Owen Collins Publishes Article in the Theatre Design & Technology Journal The article “Organic Dance Designs” tells the story of the theatrical work of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship.

By Brian Laubscher
September 20, 2024

Owen Collins, professor of theater at Washington and Lee University, recently published an article in Theatre Design & Technology, the official journal of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT).

Collins’ article “Organic Dance Designs,” only available via subscription, establishes the connection between legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and the performing arts. In the early 1930s, Wright and his third wife, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, established a school of architecture called the Taliesin Fellowship. The school was created as an alternative and immersive approach to education, much like an apprenticeship. The students would live and do everything together, becoming their own intentional community.

Wright, who viewed the arts as a division of architecture, would regularly play the piano for his students and guests. He would involve his apprentices in weekly music performances, while Mrs. Wright and their daughter began dance instruction for the students. These were original works that blended music, dance and theater. They would often produce public performances for each other and guests, eventually utilizing their architectural skills to construct a performing center onsite called the Taliesin West Pavilion. Here, they would host the Taliesin Festival of Music and Dance.

Just as the designed theatre space evolved, so too did the complexity of the performances, which eventually hit the road to perform publicly in locations such as Chicago and Dallas. Despite meager reviews, the students continued to perform for many years, establishing a reputation in the arts that would lead to the creation of numerous auditoriums and performing arts centers over the years.

“They were amateurs in the original sense of the word, really doing it for the love of the art form,” said Collins. “It is rare to amass such a supremely talented group of amateurs that were dedicated to designing, building and sewing. They really pushed themselves artistically to create what were very avant-garde productions for their time.”

Collins’ research leading to the article was supported by a Lenfest Summer Research Grant. He has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2002 and has been making theater professionally for more than 30 years. His design work has been seen at The Ailey Citigroup Theatre (Progeny Dance), the Corcoran Gallery of Art (W&L Repertory Dance Co.), Off-Broadway (Aquila Theatre’s Comedy of Errors), and Off-Off Broadway (IRT Theater Depths of the Valley), as well as other venues in the United States. He holds a Bachelor of Science in theater production from Bradley University and a Master of Fine Arts in theater design from the University of South Carolina.

The USITT was founded in 1960 as an organization to promote dialogue, research and learning among practitioners of theatre design and technology. Today, it has grown to include members at all levels of their careers and has embraced the new technologies being used in entertainment. USITT is now the leader in life-long learning opportunities for the entertainment design and technology industry.

If you know a W&L faculty member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.