The story of Romeo and Juliette (or West Side Story by Bernstein) is a story that can happen anywhere at any time. The location and time period are not exactly important as it is a story about people and relationships, and that topic is eternal. However, in West Side Story, the location and time period bring additional conflict to the story and add a couple of layers of complexity. Not only are those aspects emphasized in the brilliant libretto by Sondheim, but they are amplified by the amazing music by Bernstein.

The conflicts of the story are usual: the clash of the cultures, the questioning of societal norms, the exploration of the new, family prejudice, and rebellion against traditions. It seems that this musical didn’t leave out any of the conflicts.

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So, what are the goals and challenges for the design then? Well, the theatre space is not traditional for this type of musical (arena setting) when the traditional choreography requires the proscenium stage. Arena space limits (if not prohibits) any tall scenery. Also, the masterpiece by Bernstein requires a fairly large orchestra, and setting them up within a space is a challenge in itself.

Since the location (New York City, as in many other works by Bernstein) is important for the establishment of some of the conflicts, my choice was to show the cityscape, traffic lights, and fire escapes. The streets are where the action is happening, so that is where the set takes us. There are several inside locations, but all of them are more or less generic in their individual appearances. They are not the center point of the storytelling; they are a part of the larger picture of the city which in itself contains conflict. The story which is told through music takes us on an emotional journey through the city and shows us that nothing is simple, nothing is black and white, and the elements can look romantic and cozy in the daylight, and scary at night.

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The set includes some geometry that contradicts the theatre shape – it is in the round, but it’s a pentagon. The platforms are symmetrically located, but with the balcony, they create a triangle. The outer cityscape structure is a rectangle. The inner cityscape structure is a rectangle as well, and it has a 45-degree angle to an outer cityscape rectangle. Both of those rectangles create an overlapping cityscape line which is unique for every sit in the house. The Dance Hall overhead structure is round and it “fits” with the pentagon creating the only “similar” to the theatre geometrical shape.