Maria Elena Björnson (16 February 1949 – 13 December 2002) was a
theatre designer
Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trained ...
. She was born in Paris to a Norwegian father and Romanian mother. She was the great-granddaughter of the Norwegian playwright
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished ...
, who won the
Nobel Prize in Literature
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, caption =
, awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature
, presenter = Swedish Academy
, holder = Annie Ernaux (2022)
, location = Stockholm, Sweden
, year = 1901
, ...
in 1903. She apparently died of a suspected epileptic seizure.
Life
![Grave of Maria Bjornson in Kensal Green Cemetery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Grave_of_Maria_Bjornson_in_Kensal_Green_Cemetery.jpg)
Björnson was born in Paris on 16 February 1949. Her father Bjørn was a businessman from Norway; her mother, Mia Prodan, was from Romania. Both were from theatrical families. Björnson grew up in London; she studied at the
Lycée Français
The Agency for French Education Abroad, or Agency for French Teaching Abroad, (french: Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger; abbreviation: AEFE), is a national public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...
, and then at the
Byam Shaw School of Art
The Byam Shaw School of Art, often known simply as Byam Shaw, was an independent art school in London, England, which specialised in fine art and offered foundation and degree level courses. It was founded in 1910 by John Liston Byam Shaw and ...
and at the
Central School of Art and Design
The Central School of Art and Design was a public school of fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central School of Arts and Cr ...
.
She designed sets and costumes for theatre, ballet and opera. She worked for the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
, and designed
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
's ''
The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
'' – for which she won a
Tony Award for Best Scenic Design
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for outstanding set design of a play or musical. The award was first presented in 1947. In 1960, 1961, and since 2005, the category was divided into Scenic Design ...
and for
Best Costume Design, and a
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. In the 1998 ceremony the category was separated ...
and for
Outstanding Costume Design – and the
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas f ...
production of ''
Aspects of Love
''Aspects of Love'' is a musical with music and book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart. It is based on the 1955 novella of the same name by David Garnett.
The piece focuses on the romantic entanglements of actr ...
''.
Björnson was course director for theatre design at the Central School of Art and Design. She died in London on Friday 13 December 2002 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. She was 53.
Reception
In 2006, the refurbished
Young Vic
The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth.
The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 201 ...
opened a new studio theatre named the "Maria" in honour of Björnson. The first performance there was
''Love and Money'' by
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly is a British scriptwriter for theatre, television and film.
His play ''DNA'', first performed in 2007, became a core set-text for GCSE in 2010 and has been studied by approximately 400,000 students each year. He wrote the book ...
, directed by
Matthew Dunster
Matthew Dunster is an English theatre director, playwright and actor.Dominic Cavendish for The Telegraph. 17 Mar 201Matthew Dunster: From teenage kicks to dramatic hits/ref> He was the Associate Director of the Young Vic from 2005 to 2009 and t ...
and designed by
Anna Fleischle
Anna Fleischle is a theatre designer who has worked in theatre, dance and opera.
In 2007 Fleischle designed ''Love and Money'' at the new Maria, Young Vic, which was nominated for an Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in an affiliate the ...
.
In the 2011 25th Anniversary Concert of The Phantom of The Opera, the chandelier, considered Maria's greatest stage triumph, was named Maria in honour of her with the name inlaid on the inside of the $2M set piece.
References
Further reading
"Obituary: Maria Bjørnson" ''The Times'', 16 December 2002.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bjornson, Maria
1949 births
2002 deaths
French costume designers
Women costume designers
French scenic designers
Opera designers
French people of Romanian descent
Norwegian people of French descent
Academics of Central Saint Martins
Alumni of the Central School of Art and Design
Alumni of the Byam Shaw School of Art
Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery
Women scenic designers