Prayer1975Ellen LeCompteLighting design
Thirty Years War1975Richard SchechnerSet and lighting design
Mother Courage and Her Children1975Richard SchechnerSet and lighting design
The Marilyn Project1976Richard SchechnerSet and lighting design
Oedipus1977Richard SchechnerSet and lighting design
Cops1978Richard SchechnerSet and lighting design

The Wooster Group (1975–1994)
Production Year(s) Role
Sakonnet Point 1975 Set co-design, lighting design
Nayatt School 1978 Lighting design
Rumstick Road 1979 Set co-design
Point Judith 1980 Set co-design, lighting design
3 Places in Rhode Island 1981 Set co-design, lighting design
Hula: a record album interpretation 1981 Lighting design
Routes 1&9 1981–85 Set co-design, lighting design
North Atlantic 1984–1986 Set and lighting design
L.S.D. (...Just the High Points...) 1986–1990 Set and lighting design
Frank Dell's The Temptation of St Anthony 1988–1990 Set design
BRACE UP! 1990–1994 Set design
Fish Story 1992–1996 Set design
White Homeland Commando (film) 1993 Art direction
Emperor Jones 1993–1996 Set design
The Hairy Ape 1994 Set design

Scenic design (other)
Production Year Director Producer
Marie and Bruce 1979 Wilford Leach NY Shakespeare Festival
Mary Stewart 1981 Des McAnuff The Public Theatre
My Sister In This House 1981 Iverna Lockpez Second Stage
The Confessions of a Dopefiend 1982 Matthew Maguire Creation Company
Necessary Ends 1983 Jim Milton NY Shakespeare Festival
Something Different 1983 Michael Kahn Second Stage
Miss Universal Happiness 1985 Richard Foreman Ontological-Hysteric Theatre
North Atlantic (remix) 2001 Elizabeth LeCompte The Wooster Group
BRACE UP! (2003) 2003 Elizabeth LeCompte The Wooster Group
In The Wind Of Time 2005 Isabella Soupart Kunstenfestival des arts
KOD 2007 Isabella Soupart Kunstenfestival des arts

Lighting design (dance)
Production Year Director/Choreographer Producer
Erts 1993 Anne-Terese de Keersmaeker Rosas
Philoctetes Variations 1994 Jan Ritsema Kaaitheater
Solo 1995 Michèle Anne de Mey Company M.A. de Mey
Cahiers 1996 Michèle Anne de Mey Company M.A. de Mey
De l'air et du vent 1996 Pierre Droulers Company P. Droulers
Petites formes 1997 Pierre Droulers Company P. Droulers
Katamenia 1997 Michèle Anne de Mey Company M.A. de Mey
Sans les voix des maîtres 1997 Johanne Saunier JOJI INC
Charms 1997 Judith Vindevogel Walpurgis
Jewish Songs 1997 Douglas Becker Conservatoire de Paris
Multum in Parvo 1998 Pierre Droulers Company P. Droulers
Soon 1998 Hal Hartley Salzburg Theatre Festival
The Day of Heaven and Hell 1998 Wim Vandekeybus Royal Flemish Theatre
Choree 2000 Renaud de Putters Bureau des pianos
Ma 2000 Pierre Droulers Company P. Droulers
Mo-ten-tion 2001 Istok Kovacs En Knap
Rappresentazione di Anima et di Corpo 2002 Pierre Droulers La Monnaie
Apparitions 2003 Renard de Putters Bureau des pianos
Each To His Own 2003 Douglas Becker Ballet de Genève
Inoui 2004 Pierre Droulers Company P. Droulers

