Ralph Alswang (April 12, 1916 – February 1979) was an American theatre and film director, designer, and producer. He designed scenery, lighting, and costumes for nearly 100

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

productions. He also designed venues such as the

George Gershwin Theatre The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Opened in 1972, it is operate ...

Biography

Alswang was born on April 12, 1916, in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, the son of Hyman and Florence Alswang. He studied theatre at the

Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the lan ...

, the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

, and under

Robert Edmond Jones Robert Edmond Jones (December 12, 1887 – November 26, 1954) was an American scenic, lighting, and costume designer. He is credited with incorporating the new stagecraft into the American drama. His designs sought to integrate scenic ele ...

. He was married to Beatrice (Betty) Alswang, an interior designer. He died in February 1979. He is survived by his three children, Hope Alswang, Frances Alswang, and Ralph Alswang.

Theatrical career

From 1942 to 1977, Alswang produced designs for nearly 100

productions, more than 70 of which were original productions. Alswang's first major design work was the scenery for the 1942 production of ''Comes the Revelation'' at

Jolson's 59th Street Theatre The New Century Theatre was a Broadway theater in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, at 205–207 West 58th Street and 926–932 Seventh Avenue. Opened on October 6, 1921, as Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, the theater was desi ...

. In 1946, Alswang designed the scenery for the Broadway revival of ''

Lysistrata ''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', "Army Disbander") is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponne ...

''. In addition to scenery, Alswang also designed lighting and costumes. He was the lighting designer for the original Broadway productions of ''

A Raisin in the Sun ''A Raisin in the Sun'' is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. The story tells of a black family's experiences in south Chi ...

'' and '' Beyond the Fringe'', each running for more than 500 performances. Alswang did the scenic and lighting design for

Dore Schary Isadore "Dore" Schary (August 31, 1905 – July 7, 1980) was an American playwright, director, and producer for the stage and a prolific screenwriter and producer of motion pictures. He directed just one feature film, '' Act One'', the film bio ...

's 1958 ''

Sunrise at Campobello ''Sunrise at Campobello'' is a 1960 Warner Bros. biographical film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 i ...

'', which ran for 556 performances. In some cases, such as the short-lived 1964 production of ''Fair Game For Lovers'', Alswang designed all three elements for the same production. In March 1964, co-produced and directed a production titled ''Is There Intelligent Life on Earth?''. The production integrated live action with motion pictures, a process known as "Living Screen" designed by Alswang. His last Broadway design was the 1977 production of ''Piaf... A Remembrance''.

Architectural design

In the early 1970s, Alswang designed the Uris Theatre in New York City, now the

Gershwin Theatre The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New ...

. The following year, Alswang designed the New Orleans Civic Center Theatre and the

Pine Knob Pavilion Pine Knob Music Theatre (formerly DTE Energy Music Theatre) is an outdoor amphitheater located in Independence Township, Michigan, approximately northwest of Detroit (it has a Clarkston, Michigan mailing address). Built by the Nederlander Organi ...

. Alswang also designed several houses in Westport, including the home of

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

Film

Along with

Robert J. Flaherty Robert Joseph Flaherty, (; February 16, 1884 – July 23, 1951) was an American filmmaker who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature-length documentary film, '' Nanook of the North'' (1922). The film made his reputati ...

and Robert Snyder, Alswang co-produced The Titan: Story of Michelangelo (1950). The film won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

References

External links

List of Theater credits

Stills from ''Sunrise at Campobello'', Museum of the City of New York
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alswang, Ralph 1916 births 1979 deaths American scenic designers American lighting designers American costume designers Artists from Chicago