Angela Mitchell: Was there any particular designer or artist who inspired you early in your career?
Douglas Rogers: There were two -- Eugene Lee was definitely number one. I followed him around in the theatre, but I was scared to death of the guy at the time. I’m very familiar with his work, but the really funny thing is, he and I have actually never met or had a discussion, even though my wife actually knew him and used to house-sit for him! My other inspiration is Ming Cho Lee, with whom I studied in graduate school.
Angela Mitchell: Of your own work, what's your favorite work to date?
Douglas Rogers: My favorite show that I've ever done was at The Dallas Theatre Center -- a production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We were in the old Arts District theatre there, which was a big warehouse, and I had film shot and projected throughout the production.
I also thought it would be fun to move the audience around during the show. So we moved three or four hundred people around throughout the show, and it created an immersive experience for them. With this in mind, to take it farther, I thought, "what if the children got to go to Narnia, as well?" so I got them to go 'into the wardrobe' even as they entered the theatre itself. The audiences were mostly children, who absolutely loved the chance to be part of the story.