Scenic & lighting design (1989–present)
Production Year Director / Choreographer Producer Role Notes
Visions of Don Juan 1987 Matthew Maguire Pepsico Summerfare Festival Set and lighting design NYC
Nightcoil 1989 Matthew Maguire Creation Company NYC
Goose and Tom-Tom 1986–90 David Rabe NY Shakespeare Festival NYC
Seventy Scenes of Halloween 1992 Matthew Maguire Creation Company NYC
An Evening of Music and Video 1994 Kit Fitzgerald On The Boards Seattle
Adventures 1999 P. Droulers / J. Clayburgh La Monnaie Brussels
Final Scene 2000 JOJI INC JOJI INC Direction, set and lighting design Brussels
Landscape with four figures 2001 Johanne Saunier JOJI INC
It's Like 2002 Johanne Saunier JOJI INC
Cara Lucia 2003/2007 Sharon Fogarty Mabou Mines NYC
It's Like (installation) 2004 Johanne Saunier JOJI INC
Erase-E(x) parts 1–6 2004–2007 The Wooster Group, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Isabella Soupart, Kurt D’Haeseleer, Georges Aperghis, Johanne Saunier JOJI INC Various
In The Wind Of Time 2005 Isabella Soupart Kunstenfestival des arts Set design Brussels
Mozart Choreographies 2007 Salva Sanchez et al. Mozarteum Saltzburg
Im-Agined 2007 Jim Clayburgh JOJI INC/STRP Festival Eindhoven Direction, set and lighting design Eindhoven
Lolita, an imagined opera 2008 Jim Clayburgh GMEM Direction, set and lighting design Marseille
Walking On Rocks 2008 Jim Clayburgh JOJI INC/Scène Nationale de Cavaillon Direction, set and lighting design
Line Of Oblivion 2010 Jim Clayburgh JOJI INC Direction, set and lighting design
Collision(s) 2010 Isabella Soupart MadeInBruxelles Set and lighting design Brussels
Lear, A King 2010 François Sarhan CNN de Havre Haute Normandie / SN Chalon-sur-Saône Set and lighting design Rouen / Chalon-sur-Saône
Musée en chantier 2011 JOJI INC Théâtre des tanneurs Set and lighting design Brussels
Modern Dance 2012 JOJI INC SN Chalon-sur-Saône Set and lighting design Chalon-sur-Saône
Man of La Mancha 2012 Sybille Wilson Festival de Wallonie Set and lighting design Brussels
Le Maître des illusions 2012 Sybille Wilson Théâtre du parc Set and lighting design Brussels
Words 2012 Isabella Soupart H&B Films Set and lighting design (film)
SpiderNight 2014 EU Dance Project Dans Centrum Jette Lighting design Brussels
I Love My Family I Don't Like 2014 Isabella Soupart MadeInBruxelles Lighting design Brussels
Steve Reich Project 2014 Isabella Soupart Beyond+Between asbl Lighting design Brussels
After Words 2015 Isabella Soupart MadeInBruxelles Lighting design Brussels
La Digitale 2015-2017 Sybille Wilson Musicatreize Set and lighting design Marseille, Paris, Bogotá
Tutti Colori 2016 Roxane Huilmand Dans Centrum Jette Lighting design Brussels
Urban Bubbles 2016 JOJI INC JOJI INC/Salzburg International Performing arts Lighting design Saltzburg
C'est ici que le jour se lève 2016 Isabella Soupart Théâtre Publique Lighting design Brussels
How To Act 2017 Isabella Soupart H&B Films Lighting design (film)
La Légende du Roi Dragon 2018 Johanne Saunier Opéra de Lille / Opéra de Bordeaux Set and lighting design Lille, Bordeaux
Short Films 2018 Isabella Soupart H&B Films Lighting design (film)
Faust 2.0 2019 Sharon Fogarty Mabou Mines Set and lighting design NYC
Carlotta's Room 2019 Arturo Fuentes Festival Verticé UNAM Lighting design and staging advice Mexico City
Dans un train 2020 Eléonore Lemaire JOJI INC/Corps à son Lighting design Toulouse, Varron

References
  1. Vandenbreeden, Jos; Wangermée, Robert (2003). Studio4 Maison de la Radio Flagey. Belgium: Académie Royal de Belgique, CIVA. ISBN 2-930391-01-4.
  2. Svich, Cariad, ed. (2003). Trans-Global Readings: Crossing Theatrical Boundaries. Manchester University Press. p. 120. ISBN 0-7190-6325-6.
  3. "91". Obie Awards. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  4. "82". Obie Awards. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  5. Aronson, Arnold (1978). "A Space For Oedipus". Theatre Design & Technology. 14 #2: 26–31.
  6. Dace, Tish (1984). "Plywood and electronics: Designer Jim Clayburgh of the Wooster Group". Theatre Crafts. 18 #2: 25–28, 54–55.
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