ADG Perspective

Backstage and behind the scenes, the oces, dressing rooms, and workshops are a little warmer and more richly detailed. From the authentic film cameras on the sound stage to the handwritten notecards on the bulletin boards in the writers' room, set decorator Ellen Brill and her amazing team captured the rich texture of a film studio during the golden age of Hollywood. In the conception and execution of Desi's oce and Lucy's dressing room at the studio, we tried to convey the magnitude of their success. Desi did, in fact, have a very formal, woodpaneled oce. It occurred to me that Desi should appear to be as powerful as the president of General Motors, with Lucy clearly positioned as the crown jewel of the corporation. To that end, there's a portrait of Lucy in the oce which Graphic Artist Jason Sweers created using Nicole Kidman's face and an actual portrait of Lucille Ball from the Lucy Museum in Jamestown, New York. The style and tone of Lucy's dressing room was inspired by a couture salon in an exclusive department store of the period. Set Designer Trinh Vu translated the elegant simplicity of a reference image I found into a set built within the Wilshire Ebell location. Assistant Art Director Sam Rashba had the thankless task of combing through catalogues of decorative ornamentation to replicate the specific style we were after. By using the setting to define the level of Lucy's success, we tried to convey, both visually and emotionally, how much Lucy risks losing as the story unfolds. A. DESI'S OFFICE. SHOT AT THE WILSHIRE EBELL THEATER. SET PHOTO. B. LUCY PORTRAIT FOR DESI'S OFFICE. BY GRAPHIC ARTIST JASON SWEERS. C. LUCY'S DRESSING ROOM. ILLUSTRATION BY FERNANDO ACOSTA. D. & E. LUCY'S DRESSING ROOM. BUILT AT THE WILSHIRE EBELL THEATER SET PHOTOS. F. ARNAZ HOUSE POOL. PRODUCTION STILL. G. ARNAZ HOUSE INTERIOR. SET PHOTO. H. CIRO'S NIGHTCLUB STAGE. SET PHOTO. I. DESI'S HOTEL SUITE. SET PHOTO. J. DESI'S HOTEL SUITE. ILLUSTRATION BY FERNANDO ACOSTA. B A C D E

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