Designing Broadway: Scenic Designer David Korins on Creating the ‘Chinese Puzzle’ Sets of Chinglish

When David Korins was hired to design the sets of Chinglish, the story of an American businessman who goes to Guiyang, China, to drum up business for his sign-making company, he began with research on the city itself (“not one of the sexy coastal cities”). Korins found inspiration from “architecture that is aspirational, but not that well-designed.” Then lightning struck. After reading the play, Korins woke in the night and, without turning on the light, drew his first sketches of what would become his rotating sets, built on double turntables, that revolve to make up the many locations of Chinglish. Click on below to see Korins share his scenic inspiration and show off models of his intricate creation, then see them in action at the Longacre Theatre.